Goats&sheep19s animals and what I'm up to

[goats&sheep19]

I would think the angora would give lovely fiber -- if you blanketed them. That would be an issue tho . I like the browns, too!!

Great start! So fun to see what you have. And for what it's worth - I like colored sheep --- white can get boring .

Thanks everyone! Yeah, I don't think they would like being blanketed, I'm pretty sure they would find a way to get them off!
None of our angoras are really good enough quality to make very good fiber, they are like the remnants of a flock.
Except maybe Alices daughter, and one of the bucks.

 

[goats&sheep19]

Here's some photos of the hill behind our house where my sheep are in the moment, I thought you all might like to see what it looks like.

 

[goats&sheep19]

And my best friend Hazel, one of our cats.
She is an ex feral that choose me as her person, although she likes the rest of the family as well.

 

[SageHill]

Here's some photos of the hill behind our house where my sheep are in the moment, I thought you all might like to see what it looks like.

I know you're an ocean away - but that sure looks like you live next door to me. We're all brown now.

 

[goats&sheep19]

I know you're an ocean away - but that sure looks like you live next door to me. We're all brown now.

Goes to show!
Do you know how much nutritional value for sheep that kind of browned off stuff has? Obviously it will very a lot, depending on what kind of grass it is, but just generally?
There is heaps of it up there, but I'm wondering if I should be feeding them as well

 

[Baymule]

That is standing hay. Look at it like that. Hay. Watch the sheep, if they stay in good condition, it’s good.

 

[farmerjan]

Making sure they have salt/mineral.... and their condition will tell you. But... make sure you "feel them" as with wool breeds, they can look good and can be very thin under that wool coat... learned that the hard way when we got wooled sheep years ago... looked good and then when they were in felt them and they were skin and bones... worms... so was able to "fix that"....
Is it getting near the worst of your winter now? A little bit of grain goes a long way to keeping them friendly and coming in to the area where you can catch them or pen them up...and boosting their nutritional level; And @Baymule is exactly right... it is "standing hay"; although it does not have as much nutrition as hay made in the prime growth stage... but they will pick and eat what they want and you just need to watch their condition. It is more filler, than high quality nutrition, but still will go a long way to providing them with adequate feed. The only time that can be a big problem is with pregnant ewes, as the lambs get bigger and they cannot eat enough to keep up their nutritional levels and demands of the pregnancy... so supplementing is usually necessary to up the protein levels... BUT you do not want roly-poly fat sheep to lamb either... too many problems, lambs get too big late in development and the ewe has trouble having them....

I think they look pretty good but that is from the pictures...

 

[SageHill]

Goes to show!
Do you know how much nutritional value for sheep that kind of browned off stuff has? Obviously it will very a lot, depending on what kind of grass it is, but just generally?
There is heaps of it up there, but I'm wondering if I should be feeding them as well

I haven’t done an analysis on it. Out here it’s a lot of different “weeds”. They pretty much pick and choose what they want. I do give them alfalfa and alfalfa pellets - enough for them to ~almost finish. They also have a salt block, a mineral block, and loose mineral made specifically for sheep all free access. And like @Baymule said I keep an eye on their condition-mostly no wool so I can see easily.

 

[Finnie]

Love that you started a journal!

 

[goats&sheep19]

Sorry I haven't been around much, or replied to people.
Had a horrible start to the week, the goats got into the garden and ate something they shouldn't have.
We put them back, and they all seemed fine, but then the next morning the small wether was down, and died later that day. His two sisters also got sick with bloat and diarrhea, but now are finally looking better and getting their appetites back.
I feel horrible about it, as it was largely my fault as we hadn't got the electric fence up yet after moving them to a new paddock. : (
I don't know what it was they ate, never have any of our goats got sick after getting out before, which has happened a fair few times over the years.
Snowball got out as well, but she didn't get sick at all! (goes to show that ferals have rock solid stomachs)