Housing sheep

JimmyG8

This is my first year housing sheep they are lambing at the end of march im giving them good hay whole oats 4 in 1 lick bucket and about a month before they lamb I will start giving them some hi energy ewe and lamb nut will that be enough of supplements for them to have plenty of milk

charolais0153

JimmyG8 wrote: »

This is my first year housing sheep they are lambing at the end of march im giving them good hay whole oats 4 in 1 lick bucket and about a month before they lamb I will start giving them some hi energy ewe and lamb nut will that be enough of supplements for them to have plenty of milk

Depending on quantity of oats you might want to start sooner

wrangler

JimmyG8 wrote: »

This is my first year housing sheep they are lambing at the end of march im giving them good hay whole oats 4 in 1 lick bucket and about a month before they lamb I will start giving them some hi energy ewe and lamb nut will that be enough of supplements for them to have plenty of milk

What protein is the nut.
A ewe carrying two lambs would need 200 gms protein/day for the last two week before lambing for milk and biestings.
A kilo of 20%protein ration has 200gms protein in it.
A kilo of Oats (10%P) has 100gms protein in it, your hay would have a small bit of P in it too so you make it up anyway you like.
Our doubles will be on a kilo of 20% ration at that stage but we only give them straw with that, they're on about .6kg at the moment six weeks out and we'll be increasing it from early Feb
You're probably alright with oats and hay seeing that you're still 9 or 10 weeks out, they just really need energy at the mo

JimmyG8

wrangler wrote: »

What protein is the nut.
A ewe carrying two lambs would need 200 gms protein/day for the last two week before lambing for milk and biestings.
A kilo of 20%protein ration has 200gms protein in it.
A kilo of Oats (10%P) has 100gms protein in it, your hay would have a small bit of P in it too so you make it up anyway you like.
Our doubles will be on a kilo of 20% ration at that stage but we only give them straw with that, they're on about .6kg at the moment six weeks out and we'll be increasing it from early Feb
You're probably alright with oats and hay seeing that you're still 9 or 10 weeks out, they just really need energy at the mo

Thanks 18% nut they still have a nice pick of grass for another 10 days

JimmyG8

charolais0153 wrote: »

Depending on quantity of oats you might want to start sooner

Good quality oats they still have a nice pick of grass for another 10 days

charolais0153

JimmyG8 wrote: »

Good quality oats they still have a nice pick of grass for another 10 days

How many kgs/head/day

buffalobilly

What would be best good hay or silage along with ration ?

JimmyG8

charolais0153 wrote: »

How many kgs/head/day

they getting about 2lb per head they still have grass but wont be long eating it

Cyclist101

JimmyG8 wrote: »

they getting about 2lb per head they still have grass but wont be long eating it

Seems a lot! Are you very near lambing. If not, you’re going to have a lot of trouble getting the lambs out of your ewes.

Either the way, dont give them that much all in one feed. The general recommendation is not to give more than half a kilo per head in one feed.

I have used a rule of thumb, with good hay, to start twins on 0.1kg per day 7 weeks from lambing and increase by 0.1kg per week thereafter, so 0.7kg per day in final week, Split it over two feeds per day once I hit 0.5kg per day. Singles would start 2-3 weeks later, building to 0.4kg

JimmyG8

Cyclist101 wrote: »

Seems a lot! Are you very near lambing. If not, you’re going to have a lot of trouble getting the lambs out of your ewes.

Either the way, dont give them that much all in one feed. The general recommendation is not to give more than half a kilo per head in one feed.

I have used a rule of thumb, with good hay, to start twins on 0.1kg per day 7 weeks from lambing and increase by 0.1kg per week thereafter, so 0.7kg per day in final week, Split it over two feeds per day once I hit 0.5kg per day. Singles would start 2-3 weeks later, building to 0.4kg

not lambing till last week of march they not on oats till next week when they go in feeding them oats for the last few years and never any problems with them lambing they won't be getting any nuts till about 3 weeks before lambing this is the first year I am housing them always fed out

Cyclist101

JimmyG8 wrote: »

not lambing till last week of march they not on oats till next week when they go in feeding them oats for the last few years and never any problems with them lambing they won't be getting any nuts till about 3 weeks before lambing this is the first year I am housing them always fed out

Sorry, I saw the ref to 18% nut and thought you were feeding 1kg per day of that. 1kg of oats would be a different story.

