[Jacob-list] Feeding sheep/COB

[Linda]

Here in north Georgia, you won't find alot of alfalfa grown and what is grown locally isn't really the quality you'd see up north.  I lived in Michigan for a few years and we grew alfalfa hay.  You don't see hay like that grown around here.  The feed stores will bring in alfalfa hay from up north, but they are small bales and high dollar.  The best deal for hay here is a 50/60 # bale of Russell Bermuda for $4.  Fescue is the most common hay available, although it seems that alot of hay growers use the term "fescue" to mean anything that they didn't actually plant - lawn clippings, weeds, etc.  Because I don't want to make any drastic changes in my hay, I currently have Bermuda, fescue, and a fescue/timothy mix.  Because we don't always know what hay will be available I want to make sure my girls will eat what is available.  Georgia sheep can't afford to be too picky :-)  It is not complicated to feed them - it is complicated to assure a steady source of hay.  We didn't have the room to store much hay this summer so weren't able to stock up when it was more readily available.  Next year I'll be stocking up early.

Meg, do you mix your own COB?  Or is it a premix?

Linda


 
www.patchworkfibers.com
Registered Jacob Sheep, Angora Rabbits, Handspun Yarn


> Sounds to me like you are doing just fine - Your hay is probably

> better thantwhat most of us get - it is most important to stick to

> the SAME diet and not upset the rumen.  Corn is also 'hot' and if

> stock break into a big supply, they can get sick.

>

> From what I read here a lot of us use COB (corn-oats-barley) with

> soybean meal, minerals and molasses.

>

> JACI SIEHL wrote:>  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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