We welcome all sheep-related questions here, and will do our best to answer any serious inquiries!
17 comments:
Anonymous
said...
We bought a salt block for our sheep the other day. Without realizing that there are also blocks for cattle. There was nothing to indicate either-not in any packaging. What colour should the block be-light blue or dark blue? I have read (we are new to raising sheep) that it is toxic to give sheep cattle blocks as it contains copper.
Thank you for all the great information on your site!
We have a four acre fenced pasture. We'd also like to have some sheep, mainly as pets. I love the idea that the sheep could act as "living lawn mowers". This may be a difficult question for you to answer without more information, but how many sheep would I need to have to keep the grass down on four acres? We live in Virginia, if that makes a difference.
Mineral salt for sheep is invariably a loose mix, not a block at all. If you cannot find or use that product, I'd advise using ONLY pure white salt blocks.
While they do need trace amounts of copper, excessive amounts are indeed toxic. Copper accumulates in the animal's body, until a toxic threshhold is reached. Unless you know you are in a copper-poor area (highly unlikely), it's best to avoid adding any copper to the diet.
The number of sheep needed to keep an area trimmed will vary WIDELY depending upon the type of forage growing and the lushness of the growth. Season of the year, fertility of the soil, and rainfall all affect grass growth.
It's impossible for the same number of sheep to keep a field trimmed neatly in spring, and yet still find adequate food during the late fall. What I'm getting at here is that you're going to need to do some spring mowing and winter supplemental feeding no matter what!
I suggest you start with no more than 4 to 6 sheep in a sub-divided area of your 4 acres, and see what happens. Sub-dividing a larger pasture, and then rotating the grazed area, will manage grass growth better and keep the sheep healthier.
Thank you for that advice. How often should the sheep be rotated to a different portion / quadrant of the pasture?
Also, what sort of fencing do you recommend to subdivide the pasture? I assume we're talking about something portable?
In case you can't tell, we're city folk moving out to the country (tomorrow, actually!) with very little clue, and lots of enthusiasm. :) Thanks again for your willingness to provide information and advice. There is a great need for such mentorship!
The sheep are moved from pasture to pasture to keep ahead of the worm/parasite cycle. Four weeks should do it; sooner, of course, if the pasture is used up.
We use portable netting fence, available from Premier Fence and West VA Fence. It MUST be electrified though, and sheep must be taught abut electric fence.
Portable chargers are relatively inexpensive, the fence is easy to set up, and the training really is quite simple.
I will post here shortly with some pics and how-to's.
My mother bought 3 sheep, we are new to this. We live in Puerto Rico and there are not many sheep in the island, thus specific sheep products are not available.
Concerning salt, the only locally available is Morton iOFIXT T-M Trace-Mineralized Salt Brick. The label says it is “for all classes of cattle, sheep and horses”. It contains copper (Cu) at no less than 350 ppm and no more than 450 ppm.
Another possibility is for me to special order, through the Morton distributor, a case of plain salt bricks or Iodized salt bricks. I read that lack of Iodine can lead to thyroid problems especially in young lambs.
What should I do? 1-Give them the iOFIXT T-M bricks that contain copper 2-Special order plain salt bricks 3-Special order Iodized salt bricks
I really don't know if copper is a scarce or abundant feed ingredient in your area. But personally if these were my sheep, I would avoid the tm blocks that contain copper.
I would say the same is true of the blocks containing iodine. Unless you are in a known deficient area, I'd advise that you just stick with the regular white salt blocks.
Using either type of block for a short period of time (i.e., a few weeks)shouldn't pose a problem.
Is there an agricultural advisor or ag college you can contact in Puerto Rico? If so, they should be able to advise you of any known mineral shortage problems in your area.
I am about to build some pens to house our sheep during the winter. Someone told me that I should protect the barn walls as sheep urine will destroy the wood. Is this true? Thanks.
Constant exposure to moisture will, of course, rot wood. Urine will probably hasten such deterioration. But sheep don't pee on the walls!
Any wood that is routinely covered by mud, wet bedding or hay, or slop and water should be pressure treated; e.g. poles and splash boards in pole barn construction. Regular exterior grade wood can be used for the walls.
We have a herd of Barbados/Hawaiian sheep. we have 1 male that runs with 5 females. Recently, our little lamb became sick. We took her out, had a vet come out and gave her the needed medicine. Today, I introduced her back into the herd, The alpha female is constantly butting our little lamb. This was noticed as we were feeding tonight. It is concerning, because the alpha female can be rough. Can someone help. Is this normal? What is going on? Do we have to be worried? should we separate them again? Our little lamb has been running with the herd for a while and we had no problems until we removed her and reintroduced her back into the herd. Please help
Sheep definitely will butt, and can do so with a vengeance on occasion. It is normal, albeit problematic at times.
