Do they need fed
- Thread starter noagain
- Start date
M-J-G
Member
I'd hope not, £1 per head will buy you 0.5kg of concentrate per day
Woolless
Member
- Location
- Berwickshire, Scottish Borders
No, assuming there's a decent grass cover.
- Location
- Scottish Highlands
What's the condition on them like? We really can't tell much from your description without a location either - if it's Sutherland then they'll need fed, if it's the south of France, perhaps not. But really, I'd be working off a hand on their backs and a feel of the condition.
FWIW, on poor grass at 700ft in the Highlands, I'm giving them around 300g/ewe, for a 30th March lambing start, plus about 2 rounds of hay a week, and they're handling pretty good on that. I'll shortly split the twins and trips off and give them a wee bit more.
FWIW, on poor grass at 700ft in the Highlands, I'm giving them around 300g/ewe, for a 30th March lambing start, plus about 2 rounds of hay a week, and they're handling pretty good on that. I'll shortly split the twins and trips off and give them a wee bit more.
700ft, south of Glasgow. Grass varies between 6-10 inches mules/tex/suf handling OK, wouldn't like them to be any thinner at lambing. Have others still at home and I work so if not needing to run out with bales every second day comes into my considerations with the £1/week. Hoping to get away with just lifeline buckets
Skintagain
Member
- Location
- Perched on the Pennines
I have some on Haylage and a tickle of grass just and I mean just poking through from this warm weather they have put meat on in the last three weeks since getting bales put out. last week I gave in to my urge to take some rumenco maxx buckets out and they have taken them at a nice steady pace. Start lambing on 28th March. Nothing needs as much feed when the sun is shining.
Woolless
Member
- Location
- Berwickshire, Scottish Borders
That's very true. I've noticed haylage intakes dropping in this good weather, plus they're having a nibble on what's poking its head up on the sacrifice field.
Dkb
Member
If they’re in good condition no. Especially if they’re not stocked to heavily.
I found 6 broken mouth ewes at scanning that we’re obviously missed at tipping for some reason. So when the rest went to turnips those 6 stayed in an 11 acre field by themselves. And the 6 of them a like pigs now
I found 6 broken mouth ewes at scanning that we’re obviously missed at tipping for some reason. So when the rest went to turnips those 6 stayed in an 11 acre field by themselves. And the 6 of them a like pigs now
livestock 1
Member
I would give them a bite of cake if you can. It’s insurance against twin lamb staggers and abortion. There’s no way it will guarantee 100% but it will guarantee 70%
The other replies were reassuring me, but this was my concern
sticky
Member
- Location
- Near Stratford upon Avon
Give them some high energy buckets maybe some lifeline buckets and I'm sure they will be fine. It's the singles that would concern me.
livestock 1
Member
Sorry.
There are years where you will (get away with it) and years where you won’t. Grass hasn’t got a lot in it though the winter. I’ve seen mild grassy winters do more harm to inlamb ewes than harder spells on feed on occasions
Woolless
Member
- Location
- Berwickshire, Scottish Borders
@Global ovine commented on this recently, that grass can lose feed value when under snow for a period and hard frost too IIRC. I would have no worries about twin-bearing ewes on that grass. Singles and triplets, possibly.
- Location
- North Wales
Winter grass is almost as good as spring grass its just lacking in quantity as its not growing very fast.
If i was paying £1/week for grazing id expect there to be food for them to eat and plenty of it.
If i was paying £1/week for grazing id expect there to be food for them to eat and plenty of it.
livestock 1
Member
The energy values of grass in the winter are too low here, causing problems later that can not be corrected for the sake of a bit of feed it can often end up costing dearly
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
If it’s a 2 year old ryegrass ley and the OP is paying £1/hd/week (so presumably not starving them tight on it), then they shouldn’t need anything else. As long as mine/trace elements are supplied from somewhere, that grass should be as good as any cake.
I’ve never seen a case of TLD in ewes fed (decent) forage only over winter, triplets included. Seen plenty in concentrate fed ewes previously though.
livestock 1
Member
I’ve had thousands of ewes away on grass keep over the years all over the country.If it’s a 2 year old ryegrass ley and the OP is paying £1/hd/week (so presumably not starving them tight on it), then they shouldn’t need anything else. As long as mine/trace elements are supplied from somewhere, that grass should be as good as any cake.
I’ve never seen a case of TLD in ewes fed (decent) forage only over winter, triplets included. Seen plenty in concentrate fed ewes previously though.
There is no substitute to proper nutrition. You can try and convince me otherwise as long as you like. The end result is lambs reared per ewe. I know which I would rather be lambing. If the grass is as good as you say it may very well be ok.
Paying £1 per week doesn’t really ensure anything though
livestock 1
Member
I feed beet. Don’t get any twin lamb diseaseIf it’s a 2 year old ryegrass ley and the OP is paying £1/hd/week (so presumably not starving them tight on it), then they shouldn’t need anything else. As long as mine/trace elements are supplied from somewhere, that grass should be as good as any cake.
I’ve never seen a case of TLD in ewes fed (decent) forage only over winter, triplets included. Seen plenty in concentrate fed ewes previously though.
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
Agreed, but if the ley described by the OP can’t do it, we’re all buggered.