What is the best hay crop for sheep?
Alfalfa is also a good grazing crop but will be too rich for most sheep unless mixed with about 50% grass. It can be dual used for hay in the spring and grazing thereafter.
What is the best hay for maintenance needs?
Well made, first cutting grass (timothy, orchard grass, etc.) The best hay for maintenance needs sheep is a nice first cutting grass, like timothy or orchard grass that is made early and was never rained on. Some years, that is a tall order.
Can sheep eat grass hay?
Mature sheep can get by on good-quality grass hay, but lambs do better with a legume—harvested while still growing so that it has finer stems. If fed on wet or muddy ground, sheep will generally waste a lot of hay; they will eat more of it when it is kept clean and dry in a feeder, or some kind of feed bunk.
What kind of grass is best for hay?
Major bunch grasses are orchard grass, timothy, tall fescue, Italian (annual) ryegrass, and perennial ryegrass. Orchardgrass is an excellent grass for either pasture or hay. It establishes quickly, is ready to graze early in the spring and recovers quickly from grazing.
What hay will sheep eat?
Sheep don't like coarse hay. Make sure the variety of hay you give your flock is leafy and fine. Leafy alfalfa or immature grass hay will usually attract sheep. Hay made with a legume harvested during growth is usually best for lambs, as it will provide finer stems.
Can sheep eat any hay?
Sheep can eat hay, silage, green chop, balayage or crop by-products. Hay is the most common choice. However, silage or haylage can also be fed to sheep, but you need to be careful about feeding it.
How many bales of hay does a sheep need?
How much hay does each sheep need and how many bales will you need to feed per day? A 130 pound ewe will need 4.55 pounds of hay per day. To feed 10 ewes that weigh 130 pounds each, you would need one 45.5 pound bale per day.
Is horse hay good for sheep?
There are a number of different types of hay. Knowing which type is best for your livestock's nutritional needs will ensure your animals stay as happy and healthy as possible.
How often should you feed sheep hay?
During the first and second periods sheep should be fed daily, then intermittent feeding should be introduced. By the 5th or 6th period, the feed should be put out once every 3-4 days.
Is alfalfa OK for sheep?
Alfalfa hay is an excellent feed for sheep and is best used during lactation when ewes require more protein to promote higher levels of milk production. Many producers have fed alfalfa hay to gestating ewes with good results.
How much hay do sheep need a day?
To prevent wool picking and other problems, ewes should receive a minimum of 1.5 lbs of hay per day and one pound of corn can be substituted for 2 pounds of hay. Once ewes lamb and begin to lactate, they should receive 5 pounds of good quality hay and 2 pounds of 15 percent crude protein grain mix a day.
How much hay do I need for 2 sheep?
Livestock Hay Needs for a DayAnimal (Percentage of weight needed in hay)Average WeightHay Needed per DaySheep (2%)150 lbs3 lbsGoat (2%)125 lbs2.5 lbsHorse (2%)900 lbs18 lbsBeef Steer (1%)1300 lbs13 lbs2 more rows•Apr 29, 2022
What is the best grain to feed sheep?
Barley is a useful feedstuff for sheep. It contains a similar level of energy and higher level than corn. Barley is an excellent supplement to ewe diets during late gestation and lactation or when forage quality is low.
Can sheep eat timothy hay?
Timothy hay is not a good sheep feed unless it is cut when immature or just as it is beginniîig to bloom (89). As timothy hay is more easily grown than legume hays in much of the farm-flock territory many farm sheep are fed timothy either alone or mixed with clover hay.
Can sheep eat the same hay as horses?
Something very important to be aware of before combing sheep and horses is that horse feed, treats, and other horse foods can be very toxic for sheep because they usually have copper in them. In addition, sheep feed can have additives that may be harmful to horses.
Can sheep bloat on alfalfa hay?
It's important to know that sheep can bloat on hay too, especially risky is a sudden change to hay that is heavy with alfalfa and/or clover. In making any changes to sheeps' diets, always make the changes slowly and gradually.
Can sheep bloat on alfalfa hay?
It's important to know that sheep can bloat on hay too, especially risky is a sudden change to hay that is heavy with alfalfa and/or clover. In making any changes to sheeps' diets, always make the changes slowly and gradually.
Can sheep overeat hay?
Sheep can eat too much. If the foliage that they graze is too high in calories, or they're offered high energy substitutes such as grain, then there is a risk of this happening. Overeating can lead to obesity, sicknesses like bloat, and/or death.
