Vet says my sheep are overweight *Update post #29!!!!

[kfacres]

I give my lactating ewes a sheep block made by Producer's Pride. It is a much softer block than the kind cow/horse kind, and is formulated specifically for sheep/goats. My girls really seem to enjoy them. This is the only thing I supplement their diet with, and they are about a 3.5 in body condition right now while nursing month old lambs.

guessing you leave that block inside? First instance of water- and you're left with a blob of block...



read this> http://www.pipevet.com/userfiles/file/newsletters/sheepMay2011.pdf for all you mineral lovers out there...

FYI: Pipestone is unquestionably the most elite group of sheep vets in this country.

 

[Rvrfshr]

Body condition score them...if they are between 2.5 to 3.5 then they are in fine condition and not fat. A fat sheep will score a four or a five. You really can't tell by looking at the sheep with wool, however, the ones that are more shed out look fine to me.

http://smallfarms.oregonstate.edu/sites/default/files/BCS_1.jpg

Excellent chart! Thanks for posting it.

 

[Gracie9205]

I give my lactating ewes a sheep block made by Producer's Pride. It is a much softer block than the kind cow/horse kind, and is formulated specifically for sheep/goats. My girls really seem to enjoy them. This is the only thing I supplement their diet with, and they are about a 3.5 in body condition right now while nursing month old lambs.

guessing you leave that block inside? First instance of water- and you're left with a blob of block...



read this> http://www.pipevet.com/userfiles/file/newsletters/sheepMay2011.pdf for all you mineral lovers out there...

FYI: Pipestone is unquestionably the most elite group of sheep vets in this country.

Yes, it is left inside. The block is more of a protein block than a mineral block. It says has a minimum 1% phosphorus, so I don't think it has much as all. I toss a block in the barn about once a month and have had no problems. That is a very helpful article though. Seems like you can buy just about any kind of supplement imaginable, but nothing compensates for a well maintained pasture and forage diet!

 

[kfacres]

I give my lactating ewes a sheep block made by Producer's Pride. It is a much softer block than the kind cow/horse kind, and is formulated specifically for sheep/goats. My girls really seem to enjoy them. This is the only thing I supplement their diet with, and they are about a 3.5 in body condition right now while nursing month old lambs.

guessing you leave that block inside? First instance of water- and you're left with a blob of block...



read this> http://www.pipevet.com/userfiles/file/newsletters/sheepMay2011.pdf for all you mineral lovers out there...

FYI: Pipestone is unquestionably the most elite group of sheep vets in this country.

Yes, it is left inside. The block is more of a protein block than a mineral block. It says has a minimum 1% phosphorus, so I don't think it has much as all. I toss a block in the barn about once a month and have had no problems. That is a very helpful article though. Seems like you can buy just about any kind of supplement imaginable, but nothing compensates for a well maintained pasture and forage diet!

protein lick tubs and blocks are by some margin the most expensive feed ingredient known to livestock production. You would be money ahead feeding shell corn, and a plain mineral.

The most common ingredient in almost all mixtures-- is molasses... What do you think holds them together in a block format? Molasis does nothing for the animal== just flavor-- to eat more product.

I'll say it again- the same as a 1000 times-- when I quit feeding a bought mineral- my sheep got healthier.

 

[bonbean01]

Gracie...we tried those blocks and our sheep would only eat that until it was all gone...we have a small herd, but one of those didn't last more than two days...they seemed to think the point of it was to see how quickly they could eat it up

 

[Gracie9205]

Just to clear things up, I'm not claiming that their healthiness has anything to do with that block! I was just saying that I occasionally throw one out there for them., and they look great right now. From what I am reading though, it seems like I am just buying a big useless sheep treat!

 

[bonbean01]

Gracie, I'm sure they are not useless, but really expensive...and your sheep appreciate the yummy block

 

[Gracie9205]

Gracie, I'm sure they are not useless, but really expensive...and your sheep appreciate the yummy block

I find that my sheep and I are a lot alike! Sugar makes everything better!

 

[PotterWatch]

Well, I got a surprise today! I was walking out to the goat pen (past the pasture where the sheep currently are), and I saw a single sheep on one side of the pasture and there was a bright white thing underneath her. My first thought was that it was odd that one of the chickens had gotten so close to her. My next thought was... that isn't a chicken! Our first lamb was born to our farm this morning to a sheep we didn't even know was pregnant! I'm now guessing there are one or two more who are pregnant. There is one that had an ultrasound just before she came to us so we know she will be lambing within a month, but we weren't expecting any others! So maybe those fat sheep are fat for a reason!

I assume that sheep are like goats and that once they pass the placenta, they are done lambing...? If so, it looks like she had a singleton. A very cute singleton!

 

[Remuda1]

LOL!! Congratulations . Tell that vet that you NEVER tell
A pregnant ewe that they look fat!!'