JimmyG8

Cyclist101 wrote: »

Sorry, I saw the ref to 18% nut and thought you were feeding 1kg per day of that. 1kg of oats would be a different story.

😂😂yeah it's around 2lb of oats till 3 weeks of lambing and then I add nuts with oats for the last 3 weeks

Birdnuts

JimmyG8 wrote: »

This is my first year housing sheep they are lambing at the end of march im giving them good hay whole oats 4 in 1 lick bucket and about a month before they lamb I will start giving them some hi energy ewe and lamb nut will that be enough of supplements for them to have plenty of milk

How much did you pay for them?? - picked up a few bags(40kg) of rolled oats for 10 yoyos each 2day from the co-op

charolais0153

Birdnuts wrote: »

How much did you pay for them?? - picked up a few bags(40kg) of rolled oats for 10 yoyos each 2day from the co-op

That's not too bad

wrangler

https://d1hu4133i4rt3z.cloudfront.net/attachments/758/758860-fd47998bc4eab46a277a389ad003ec70.jpg

Came across this picture, notice the 3 in 1 feeder, handy job for small batches in sheds.
oats being fed through it here, I haven't seen that size before.

Dearlittle buggers, they'd be €500 here

https://advantagefeeders.com.au/product/150hd/

JimmyG8

Birdnuts wrote: »

How much did you pay for them?? - picked up a few bags(40kg) of rolled oats for 10 yoyos each 2day from the co-op

bought them at 240 a tonn that was bulk paid 170 last year they gone well up since last year

wrangler

charolais0153 wrote: »

That's not too bad

Jeez I don't know
Ration at €320/ton is better value than oats at €250

I'd prefer to give ewes .75kg ewe and lamb ration than 1kg oats at the same price

kk.man

wrangler wrote: »

Jeez I don't know
Ration at €320/ton is better value than oats at €250

I'd prefer to give ewes .75kg ewe and lamb ration than 1kg oats at the same price

You can't mess with ewes about to have lambs. Milk is to important.

Buford T. Justice XIX

buffalobilly wrote: »

What would be best good hay or silage along with ration ?

Good silage would generally be better quality than hay(except maybe this year) but can decrease in feed value if not eaten quickly. Hay is probably easier to feed outside to carry to feeders by hand.


Good quality for either is the important thing though. Personally, I feed only silage as it's the easiest to feed with the tractor and loader but only enough for a single day at a time.

foxirl

wrangler wrote: »

Jeez I don't know
Ration at €320/ton is better value than oats at €250

I'd prefer to give ewes .75kg ewe and lamb ration than 1kg oats at the same price

Wrangler, what quantities of 18% nut would sheep with twins on average grass require at 6,5,4,3,2 & 1 weeks before lambing. Would decrease by 30% for singles. They have a large run about 2 ewes to acre. Thanks

wrangler

This is a good chart, if grass is good quality and green it'll be growing so I'd follow the line of 72%DMD but if you're just grazing off last years grass you'd be better to follow the 65% DMD.
When they need over .5kg/day it's recommended to feed twice a day which isn't easy with parttime farmers and outdoor sheep

https://www.teagasc.ie/media/website/animals/sheep/feeding-ewes.jpg

joe35

What about feed value for barley. We always buy a load off the combine to give to both sheep and cattle. I remember seeing a student done a leving cert project on feeding only barley to ewes during lambing. I'm not sure where I saw it but I'd be interested in the results

Dinzee Conlee

joe35 wrote: »

What about feed value for barley. We always buy a load off the combine to give to both sheep and cattle. I remember seeing a student done a leving cert project on feeding only barley to ewes during lambing. I'm not sure where I saw it but I'd be interested in the results

Is there a high danger of acidosis with barley only? Is would have said putting in lamb ewes off their feed is a bit risky...
Often gave barley only as creep to lambs all right, with fresh grass... never had an issue...
So maybe if the ewes are outside, it might be ok?

wrangler

joe35 wrote: »

What about feed value for barley. We always buy a load off the combine to give to both sheep and cattle. I remember seeing a student done a leving cert project on feeding only barley to ewes during lambing. I'm not sure where I saw it but I'd be interested in the results

