[Jacob-list] grain, etc.

[Betty Berlenbach]

I read early on in a sheep book that barley in pregnant sheep can cause metabolic disorders: probably talking about sensitive standardized breeds, but I have shied away from it because of that.  I use a premixed bag of corn, wheat, and soy beans, organic: they get about two tablespoons a piece now, and work up to maybe l/2 cup while lactating, for the first month, then reduced again, so that by June they are down to 2 T. again...candy, basically.  I have never flushed nor run them next to the rams before it's time for breeding groups. In twelve years, I think I've had three ewes each NOT breed once.  They are in for exactly 18 days and not a day longer, because i don't want lambing to last more than 3 weeks.  too intense, though that's just me: I check at 9 p.m., then go to bed until 6 a.m.  Have lost 3 lambs in last 11 years.  Works for me.
 Betty, in Vermont,who now has a blog, thanks to help from Walter and Linda.  See Betty's blog at http://sheepwoman.wordpress.com.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www.pairlist.net/pipermail/jacob-list/attachments/20071026/de34f6e3/attachment.html>