How to Make Sheep Feed

How to Make Sheep Feed. Sheep are natural grazers and will spend up to seven hours a day eating in a pasture. But not all pastures are equal, with some having little to no nutritional value. Making your own sheep feed will assure your sheep are receiving all the needed nutrients. Sheep feed is also useful for sheep with extra nutritional needs, like those that are pregnant.

Step 1

Collect a base of hay. Make hay by mowing grass then let it dry completely. Other forage and plants can be used as well in the base, just make sure that the plants are harvested fresh and dried completely, to prevent molding that can be extremely toxic to sheep.

Step 2

Add grain. Grain is the seed part of cereal crops; such as corn, barley, wheat, and oats. Sheep with higher nutritional needs, like those that are pregnant or nursing, should be fed extra grain each day. Sheep love the taste, so grain consumption should be regulated, introduced slowly and gradually increased in the diet.

Step 3

Add a protein source. Add proteins like soybean meal or cottonseed meal, to ensure that the feed is nutritionally balanced. Young lambs need feed rations that contain 16 to 18 percent protein; while older lambs only need 11 to 12 percent.

Step 4

Add minerals, such as salt, calcium, and phosphorus. Use a mineral ration that contains ammonium chloride to help prevent urinary problems.

Step 5

Add vitamins; likely, only vitamin A will be deficient in your lambs. Mix alfalfa hay or dehydrated alfalfa hay pellets into the lamb feed to prevent vitamin A deficiency. Include a vitamin B complex weekly for show lambs, to maintain peak fitness.

Step 6

Decide how much feed to give each sheep. Weigh your lamb, multiply the weight by .03, then divide that number by two. The result is how much your sheep should be getting twice a day. Be sure to feed each sheep individually, so that each sheep gets enough food.

Warnings

• Evaluate your pasture. Sheep eat mostly grass, clover, forbs, and other pasture plants. Sheep especially love forbs -- a broad-leaf, flowing plant that is very nutritious. Check your pasture to see what your sheep are getting while grazing and what is needed.
• Keep loose salt available at all times, as sheep need this essential nutrient.

Warnings

• Make changes to feed slowly, to avoid shock. Switch over little by little, within a two week time-period.
• Do not feed your sheep other animal food, as it contains copper, which is a needed nutrient for other animals, but can be deadly for sheep.

References

• Sheep101: What's for dinner?
• Northern View Ranch Sheep: Feeding a Market Lamb
• Palomares4h: The Sheep Project