[Jacob-list] Hay woes

[ARTHUR PARTRIDGE]

>What is a "rich" diet?

<snip>

>I prefer to err on the side of too thin rather than too fat, but there are

alot of chubby ewes out there that lamb without >assistance every year.
===========
I would say that 2nd and 3rd cutting, dark green, leafy alfalfa perhaps
with a cup or so of COB daily would make a "rich" diet.  It is more
nutrients than the animal's daily requirements so the excess is stored as
fat.  I wish Betty would chime in here with her feeding schedule and share
it with the group, it fits what I have read and what my veterinarian has
told me to follow.  If I did follow it, it would save me a lot of money! 
We lamb in March and start feeding the ewes alfalfa (and Livestock Blend)
in January, that's three months into the pregnancy.  Then we continue to
feed alfalfa until grazing starts.  The rest of the year we feed mostly
grass hay.  We fill them up on grass hay before they graze because we have
limited pasture available.  

I think it is risky management to have fat ewes trying to lamb, there are
possible problems such as  prolapses (both uterine and rectal) and
difficult births that often need the shepherd's assistance.

Cathy
Moscow, Idaho