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question for the SHEEP people

H

Hayguy

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 7, 2010
Messages
2,384
Location
Southern Alberta
My DARLING wife bought us some ewe lambs (hereinafter called the BAIT) last fall, we have been feeding them real good bottom bales and some two year old second cut alfalfa that is full of leaf and then coarse stem. my question is how do you get them to not waste so much. if this hay was fed to the cows ther wouldn't be a crumb left but these things waste 25-50%.

i even ran some through the processor to no avail, im sur they could pick the needle out of the haystack :lol:
 
I wouldn't really have an idea other than use that needle to pick mutton out of your teeth. You must not have put enough money on them yet or they would have gotten sick and died
 
My neighbor has ewe's and I drive by there quite often they sure seam to waste alot of very top quality hay. At hay prices what they are I'd fork it to them. I built a hay feeder for my dad that has a catch pan below the bale about 16"s off the ground that worked quite well it would catch the hay and was'nt to big that they could get up in the feeder.
 
Sheep tend to be that way. If it really bothers you what they waste, fork it up and give it to the cows. They seem to like fine grass hay better than alfalfa stems.
Ours live on grass hay, a little grain and alfalfa pellets just before they lamb to green grass.
 
I never worry about it - mind you I just bought some 5 foot hay bales for 15 bucks. Not the best hay, but the cows seem to like it and so do the sheep.

I figure the cost is so cheap that it does not matter a hill of beans what gets wasted.

In fact tomorrow - just to make you feel better I will go and roll one out right in the pen for them to lay on! LOL

We had about 25 lambs delivered over the past three days and I figure that "wasted" hay makes nice bedding for them when they step out of the jugs to live that short life until Easter.

Bought your first ones last fall?

Well, it will soon be time to think of pasture and drenching and so on.

Have fun - it is a steep learning curve initially - it does get real easy after a while. When the first one dies do not be discouraged - they look healthy right up to the second before they drop! LOL

My best

BC
 
Well thats cheaper than bedding. I sold 200 bales of ripgut meadow hay last week trees and willows hanging out $50 each.
 
Should have charged for the firewood in each bale. How do you charge for them then by the bale or the cord.
 
They will waste... They will not eat stems, so depending on the stage of alfalfa, you could have a lot of waste. The best way I have learned to reduce waste is feed accordingly- they leave a lot, feed less. Even when fed in hay feeders, when they pull it out it may or may not get eaten. Sheep don't like stems- so first cut stemmy stuff will be wasted. They do best (least waste) on good second cut grass. Alfalfa is like heaven to them- except for the stems.
 
Thank-you all for the replies. it look's like the answer is " they will waste", has anyone ground feed for them say through an old mix-mill or a tub grinder? what about silage/silage bales? maybe just better off wasting some hay rather than diesel fuel :wink: would one of these cut down or just fill up and make just as much of a mess? http://www.marweld.ca/Pages/SHBP.shtml
 

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