# To end the food



## shy sheep (Aug 28, 2012)

When do you stop feeding sheep grain? I've two of em and they live on a little less than two acres, and they have this all to themselves. They get salt blocks and walks regularly, so I was wondering when you stop feeding them.


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## SheepGirl (Aug 28, 2012)

What kind of sheep? How old are they? What is their purpose (meat, pets, breeding)?


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## shy sheep (Aug 28, 2012)

They are Suffolk/hapshire cross, they are 6 months old, and will be used for wool and breeding and pets. There ya go!


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## SheepGirl (Aug 28, 2012)

Because Suffolks and Hampshires are both the fastest growing breeds, pasture alone will likely not have the nutritional composition to provide for their needs. I would continue feeding grain until they are a year old (or if you are breeding them this year, up until the end of lactation). Since they are still growing, I would feed them at a rate of 1-2% of their body weight in grain plus whatever pasture they'll eat. I'm guessing since they are at 6 months old, they probably weigh around 90-110 lbs so I would be giving them 0.9-2.2 lbs of grain per head per day--but you need to figure out about how much they weigh and how much grain (1% or 2% of their body weight) you want to feed them. If you don't know, I would just start feeding them each 1.5 lbs of grain per day for starters and adjust from there based on their condition and growth.


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## aggieterpkatie (Aug 29, 2012)

I'm guessing at 6 mos they're bigger than that. When I raised club lambs in 4-H mine were always about 130 by then.


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## 20kidsonhill (Aug 29, 2012)

our spring born Hampshire/suffolk cross ewe lamb was 130lbs at 6months of age, But she   was getting 3 lbs of show feed a day.  I agree with such a fast growing breed she will need grain for a while still, probably up and through her first gestation and lactation, or until next summer.


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