[Jacob-list] Feeding sheep

[JACI SIEHL]

I feel like I must be doing something wrong......I have four ewes and one ram and live in CA.  For four years I have gotten my 100# alfalfa bales for $8.00.  That is all I feed my sheep - although they do get some oak leaves, acorns, pine, cedar, and manzanita leaves and bark.  They get one flake a day until the amount of stems gets too much, then we cut back until they eat some of the stems up.  It averages one bale every 8 or 9 days. (about $6.00/head per month) 
   
  I had a very bad experience with sheep and corn (lost 3 ewe lambs) so have been extremely nervous of feeding then anything with corn.  However, I give them a scoop of sweet-cob a couple times a week for a treat.
   
  Is it really as complicated as it sounds in other parts of the country?  When I read others talking about hay, I had assumed alfalfa (maybe because my sheep won't eat any other kind of hay), but maybe you are talking about grass or some other kind of hay and you need to add other feeds.  Either that or I'm up for sheep abuse by not going through all the feeding regiments that are required.
   
   
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