[Jacob-list] Feeding Question

[lgnewsome at comcast.net]

Just a note to those feeding Blue Seal Hay Stretcher Pellets... I mix the 50# pellets with 100# sheep grains. My sheep love them, and they think they're getting more delicious grain! During maintenance periods I give about 1/2 cup per sheep of the mix, plus all the hay they want. I feed grain all year, as the sheep come running and it gives me a chance to look them over closely everyday . I also add 1 cup of Ammonium Chloride to the combined 150# of feed to avert urinary calculi issues (have had none).  Now to the note... Blue Seal recently changed their label on the Hay Stretcher from "for horses and other livestock" to "for horses and other non-ruminant livestock". I contacted my Blue Seal dealer (I work at a feed store) and was informed that this was due to the fact that in some mills the Hay Stretcher is processed with machinery that also processes Blue Seal Lamb & Rice Dog Food (though not at our regional mill), so there may be a small chance that a trace amount of lamb meal could mix with the Hay Stretcher pellets during production, so legally the label must read "for non-ruminant livestock", even though the chance of contamination is minimal. 

----- Original Message -----
From: "Linda" <patchworkfibers at windstream.net> 
To: "Marjorie Schafer" <MHSchafer at oglecom.com> 
Cc: jacob-list at jacobsheep.com 
Sent: Saturday, December 29, 2012 8:10:21 PM 
Subject: Re: [Jacob-list] Feeding Question 

I've supplemented with alfalfa pellets and cubes for over 15 years. When we first had sheep we had trouble finding good quality hay. We have a source of good hay now, which has been tested, but supplies can be limited. 
Pellets - I've never had good luck feeding alfalfa pellets without mixing in some whole grain. They seem to swallow before they chew and then they choke. There are different sized alfalfa pellets. The ones that are the size of rabbit feed are the worst. The Standlee pellets are the best I've found. The Grainland pellets are mostly dust. I like the Blue Seal Hay Stretcher Pellets, but it's a long drive to get them and my donkey doesn't do well on them. 
Cubes. I like cubes the best - the cubes that have clay as a binder just don't work for me or my sheep. My sheep have had to learn to eat cubes. I crumble them into tubs at first. I do not grain my rams after they are weaned. The rams are in a dry and clean area. I toss the cubes over the fence and they "graze" them. There is no fighting. I've been experimenting with offering the cubes free choice for the ewes.    .. 

On 12/28/2012 12:17 PM, Marjorie Schafer wrote: 


Hello, 


We are relatively new Jacob breeders (this is our second year). We live in northern IL, and the drought was very severe here this year. We were lucky to get any hay at all, and paid almost twice what we did last year. However--the quality is EXCEEDINGLY poor. Our year-old hay looks much fresher/greener than this hay just cut a few months ago, and the sheep much prefer it. The new hay is dried out and very stemmy. It looks more like straw than hay.  But it was all we could get.  


We supplement our ewes with a little bit of grain each day, so I'm not as worried about them--though they are very hungry right now. I worry some about the pregnant ewes. 


But as for the rams--I've read they shouldn't be given grain at all (risk of urinary calculi, among other things). And I'm wondering if there is a way to supplement their nutrition. I've been told that alfalfa pellets can be a good supplement, and we bought a bag of dehydrated alfalfa pellets from our feed mill. But the sheep (and llamas) seem unable to chew them and are not attracted to them at all. 


I know many Jacob breeders do not feed  grain to their Jacobs at all, but given the very poor quality of our hay, I'm just wondering how we're going to get through the winter nutrition-wise. Any thoughts? 


Thank you, and Happy New Year to you all, 


Margie 
Round Barn Jacobs 
Durand, IL 

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