Do sheep like grass hay?
Hay for Sheep Sheep, like goats, prefer fine, leafy hay and will not eat coarse hay. Immature grass hay or leafy alfalfa is usually the best feed for sheep. Mature sheep can get by on good-quality grass hay, but lambs do better with a legume—harvested while still growing so that it has finer stems.
Why do ewes need hay?
Once the ewes start milking, the game changes. Now they need great hay to keep up with the demands of milking and to keep themselves in good condition.
What to ask for when buying hay?
Unless you are buying from a fellow shepherd (who has nice sheep), be sure you ask for horse or dairy quality hay. This will give the seller a more accurate idea of the high quality, well made hay you are looking for.
What happens if you feed lactating ewes hay?
If you feed the lactating ewes poor quality hay , you will be shorting the milking ability of the ewe giving the lambs less milk to grow on. Bad idea. For lambs, since they are growing, their hay needs to be high in nutrition as well as palatability. Give growing lambs high quality hay, no exceptions.
What is mixed hay?
We love to feed mixed hay, to sheep or any other livestock. By mixed, I mean the hay has some grass and some alfalfa in it. This is our favorite hay to feed nearly anything, it’s so versatile.
What are some examples of hard working sheep?
Examples of hard working sheep are lambs that are growing fast and lactating ewes.
What does a sheep like?
First off, the sheep like a mixed hay. I like to think of it as a salad, looks good, tastes good and good for you.
Why do you need to feed better than normal hay?
For either of these groups you’ll need to be feeding better than normal hay because you are wanting higher than normal levels of performance.
Why do sheep eat hay?
Sheep should eat hay and will happily do so too because they find it highly palatable. Hay makes up a very important part of their diet to get the protein and energy they need.
What is the best food for sheep?
Hay alone is unlikely to contain all the nutrients sheep need for optimal development, which is why corn, barley, and other grains, as well as supplements, should be added to a sheep’s diet.
Will Moldy Hay Hurt Sheep?
Ideally, sheep should not be fed moldy hay. However, if the mold is just on the top layer of the bale then it can be removed and it poses no danger to sheep. If the mold is also on the inside, the hay should not be given to sheep.
Can Sheep Eat Hay Cubes and Hay Pellets?
Sheep should not be fed hay cubes because the cubes require more chewing and are too large and hard for sheep to consume. Sheep ’s teeth are not well suited to consum ing cubes and pellets.
Can sheep live on hay?
Sheep can eat and live on hay alone, though it probably wouldn’t be the best idea. The goal is for sheep to thrive instead of just survive, which could be challenging to do if hay was 100% of a sheep’s diet.
Is all hay made equal?
Not all hay is made equal. The protein content of each type of hay can vary significantly, even according to when it is harvested.
Do sheep need hay?
Generally, a mature sheep just needs to maintain their body weight and so just has basic hay needs. Your typical, run-of-the-mill hay will be good enough.
How to find a good supplier of hay?
So I'd suggest you ask around (horse owners and horse boarding/training barns are a good place to start) to find a GOOD TRUSTWORTHY hay supplier. Then just tell your hay supplier "I want a good quality grass hay, no mold, doesn't have to be real high protein but needs to be relatively fine and not too stemmy/coarse".
Why is it so hard to find a good person to buy hay?
The difficult thing -- the reason to do some real legwork to find a good person to buy hay from -- is that IME a large proportion of hay producers are um at least as ignorant as some horse people about hay AND of course they're tryin' to sell you their product; and there are a nontrivial number of hay dealers who will sell you any ole thing with all sorts of assurances about how good it is, if they detect that you're a small-scale beginner.
Why don't horses eat pasture?
There's a reason for this though...most horse people don't count on their hay (or pasture) providing good nutrition, because most horse people feed grain. Pasture to them is for exercise. Hay just needs to be there for the forage, and most don't really care to know the details (except that it's not moldy).
Can you feed grass hay to lambs?
Most grass hays will be just fine for animals who aren't breeding or growing (like lambs). If you have ewes that will be lambing, some kind of hay with higher protein (like alfalfa or a grass/alfalfa mix) is nice to have while she's lactating. If you give us some more info we can help you out more!
Is there too much to learn about hay?
There is much too much too much to learn about hay-buying to be able to just read something on the internet and then really know what you're looking at. Not so much in terms of hay type (which doesn't matter excessively) as in terms of hay QUALITY. You need to see/feel/smell/feed a bunch of hay before you can start to get a sense of it.
