Warning:
The information contained in these web pages has not been
verified for correctness. Some of the information contained herein is hearsay and may not
be correct. Use the information from these pages only at your own risk!
Feeding requirements during drought.
Sheep will not eat as wide a variety of roughage or as poor a quality of roughage as
will cattle. However, on pasture sheep will consume different feeds readily and, if
hungry, may eat poisonous weeds as well.
An ewe needs at least one pound of roughage a day to keep her digestive system
functioning normally. Increase this to 1 1/2 pounds of heavy barley or feed-wheat during
early pregnancy and 2 1/2 pounds during late pregnancy. Conception rates are better and
ewes have more lambs if they are gaining weight during the breeding season. So, for
flushing on low roughage, give each ewe one pound of good, whole grain daily.
As well as roughage, ewes need adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals and a good,
clean supply of water. Breeding ewes may need 10,000 to 15,000 I.U of vitamin A and 1,000
to1,500 IU of vitamin D per head per day. Pregnant ewes need abut 5,000 I.U. of vitamin A
and 500 I.U. of vitamin D each, daily. Allow 5 I.U.of vitamin E for each pound of feed for
sheep.
The mineral mixture for sheep should supply salt, calcium, phosphorus, iodine and
cobalt. Sheep are sensitive to excess copper. Choose a supplement with little if any
copper, if you are in an area where the soil has enough copper.
Always make sure sheep have enough water. When they don't have water, they cut down on
how much they eat.
 |
If you are interested in any of the titles below, click on the title and it will take
you to Amazon.com for ordering. Click on the icon at the left for more information. |
- A
Handbook for Raising Small Numbers of Sheep - by Ralph L. Phillips - Publication Date:
April 1985 - List: $5.00 + $2.35 special surcharge
- Agribusiness
Reforms in China : The Case of Wool - by John W. Longworth, Colin G. Brown -
Publication Date: April 1995 - List: $80.00
- Beginning
Shepherd's Manual - by Barbara Smith, Mark Aseltine, Gerald Kennedy - Publication
Date: January 1997 - List: $24.95
Whether you are raising a few sheep for a 4-H project or raising a large flock for
breeding stock, for meat, or for wool, Beginning Shepherd's Manual provides a clear and
practical introduction to shepherding. Original author Barbara Smith has updated the book
and added chapters by two new contributors. "On Location" presents interesting
stories about people who are active shepherds dealing with varying aspects of the industry
today. Appendixes provide extension service contacts and sheep equipment catalog sources.
- Colored
Sheep and Wool : Exploring Their Beauty and Function : The Proceedings of the World
Congress on Coloured Sheep, U.S.A. - by World Congress on Coloured Sheep - Publication
Date: June 1989 - List: $24.95
- Controlled
Reproduction in Sheep and Goats (Controlled Reproduction in Farm Animals, 2) - by Ian
R. Gordon - Publication Date: February 1997 - List: $115.00
- Design of
Shearing Sheds and Sheep Yards - by A.A. Barber, R.B. Freeman Publication Date:
December 1987 - List: $64.95
- Early
American Weaving and Dyeing : The Domestic Manufacturer's Assistant and Family
Directory in the Arts of Weaving and Dyeing - by J. Bronson - Publication Date: December
1977 - List: $7.95 + $1.35 special surcharge
- Handspinning,
Dyeing and Working With Merino and Superfine Wools - by Margaret Stove - Publication
Date: November 1991 - List: $21.95
- In
Sheep's Clothing : A Handspinner's Guide to Wool - by Nola Fournier, Jane Fournier -
Publication Date: February 1996 - List: $24.95
- Manual of
Sheep Production in the Humid Tropics of Africa - by Alan Leeson - Publication Date:
September 1992 - List: $35.00
- Nutrient
Requirements of Sheep (Nutrient Requirements of Domestic Animals) - Publication Date:
November 1985 - List: $19.95
- Planned
Sheep Production - by David Croston, Geoff Pollott - Publication Date: March 1996 -
List: $41.75
This page was last updated on
December 09, 2007