Ad lib or set amount hay

[SheepyBlinder]

I have been giving my lactating ewes ad lib hay in racks but find they waste too much when they are always full. Would they still do OK if I fed them to capacity twice a day which would make them clean it up a bit better. The hay is too dear to waste! They are also getting just over 1kg feed per day.

 

[spin cycle]

be a lot of work but i suppose so....could you get hold of any fodder beet....better for milking IMO

 

[SheepyBlinder]

When I say fed to capacity I mean put enough hay in the racks so that the ewes get their fill for 12hours or so.

 

[spin cycle]

oh...i see.....might have to be careful with acidosis though....they'll be eating circa 1kg/hd/day of hay and given they're on 1kg of conc you wouldn't want them pigging out on conc before hay perhaps

sometimes trying to save a few quid can backfire.....see my 'it took some doing' thread

 

[SheepyBlinder]

I split the feed twice a day to keep their guts right. I must check your thread out

 

[dogjon]

Kind of depends on the hay doesn't it? I typically supplement with about a lb a day of 3rd cutting alfalfa (20% + protein) or equivalent the last 6 weeks before lambing. We've had a miserable feed year here this year, did not get our fall green up. Fed out most of my grass clover hay pre-breeding ad-lib as the ewes were light. I feed the alfalfa on the ground, never more than can be cleaned up in about 15 minutes as they start wandering around and wasting it after that (3rd cutting is about $300 a ton). I kind of feed by their ribs and if their bcs looks low in late preg, anything over 1 lb a day gets split in to 2 feedings and I whine about the extra chores.