I fed barley here for years when I used to mix my own rations.
75%barley 25%soya gives you about an 18% ration, you'd need sheep minerals mixed with it as well. It has to be mixed properly, especially the minerals
It works alright, easy to sicken them as it's not very palatable.
It depends on your system,every system is different, very easy farm sheep if they're out in the winter at one or two to the acre ,you'll get away with a lot more than if they're in a shed on 65 DMD silage, the green grass that's growing on farms at the moment could be 80% DMD and 20% Protein. A bit of barley might just be good enough on that sort of grass
Get the feeding in the last six weeks of pregnancy wrong and you will pay dearly at the lambing in both workload and losses.

Green farmer

JimmyG8 wrote: »

bought them at 240 a tonn that was bulk paid 170 last year they gone well up since last year

€240 was a good price for the oats.

Aravo

Housed some sheep last Saturday. Before this they were out eating good quality hay, access to water and licks. Body condition is good. So now I have them on bale silage inside. And 3 no. have had to have been given injections of calcium. Milk fever. Anyone experiencing this? What's the issue. Licks are still available. Not happened previously.

White Clover

wrangler wrote: »

What protein is the nut.
A ewe carrying two lambs would need 200 gms protein/day for the last two week before lambing for milk and biestings.
A kilo of 20%protein ration has 200gms protein in it.
A kilo of Oats (10%P) has 100gms protein in it, your hay would have a small bit of P in it too so you make it up anyway you like.
Our doubles will be on a kilo of 20% ration at that stage but we only give them straw with that, they're on about .6kg at the moment six weeks out and we'll be increasing it from early Feb
You're probably alright with oats and hay seeing that you're still 9 or 10 weeks out, they just really need energy at the mo

Wrangler, I'm following your advice on feeding sheep inside, at present they're on hay (old sward, well saved last june) and 1 kg per head per day of an 18% ewe nut split in 2 feeds. From next week on I'll be introducing a 3rd feed building them up to 1.5kg per head per day. Following your advice above on feeding 200g of protein per day, would I get away with feeding maize meal in this feed, by my calcs, they'd have over 200g, 1kgx18%=180g plus 0.5kgx 12%=60g
Giving us 240g/head

wrangler

White Clover wrote: »

Wrangler, I'm following your advice on feeding sheep inside, at present they're on hay (old sward, well saved last june) and 1 kg per head per day of an 18% ewe nut split in 2 feeds. From next week on I'll be introducing a 3rd feed building them up to 1.5kg per head per day. Following your advice above on feeding 200g of protein per day, would I get away with feeding maize meal in this feed, by my calcs, they'd have over 200g, 1kgx18%=180g plus 0.5kgx 12%=60g
Giving us 240g/head

I'd be feeding a 1.3kg with straw, you're probably giving enough at 1kg as hay is better feed than straw and you'd be getting a small bit of protein in the hay too. We'd be only giving triplets 1.5 KGS, sometimes it's difficult enough to get them to eat that much and sickening them is to be avoided at all costs.

White Clover

wrangler wrote: »

I'd be feeding a 1.3kg with straw, you're probably giving enough at 1kg as hay is better feed than straw and you'd be getting a small bit of protein in the hay too. We'd be only giving triplets 1.5 KGS, sometimes it's difficult enough to get them to eat that much and sickening them is to be avoided at all costs.

Thanks for that. It's nice hay but not ryegrass hay iykwim, I suppose I shouldn't dismiss it too much! I agree with you on avoiding sickening them, I had a bit of that last year and it was stressful in the final 2 weeks before lambing.

wrangler

White Clover wrote: »

Thanks for that. It's nice hay but not ryegrass hay iykwim, I suppose I shouldn't dismiss it too much! I agree with you on avoiding sickening them, I had a bit of that last year and it was stressful in the final 2 weeks before lambing.

Any rise in feed should be done slowly,never be afraid to give a half feed if you suspect they're not finishing as quick as you'd like. takes them longer to die of underfeeding than overfeeding

White Clover

wrangler wrote: »

Any rise in feed should be done slowly,never be afraid to give a half feed if you suspect they're not finishing as quick as you'd like. takes them longer to die of underfeeding than overfeeding

That's what I did last year, I followed your 5 minute rule and thankfully they all came through fine.