[Jacob-list] Custom mixed feed?

[Linda]

I have been mixing my feed for about 10 years. We do have a mill in town and I may give them a try - although I think the feed comes out finer than I'd like. For a brief time, I used Godfrey's Sheep Feed, a regional premix.  Because the label mentioned copper, I called and asked the mill just how much copper.  They couldn't tell me - just said that they included a mineral mix that was fine for sheep, so I sent a sample off to UGA for analysis.  It came back balanced for sheep and I felt that feeding a mineral mix on the side would have disrupted the balance.  I don't read the feed bag tags every time I feed.  I had some problems with weak lambs the next spring and was appalled abit later to notice that Godfrey's was no longer adding minerals.  I called and they said someone had complained, so they quit adding them.  I'm still fuming over that.

During the last couple months of gestation, I'm back to using a mix of whole corn, whole oats, wheat bran, soybean meal and molasses for the ewes and later for the lambs.  We don't feed molasses to rams.  If you feed your own mix, you will need to offer a free choice mineral mix.  I've read varying opinions on feeding whole soybeans to sheep.  I'd be interested to hear what others have to say on the topic.

Linda
Getting ready for 2006 lambs!
www.patchworkfibers.com
Registered Jacob Sheep, Angora Rabbits, Handspun Yarn

On Sat, 20 Aug 2005 21:11:26 -0400, Susan Roenke wrote:
>
> Do any of you have your feed custom mixed? The feed from Agway is
> getting expensive now that our herd is gettting bigger...I have
> been talking with the farmer we get our hay from and he can mix us
> what we want. He said most people have found 4:1 of corn to
> soybeans works good for their sheep and goats.  We have both also.
> We would leave it whole.  Do we need to add vitamins and minerals?
> Mollasses? I have been trying to do some research and not getting
> too much info, except on the Cornell website which is near us.
> Thanks for any help! Sue and Marie
>
>
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