Can sheep eat Bermuda hay?
My sheep will eat Coastal Bermuda hay this winter because that's what is available around here. As long as the hay is nice and green and smells good, it should be fine for sheep.
What is the best hay for sheep?
The best hay for maintenance needs sheep is a nice first cutting grass, like timothy or orchard grass that is made early and was never rained on. Some years, that is a tall order. Other years are very hay friendly, it varies quite a bit. Well made first cutting hay is great.
What do sheep eat?
Sheep are ruminants, this means they naturally eat grass and other forages as their biologically appropriate diet. Since hay is just dried grass, it works out great as a food source for your sheep.
How much does a bale weigh?
By dividing the total weight by the number of bales, you find that these bales weigh 33 pounds each. 1,800 pounds per ton divided by 54 bales=33 pounds per bale
How much do sheep need to eat a day?
Your sheep may need more or less than the 4.55 pounds per day. This is a good place to start, but may not be where you and your flock end up.
Can sheep eat alfalfa hay?
Ironically, alfalfa hay should be avoided for maintenance sheep, as well.
Do sheep eat haylage?
These are wrapped, round bales of haylage that we made for our sheep. Some people do not ever feed haylage to sheep. We feed a lot of it every year and the sheep love it.
Do sheep like creep gates?
You should know, some sheep are very accepting of a creep gate keeping them out of an area and others will try all day to get through it. Our sheep tend to be the try all day to get through it types!
What grass is used in sheep pastures?
Kentucky bluegrass is commonly used in many sheep pastures. This grass is more traffic tolerant than most grasses. It is very high in forage quality and very palatable. It is more drought and flood tolerant than many grass species. It is also very tolerant of overgrazing. Kentucky bluegrass grows only 20 to 24 inches tall so the pastures do not look as rank as when other taller-growing species are planted. It establishes easier than smooth bromegrass or reed canarygrass. However it is the lowest yielding grass species commonly used in pastures for all but the northern regions of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.
What is the last category of forages for sheep?
The last category of forages important to sheep owners is legumes. Choices available for pastures including alfalfa, white clover, red clover, birdsfoot trefoil, ladino clover, alsike clover, and kura clover. More detail on specific varieties presented in the UW extension publication A1525 Forage Variety Update for Wisconsin available from your county extension office or on the web at: http://www1.uwex.edu/ces/pubs/pdf/A1525.PDF.
What is the best grass for pasture?
Orchardgrass is an excellent grass for either pasture or hay. It establishes quickly, is ready to graze early in the spring and recovers quickly from grazing. It produces more forage in the late summer and early fall than any other cool season grass. It is important to select a good variety because some are not winterhardy enough for Wisconsin and Minnesota. Orchardgrass varieties also vary in maturity. Early types may be planted with red clover. Medium-late to late types should be planted in mixtures with alfalfa or other grasses, so that all species of the mixture mature at the same time. See www.uwex.edu/ces/forage for a listing of orchardgrass maturities. Disadvantages are that orchardgrass has moderate winterhardiness and will die out once in a great while. Note in the table how important it is to pick the right variety. Also, because of its quick recovery after haying or grazing, it may be difficult to graze a large portion of pasture while the orchardgrass is in an acceptable maturity range. For these two reasons, we recommend no more than 30% of the total pasture be planted to orchardgrass. It is also very important to plant the right species. We recommend late maturing varieties, which are slightly more expensive than early maturing types, but mature at a time more compatible with other species. When orchard grass gets too mature in a mixture sheep will avoid it and graze only other species.
What grasses are used in the northern states?
These include most prairie species, such as switchgrass, big bluestem, little bluestem, and Indiangrass. Warm season grasses are used for ground cover and wildlife in northern states but if grazed extensively will be crowded out by cool season grasses that will come in naturally.
What is the difference between sod and bunch grass?
Sod formers spread vegetatively by underground shoots and form a solid mat (Kentucky bluegrass is an example). Sod forming grasses suffer less damage when grazed in wet conditions and will fill in spots that have been killed out. Bunch grasses generally establish faster and recover from grazing more quickly but each plant comes from a separate seed and stands may become ‘bunchy’ as they thin.
What are the four types of pastures?
Pasture and hay forage crops generally fall into four categories: The last category includes many perennials crops, such as rape, kale, comfrey, and all annual forage crops, such as sudangrass, sorghum, and various millets. None of these should be considered for sheep pasture other than in emergency situations.
Is Kura clover good for sheep?
