Totally New To Sheep-Help with feed?

[QuimbyFarm]

I just picked up some sheep this morning and i need some pointers.

One is an older ewe, and one is a young ewe lamb. Neither will be bred or anything, they are just pets. They were pastured when I got them, but at my house they will be in a horse stall until they calm down and are used to us.

I currently have grass mix hay for them, but do I need to be giving them any other food? I am finding mixed reviews.
One is a very small dorper ewe and the younger one is a Katahdin ewe.

Also, I want them to get a little friendlier, since they are currently terrified of people, so what is a good snack that sheep can't resist that I can hand feed to get them used to us?

Thanks!

 

[luvmypets]

I just picked up some sheep this morning and i need some pointers.

One is an older ewe, and one is a young ewe lamb. Neither will be bred or anything, they are just pets. They were pastured when I got them, but at my house they will be in a horse stall until they calm down and are used to us.

I currently have grass mix hay for them, but do I need to be giving them any other food? I am finding mixed reviews.
One is a very small dorper ewe and the younger one is a Katahdin ewe.

Also, I want them to get a little friendlier, since they are currently terrified of people, so what is a good snack that sheep can't resist that I can hand feed to get them used to us?

Thanks!

We feed our feed grain along with the hay and grass but that is a personal choice. We feed all-stock sweet feed and my sheep practically trample eachother when I bring treats out.

 

[QuimbyFarm]

Alright. I was thinking I would either get a bag of whole corn, or a bag of sweet feed just something to give them a handful of when I'm down feeding my horses, so they get to liking me a little more

 

[AimeeDx]

We recently purchased sheep too, I tried to make them come to me with everything, Corn, which they has as a treat at their previous home, popcorn, molasses and a few other things, then one day, i started to pick grass near their paddock for the horse, and they all came running down to me! So maybe some really juicy grass would work?

 

[Latestarter]

There are all sorts of things you can try. I don't have sheep but my goats fight over breakfast cereals. I mix cheerios and froot loops and they think it's cocaine... I swear they snort the stuff up! They also like raisins and sometimes they like animal crackers. Just try a few things until you find what they like best. Oh, and welcome to BYH! Please browse around and make yourself at home!

 

[Baymule]

I also buy an all stock sweet feed, which does not have copper in it. Sheep are sensitive to too much copper. Mine will run over me for feed. I move them from pasture to pasture by shaking a coffee can of feed, shreiking SHEEP! SHEEP! SHEEP! I put it in the pasture I want to move them to, then open their gate. They run to the pasture with the feed in it. Who needs herding dogs?

 

[luvmypets]

Oh my gosh Bay do they trot in front of your legs to slow you down? Ours do that everyday when I go to feed the pigs. So even if they are following me its like Im being swarmed by hungry predators. One time I was sitting in the grass and I got pinned down by Ras, that was fun Sometimes they paw aggressively and they are so pushy

If you can get all-stock I totally reccomend it. As bay mentioned it doesnt have copper, so if you do go looking for feed make sure you dont get the 12% kind as it contains copper. Easiest way to tell is the color of the feedbags, 12% is purple and non-copper is brown.

 

[Sheepshape]

My sheep behave much like those of Baymule and luvmypets. They are given sweet biscuits from an early age (sheep love sweet things) and will charge at even the sight of the empty packet (I often do this from the other side of the fence, as having about 170 ewes and lambs right now, when they come galloping and bleating across the field, they often crash into me before they can stop).

Adult sheep usually tame down quite quickly with treats, so start offering stuff in buckets and then get them hand trained....usually won't take more than a week.

Though some folk frown on 'treat training', it can work, well, a treat. I move from appearing with treats in my hands to clapping my hands and shouting "Come on, girls". All I now need to do to bring them over/change fields/take them up to the shed for treatment or drenching is clap my hands.

Don't believe what some folk say about sheep being stupid and terminally skittish, they are quick learners and can be very co-operative if properly trained.

Good luck with the sheep Quimbyfarm.

 

[Baymule]

Oh my gosh Bay do they trot in front of your legs to slow you down? Ours do that everyday when I go to feed the pigs. So even if they are following me its like Im being swarmed by hungry predators. .

They swarm like bees. One ewe kicks forward with her front leg. They run ahead of me to an empty trough, then run back to me. They yell like they are starving!

@QuimbyFarm you might need to know that sheep will overeat if given the chance and that could literally kill them. I have one wether that eats so fast, that he chokes. I swear, how do you do the Heimlich on a lamb?? Haha! You grab him around the middle, stand him on his hind legs with his back against your stomach and bounce him up and down. Either it really works or it scared him enough to hack up a wad of pellet green goo.