In the case of an adult picking on a young lamb, I would be concerned; doubly so since the lamb has already been ill.
The best course of action is to pen the lamb and mother separately, at least for a week or so until you're sure the lamb is ok.
Any time an individual is removed from the herd, reintroduction works pretty much the same as introducing a new sheep.
You can use this to your advantage. When ready to combine your flock again, put one of the less dominant individuals in with the mother with the lamb. A day or two later, add another less dominant individual. Continue the process, adding the alpha female last.
Every day the "new" sheep will have to prove their position to the "established" flock, butting heads with the rest of the group. In the ensuing commotion, it's unlikely anyone will single out the lamb for abuse.
That's a bit like asking "how long is a piece of string?"
Capacity of a given piece of land to support X number of any livestock depends very much upon a number of factors; such as (but not limited to!): do you plan to furnish supplemental feed? What is your climate like? Your growing season? The fertility of your land? The size and age of your stock? Are we talking about 9 acres of rich grassy, well-tended pasture; or 9 acres of scrubby weeds, or something in between?
29 sheep obviously physically fit upon 9 acres. But, for example, in our temperate climate with mediocre soil and heavy winter snowfall, that much ground would probably provide adequate feed for only a couple months of the year.
"I live in Louisiana and the weather is usually moderate with an occasionaly freeze and is snow less. The land used to be farmed for corn and hay; it is very rich. I feed my sheep corn and hay in the winter every other day and in summer mostly every other day too."
While I'm not at all familiar with the potential hay production in your area, it sounds like your feeding program is sound. I am assuming that there is *some* graze available for the sheep even in winter; else feeding only every other day really isn't adequate.
The best indicator is the condition of your flock. If the sheep are in good flesh, then your feeding program is fine. If they tend to get too fat, cut back on the corn; if they're too thin, offer hay daily or switch to a grain mix that includes more than just corn.
17 comments:
We bought a salt block for our sheep the other day. Without realizing that there are also blocks for cattle. There was nothing to indicate either-not in any packaging. What colour should the block be-light blue or dark blue? I have read (we are new to raising sheep) that it is toxic to give sheep cattle blocks as it contains copper.
Thank you for all the great information on your site!
We have a four acre fenced pasture. We'd also like to have some sheep, mainly as pets. I love the idea that the sheep could act as "living lawn mowers". This may be a difficult question for you to answer without more information, but how many sheep would I need to have to keep the grass down on four acres? We live in Virginia, if that makes a difference.
Thanks,
The Wilsons in VA
Mineral salt for sheep is invariably a loose mix, not a block at all. If you cannot find or use that product, I'd advise using ONLY pure white salt blocks.
While they do need trace amounts of copper, excessive amounts are indeed toxic. Copper accumulates in the animal's body, until a toxic threshhold is reached. Unless you know you are in a copper-poor area (highly unlikely), it's best to avoid adding any copper to the diet.
The number of sheep needed to keep an area trimmed will vary WIDELY depending upon the type of forage growing and the lushness of the growth. Season of the year, fertility of the soil, and rainfall all affect grass growth.
It's impossible for the same number of sheep to keep a field trimmed neatly in spring, and yet still find adequate food during the late fall. What I'm getting at here is that you're going to need to do some spring mowing and winter supplemental feeding no matter what!
I suggest you start with no more than 4 to 6 sheep in a sub-divided area of your 4 acres, and see what happens. Sub-dividing a larger pasture, and then rotating the grazed area, will manage grass growth better and keep the sheep healthier.
Thank you for that advice. How often should the sheep be rotated to a different portion / quadrant of the pasture?
Also, what sort of fencing do you recommend to subdivide the pasture? I assume we're talking about something portable?
In case you can't tell, we're city folk moving out to the country (tomorrow, actually!) with very little clue, and lots of enthusiasm. :) Thanks again for your willingness to provide information and advice. There is a great need for such mentorship!
Grace,
The Wilsons in VA
The sheep are moved from pasture to pasture to keep ahead of the worm/parasite cycle. Four weeks should do it; sooner, of course, if the pasture is used up.
We use portable netting fence, available from Premier Fence and West VA Fence. It MUST be electrified though, and sheep must be taught abut electric fence.
Portable chargers are relatively inexpensive, the fence is easy to set up, and the training really is quite simple.
