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SHEEP-fed-barely-sprouting-fodders, page : 87
Fats and fatty substances are made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, however the proportions are very different. Fat is an essential nutrient, more so for young and growing lambs. Fat provides almost twice as much energy as carbohydrates and helps an animal to control the temperature of its body.
FEEDING PRACTICES
The sheep's stage of life should be taken into account during feeding. Quality and quantity of feed supplements do not remain the same. Lambs and young animals need more and higher quality feed according to their size than mature animals. Lactating ewes need more than dry ewes, and during the breeding season rams require more than they would do out of season.
Feeding Behavior:
It is normal for sheep to eat during the hours of daylight. They begin around dawn and if out to pasture they will graze on and off throughout the day until evening. They eat at night only if there is no choice, but won't eat as much. The reason for this is that sheep must have time during the day to rest and chew cud, so the feed they eat must have sufficient nutrients to meet all their needs during the day.
If you feed a pregnant ewe on poor quality hay during the winter when there are fewer hours of daylight their nutritional need will not be met, and you will have to supplement their feed with grain.
Because sheep are social animals they eat better when they are in a group than when they are by themselves. If you are just starting your flock, don't buy just one, buy two or three lambs, however, you should be aware that once they have bonded together, they won't mix with other flocks very well. If you buy two flocks of sheep, don't be surprised when you find them staking out a "home territory", even if they are living in the same pasture.
Like cows, sheep avoid grazing near their own feces, but are not so particular to graze around the feces of other species.
Sheep prefer higher ground to lower ground and do well grazing amongst other species such as cows, horses and goats. There are many benefits to be had from such an arrangement. Multi-species grazing on the same land reduces parasites, there are fewer predation problems, and lambs grow more rapidly when several species are grazed together.
Changes in feed:
Provided changes in feed are made gradually a sheep can adjust to a large variety of feed. A sudden change in ration, such as sudden access to food, can cause death this is because the microorganisms in the rumen cannot adapt quickly. It takes its time to become accustomed to a new diet.
FEEDING PRACTICES
The sheep's stage of life should be taken into account during feeding. Quality and quantity of feed supplements do not remain the same. Lambs and young animals need more and higher quality feed according to their size than mature animals. Lactating ewes need more than dry ewes, and during the breeding season rams require more than they would do out of season.
Feeding Behavior:
It is normal for sheep to eat during the hours of daylight. They begin around dawn and if out to pasture they will graze on and off throughout the day until evening. They eat at night only if there is no choice, but won't eat as much. The reason for this is that sheep must have time during the day to rest and chew cud, so the feed they eat must have sufficient nutrients to meet all their needs during the day.
If you feed a pregnant ewe on poor quality hay during the winter when there are fewer hours of daylight their nutritional need will not be met, and you will have to supplement their feed with grain.
Because sheep are social animals they eat better when they are in a group than when they are by themselves. If you are just starting your flock, don't buy just one, buy two or three lambs, however, you should be aware that once they have bonded together, they won't mix with other flocks very well. If you buy two flocks of sheep, don't be surprised when you find them staking out a "home territory", even if they are living in the same pasture.
Like cows, sheep avoid grazing near their own feces, but are not so particular to graze around the feces of other species.
Sheep prefer higher ground to lower ground and do well grazing amongst other species such as cows, horses and goats. There are many benefits to be had from such an arrangement. Multi-species grazing on the same land reduces parasites, there are fewer predation problems, and lambs grow more rapidly when several species are grazed together.
Changes in feed:
Provided changes in feed are made gradually a sheep can adjust to a large variety of feed. A sudden change in ration, such as sudden access to food, can cause death this is because the microorganisms in the rumen cannot adapt quickly. It takes its time to become accustomed to a new diet.