No pasture, don't want hay, what's a poor farmer girl to do?

[ohiogoatgirl]

My rule for the animals is "I win". If I can't do the handling, gone. If they don't fit my management, gone. I have too much I want to do, to go around and fluff pillows.

IMO if they are being picky then they aren't hungry they're just bored. If it was me I'd put them in a small holding yard or barn. Put the hay in the feeders. No access to pasture, even overgrazed nothing to eat anyway pasture. They can complain all they want. Menu: Take it or Leave it. As long as there's not mold in the hay or something they'll suck it up and eat it.

Feed needs are based on dry matter and if you're feeding growing lambs, maintenance adult ewes/rams, breeding, late gestation. Here is a good link with simple explanations. https://www.sksheep.com/documents/Ex_Nutrition_FS.pdf

I'm going to be ordering seed mixes from greencoverseed.com They have a calculator tool that will spit out suggestions and you can check off what you want in your mix. It can be a few things or every suggestion. They mix it up and will ship it to ya. I'm doing a mix to plant from April through June, behind the sheep when they move. Then a mix for July through September.

 

[secuono]

My rule for the animals is "I win". If I can't do the handling, gone. If they don't fit my management, gone. I have too much I want to do, to go around and fluff pillows.

IMO if they are being picky then they aren't hungry they're just bored. If it was me I'd put them in a small holding yard or barn. Put the hay in the feeders. No access to pasture, even overgrazed nothing to eat anyway pasture. They can complain all they want. Menu: Take it or Leave it. As long as there's not mold in the hay or something they'll suck it up and eat it.

Feed needs are based on dry matter and if you're feeding growing lambs, maintenance adult ewes/rams, breeding, late gestation. Here is a good link with simple explanations. https://www.sksheep.com/documents/Ex_Nutrition_FS.pdf

I'm going to be ordering seed mixes from greencoverseed.com They have a calculator tool that will spit out suggestions and you can check off what you want in your mix. It can be a few things or every suggestion. They mix it up and will ship it to ya. I'm doing a mix to plant from April through June, behind the sheep when they move. Then a mix for July through September.

They're in breeding groups, October and November.

Too difficult and expensive to be tossing out my sheep like a large commercial farmer does.

 

[Baymule]

'03 Mustang with the passenger seat removed. It's my truck. I've posted pictures with my horse, sheep, goats, other livestock in it elsewhere on this forum.

Its getting old, so it does old car things, like not being able to climb stairs. And by that, I mean go up hills at normal speeds, unless I'm able to speed up going into it.

Your car is a senior citizen. Too young to be an antique and too old to get any respect! I've seen the pictures of you hauling home sheep in your car. In fact, I showed them to my husband and told him, "See, I treat my car better than that!"

time to get you a new truck.

 

[secuono]

Your car is a senior citizen. Too young to be an antique and too old to get any respect! I've seen the pictures of you hauling home sheep in your car. In fact, I showed them to my husband and told him, "See, I treat my car better than that!"

time to get you a new truck.

I want an old style mini van, like the one my mom had when we were kids. I little boxey, wide open rear door, roomy, low to the ground.

 

[Baymule]

I want an old style mini van, like the one my mom had when we were kids. I little boxey, wide open rear door, roomy, low to the ground.

Heck yeah! You could build a sheep pen in it!

 

[secuono]

Heck yeah! You could build a sheep pen in it!

Lol

I plan on putting down plywood, 3 walls and layering thick epdm liner to water proof it, add rubber matts on top. A removable wall at rear to keep them in and poop/pee contained, too.
But they'll be loose in there.
Make something to block windows and front seats from them so they can't jump over/out. Maybe just tall walls? Or framed up and old dog pen panels used.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Love it!

Gives a whole new meaning to "horsepower."

 

[secuono]

Forgot to post this AM.

Which one of you taught my sheep how to read and use the internet??

Five of the 7 groups ate all their hay last night!!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Awesome! Guess they didn't like the options that were presented and decided to get with the program!

 

[Baymule]

Love the MINI van!! If you build a box like that, make the top part wire so you can see through it.