I will post here shortly with some pics and how-to's.
Dear Sir or Madame,
My mother bought 3 sheep, we are new to this. We live in Puerto Rico and there are not many sheep in the island, thus specific sheep products are not available.
Concerning salt, the only locally available is Morton iOFIXT T-M Trace-Mineralized Salt Brick. The label says it is “for all classes of cattle, sheep and horses”. It contains copper (Cu) at no less than 350 ppm and no more than 450 ppm.
Another possibility is for me to special order, through the Morton distributor, a case of plain salt bricks or Iodized salt bricks. I read that lack of Iodine can lead to thyroid problems especially in young lambs.
What should I do?
1-Give them the iOFIXT T-M bricks that contain copper
2-Special order plain salt bricks
3-Special order Iodized salt bricks
Please help me!
Sincerely,
Carlos
I really don't know if copper is a scarce or abundant feed ingredient in your area. But personally if these were my sheep, I would avoid the tm blocks that contain copper.
I would say the same is true of the blocks containing iodine. Unless you are in a known deficient area, I'd advise that you just stick with the regular white salt blocks.
Using either type of block for a short period of time (i.e., a few weeks)shouldn't pose a problem.
Is there an agricultural advisor or ag college you can contact in Puerto Rico? If so, they should be able to advise you of any known mineral shortage problems in your area.
I am about to build some pens to house our sheep during the winter. Someone told me that I should protect the barn walls as sheep urine will destroy the wood. Is this true? Thanks.
Constant exposure to moisture will, of course, rot wood. Urine will probably hasten such deterioration. But sheep don't pee on the walls!
Any wood that is routinely covered by mud, wet bedding or hay, or slop and water should be pressure treated; e.g. poles and splash boards in pole barn construction. Regular exterior grade wood can be used for the walls.
We have a herd of Barbados/Hawaiian sheep. we have 1 male that runs with 5 females. Recently, our little lamb became sick. We took her out, had a vet come out and gave her the needed medicine. Today, I introduced her back into the herd, The alpha female is constantly butting our little lamb. This was noticed as we were feeding tonight. It is concerning, because the alpha female can be rough. Can someone help. Is this normal? What is going on? Do we have to be worried? should we separate them again? Our little lamb has been running with the herd for a while and we had no problems until we removed her and reintroduced her back into the herd. Please help
Sheep definitely will butt, and can do so with a vengeance on occasion. It is normal, albeit problematic at times.
In the case of an adult picking on a young lamb, I would be concerned; doubly so since the lamb has already been ill.
The best course of action is to pen the lamb and mother separately, at least for a week or so until you're sure the lamb is ok.
Any time an individual is removed from the herd, reintroduction works pretty much the same as introducing a new sheep.
You can use this to your advantage. When ready to combine your flock again, put one of the less dominant individuals in with the mother with the lamb. A day or two later, add another less dominant individual. Continue the process, adding the alpha female last.
Every day the "new" sheep will have to prove their position to the "established" flock, butting heads with the rest of the group. In the ensuing commotion, it's unlikely anyone will single out the lamb for abuse.
To avoid getting lost amongst older message, please leave your current questions and comments under a new post at the home page.
Thank you!
i have 9 acres of land and 29 sheep do i have too much sheep for that land?smingd
That's a bit like asking "how long is a piece of string?"
Capacity of a given piece of land to support X number of any livestock depends very much upon a number of factors; such as (but not limited to!): do you plan to furnish supplemental feed? What is your climate like? Your growing season? The fertility of your land? The size and age of your stock? Are we talking about 9 acres of rich grassy, well-tended pasture; or 9 acres of scrubby weeds, or something in between?
29 sheep obviously physically fit upon 9 acres. But, for example, in our temperate climate with mediocre soil and heavy winter snowfall, that much ground would probably provide adequate feed for only a couple months of the year.
Follow-up from Barbara...
"I live in Louisiana and the weather is usually moderate with an occasionaly freeze and is snow less. The land used to be farmed for corn and hay; it is very rich. I feed my sheep corn and hay in the winter every other day and in summer mostly every other day too."
While I'm not at all familiar with the potential hay production in your area, it sounds like your feeding program is sound. I am assuming that there is *some* graze available for the sheep even in winter; else feeding only every other day really isn't adequate.
The best indicator is the condition of your flock. If the sheep are in good flesh, then your feeding program is fine. If they tend to get too fat, cut back on the corn; if they're too thin, offer hay daily or switch to a grain mix that includes more than just corn.
Post a Comment