However it is very slow to establish, often taking up to two years to get a good stand. For this reason, it is not currently recommended for sheep pasture.
What Is the Best Hay to Feed Goats?
Hay has two main categories – grass hay and legume hay . Grass hay includes bluegrass, Bermuda grass, fescue, timothy, and orchard grass, while legume hay includes alfalfa and clover.
What to Consider in Choosing the Best Hay Feeders for Goats and Sheep?
Choosing the best hay feeders for your goats or sheep can be tricky. As a responsible farm animal owner, you want them to feel relaxed and comfortable during feeding. So, before buying feeders for them, here are some very important factors you should consider first before buying them:
What Are the Types of Hay Feeders for Goats and Sheep?
Hay feeders come in different designs, sizes, and materials used. Although all of them have the same purpose, not all of them are compatible with your needs. Therefore, here are the most common types of hay feeders you can choose from:
How Do You Keep Goats From Wasting Hay?
This can be due to fecal contamination, physical and chemical deterioration due to poor storage and unstable weather conditions, and refusal of farm animals to eat them. Therefore, here are some ways to prevent your goats from wasting hay:
How Do Hay Feeders Work?
Hay feeders work like any kind of feeder, where goat owners put hay manually. In most cases, hay feeders have V-shaped racks. These feeders have small holes or gaps so that goats will only take limited amounts of hay. They are usually elevated or have a solid panel at the bottom to help reduce hay waste.
How Much Hay Do You Feed a Goat?
Ideally, a goat should consume hay at 3-4% of its body weight each day. This is equivalent to around 2-4 pounds of hay every day. You can feed your goat twice a day or free choice. But still, the exact amount of hay your goat needs depends on the type of hay. This is also why you should know how heavy your goat is.
Can You Feed Sheep Feed to Goats?
You can also feed your goats with sheep feed. However, making drastic changes in feeding your goat may lead to digestion problems.
What legumes are used in hay?
Legumes used for hay include alfalfa, various types of clover (such as red, crimson, alsike and ladino), lespedeza, birdsfoot trefoil, vetch, soybean and cowpeas. Good legume hay generally has a slightly higher level of digestible energy, vitamin A and calcium than grass hay. Alfalfa may have twice the protein and three times the level of calcium than grass hay. Thus alfalfa is often fed to animals that need more protein and minerals.
What is hay?
Hay falls into several categories: grass, legume, mixed (grass and legume) and cereal grain straw (such as oat hay). Some of the more common grass hays include timothy, brome, orchard grass and bluegrass. In some parts of the country fescue, reed canary grass, ryegrass and Sudan grass are common.
How to cover a stack of hay?
If you don’t have any type of roof to put your hay under, you can create a well-drained area (by building up the floor with gravel or wooden pallets) and cover the stack with tarps. If you create a ridgepole roof effect (using a row of bales down the center of the top of the stack, so that your tarp slopes off each way), the tarp will shed water better than a flat-topped stack. Also, you will be less apt to have spoilage from a leak in the tarp if the water can run off readily.
How to tell if alfalfa hay is mature?
One way to assess the maturity of alfalfa hay is the snap test. If a handful of hay bends easily in your hand, its fiber content is relatively low and it will be more digestible than if the stems snap like twigs.
How to check hay?
The best way to check hay is to open a few bales and inspect it closely. Look at texture, maturity, color and leafiness. Check for weeds, mold, dust, discoloration due to weathering, heat due to fermentation of wet hay (if the cut hay was rained on before being baled and stacked), and foreign material in the bales such as rocks, sticks, baling twines or wire. If ingested, wire can cause “hardware” disease in cattle by perforating the gut and causing fatal peritonitis because they do not sort out foreign materials before eating.
What is the protein content of alfalfa?
Early bloom alfalfa (cut before the blossoms open) has about 18 percent crude protein, compared with 9.8 percent for early bloom timothy (before seed heads fill), 11.4 percent for early bloom orchard grass, and lower levels for most other grasses. Alfalfa cut at full bloom drops to 15.5 percent crude protein, compared to 6.9 percent for late bloom timothy and 7.6 percent for late bloom orchard grass. Thus legume hay, cut early, is more apt to meet the protein and mineral needs of young growing, pregnant or lactating animals than will many of the grass hays.
Why is my hay yellow?
But all hay tends to weather because the sun bleaches the outside of the bales. You often cannot tell the quality of the hay by just looking at the outside of a bale. Even if the outer edge of a bale has faded from sun exposure and rain, the inside should still be green.
