[Jacob-list] Feeding Jacobs

[Neal and Louise Grose]

Sheep are going to eat to meet their energy needs. You don't mention the energy level of the feeds you are talking about here. I am going to guess that in Northern California, 16% protein alfalfa is about 68% Total Digestible Nutrients or about 65mcals/lb. Here in North Carolina, 16% P alfalfa would only be about 60% TDN. The relative energy value on grass hay would be lower. They will have to eat more of the grass hay than the alfalfa to meet their needs.

If these are adult non-lactating sheep, then they need a ration that is only 60% TDN and 11-12% protein. Good quality alfalfa would be over-feeding these sheep. But, the extra calcium might be useful in recharging the bone reserves after lactation. 

Regardless of breed, lactating ewes and growing lambs need a total ration that is 72% TDN and 16% protein to maintain consistent growth. They can get this through additional grain or from milk from their mothers. The only other source to boost energy is to obtain it from selective grazing of early vegetative growth. Or from picking the leaves out of the alfalfa.

I don't think it matters whether you are feeding grass or alfalfa. Storage of hay shouldn't reduce the value enough to worry about as long as it is kept in a dry barn. You can always send off a feed sample to a lab to make sure. (Or ask your supplier for a test result.)

Neal Grose
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: JACI SIEHL 
  To: gotothewhip at aol.com ; jacob-list at jacobsheep.com 
  Sent: Friday, June 20, 2008 9:53 PM
  Subject: Re: [Jacob-list] Feeding Jacobs


  We've been going through this discussion as well.....not about woolbreaks but what is the nutritional need of our sheep.....most of the people (including vets) I talk to locally raise meat sheep so they look at it differently than those of us not trying to pack on muscle.  

  I always feed just once a day, in the evening.

  I used to feed alfalfa, but found my sheep got spoiled.  They would eat the leaves but refused to eat the stems.  They tossed the stems on the ground and that ended up as compost in my garden.  It got WAY to expensive.  I solved this problem by rationing.  If there were too many stems left, we gave them less new hay the next day (and since I am sure sheep can count, they noticed and complained).  This way they would end up eating most of the stems with very little waste.

  Last year I changed to grass (a pasture/blue grass mix or alfalfa/grass mix).  They get a little bit more in terms of quantity (which makes them happy).  With the grass hays they get about 3 lbs a day.  Even with this they seldom eat all the hay that they get each day so every few days they get a little bit less and clean up the scraps.  (It averages about 20 lbs a week per animal).  Although we don't have pasture for them, there is some grass growing around some of our trees that they snack on, as well as leaves and bark; but not enough to hardly count.

  They do not get grain as a rule, but do get COB as a treat once in awhile.  

  In our area of Northern California grass and alfalfa are about the same price ($13 - $15 for a 110 lb bale).  What cost me $600 to feed them last year will cost me about $1,000 this year - so I will be watching their intake even closer this year to make sure no one goes hungry, but making sure the feed isn't wasted.

  One person I spoke to said that the nutrition of a grass hay 2 - 5 years old is nearly that of fresh cut (maybe 5% less).  Anyone know if this is true?  I can get some of last year's hay (even their favorite one) for only $11/bale, but I don't want to throw my money out on feed that won't do them any good.  Any ideas?

  That's my 2 cents worth.  I hope to hear from others on this subject.


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