Ewes won't eat.

[Danvd]

I bought some mike shearlings last September. They are in good condition but were 6 weeks out from lambing and I've started on some ewe rolls, but they just don't know what they are and don't come up and eat?! The handful of mules I already had do, but the new ones aren't. Am I panicking or any tips to get them feeeding. They are eating silage bale and the grass is more or less gone where they are.

 

[GTB]

I bet you didn't believe the breeder when he said they'd only seen Grass?

 

[Ffermer Bach]

have the same every year, when I start to feed the twins, some have never seen cake before, but by lambing they have got the hang of it, I have often wondered if I should put them in shed for the day, with only concentrates, but I never get round to doing that!

 

[Gulli]

They will get the hang of it. If they are in good condition they don't need feeding anyway

 

[Danvd]

Well luckily the new ones, the shearlings, are pretty solid. I think your right, it's early days yet. Will keep a close eye on them.

 

[Downton_shep]

Could you feed them in troughs for a bit, normally helps

 

[Danvd]

Could you feed them in troughs for a bit, normally helps

Yes, I'm feeding them in troughs now, the ones from last year come up and eat fine but I'd say half the new ones just come up and stand around them.

 

[Bury the Trash]

try nuts instead of rolls.

 

[Al R]

Try putting something with a nice smell with it to attract them, on ewe lamb twins we buy 1 bag of nuts to mix with barley and oats and gradually reduce the amount of nuts we feed after a few days once their all eating.

Some may never come to eat or may be shy feeders and that’s where troughs can be a killer.

Try putting the troughs in a L formation opposite a corner so they can’t escape the corner without walking passed the trough. Send them in to the corner and they’ve got to pass the troughs, I’ve never had any fail to teach after a few days..

 

[chris wink]

I shut mine inside for a week and fed them in troughs intil they got the hang of it

 

[Nithsdale]

My homebred gimmers are playing with me, having never seen feed before either... staying as far away from the rest of the ewes as possible (on the hill) and scattering like the wind when I send the dog near them
They'll learn, eventually (if I can get them inbye).

I'm feeding this year's ewe lambs in a hope this is not repeated next year

 

[hendrebc]

Try sprinkling some on the silage as well they might pick at them there

 

[Y Fan Wen]

My homebred gimmers are playing with me, having never seen feed before either... staying as far away from the rest of the ewes as possible (on the hill) and scattering like the wind when I send the dog near them
They'll learn, eventually (if I can get them inbye).

I'm feeding this year's ewe lambs in a hope this is not repeated next year

If you are self contained that is definitely the way to do it. I never got anywhere with improvement until I started keeping the el in for a fortnight to learn to eat. For some reason they do much better thro the winter even if you don't do any more feeding.

 

[Y Fan Wen]

try nuts instead of rolls.

They seem to come to coarse mix sooner than anything else.

 

[Norfolk Hill Farmer]

I Always plan to train new sheep what a bag of feed is when they first come in , and before they get mixed with the rest of the flock , but never do. Note to self - do this in future as , like the OP , I have a number of spectators when the rest of the flock are being fed.

 

[texelburger]

I tend to get the dog to hold them close by,put the nuts,rolls down,then walk round to where the dog is and gently hold them up by the feed.They eventually, over a few days,get the hang of it.

 

[Danvd]

Try sprinkling some on the silage as well they might pick at them there

Yes that's a good idea.

 

[neilo]

My homebred gimmers are playing with me, having never seen feed before either... staying as far away from the rest of the ewes as possible (on the hill) and scattering like the wind when I send the dog near them
They'll learn, eventually (if I can get them inbye).

I'm feeding this year's ewe lambs in a hope this is not repeated next year

When I ran dry hoggs and had a system that relied on conc feeding, I used to feed the ewe lambs for a week or so, sometime over the winter when it was frosty or dry. Didn't matter when, just so they knew what the feed was for another year. It certainly saved any hassle the following year, when you need them to be on it. Time, and a few bags of feed, well spent IME.

 

[neilo]

I bought some mike shearlings last September. They are in good condition but were 6 weeks out from lambing and I've started on some ewe rolls, but they just don't know what they are and don't come up and eat?! The handful of mules I already had do, but the new ones aren't. Am I panicking or any tips to get them feeeding. They are eating silage bale and the grass is more or less gone where they are.

The handful that are feeding will soon get the others on it. push them up towards it every time you feed them and they start looking at what the others are doing soon enough.

 

[Lili]

I get the ewe lambs into the shed after weaning for a week or so with a couple of cull ewes to act as nannies. They soon pick up the idea of cake feeding and it makes a big difference over the winter.