Feeding Sheep

Sheep are adapted to the consumption of a great variety of feeds, most common are roughages, grain is usually given to ewes during the lambing period or when fattening lambs. Sheep are able to consume different grasses, legumes, weeds, and shrubs that grow on cultivated land. Year-round grazing is desired. During winter months sheep are lacking in nutrients. That’s why supplementary feeds are necessary.

Hays are the standard winter feed for sheep when they cannot be out on pasture or when the conditions of the pastures are not good enough. Legume hay that has been produced on fertile soil and well cured is rich in protein, calcium and vitamins A and D. Sheep may do very well for a considerable period of time when fed no feed other than a good-quality legume hay, salt and water. Where non-legume roughages are fed, special attention should be given to providing a suitable protein concentrate and minerals, especially calcium.

Silage consists of succulent plants which are harvested at an early stage of maturity and compressed into silo. Most sheepmen prefer to limit the silage allowance to 4-6 pounds per head per day with the balance of the roughage ration consisting of hay.

Feeding lambs. Lambs require short, tender, fresh green pasture made up of palatable plants. The grass should be abundant, allowing them to get a fill with a minimum of travel.

Creep feeding of lambs has several advantages:

• it will speed the growth and fattening rate of lambs,

• ewes will not suckle down to become thin and will maintain a milk flow over a longer period of time,

• creep feeding tends to even up twin lambs and single lambs in size,

• lambs will be ready for an earlier market, which often has a price advantage,

• creep feeding enables many sheepmen to produce fat lambs on range that is too poor to produce anything more than feeder lambs unless extra feed is provided.

If lambs are to be creep fed on the range, they should be started when they are about three weeks of age. To teach the lambs to eat grain the latter should be placed in the troughs and left for the day. Each day it should be changed and fresh grain put in the creep.

Lambs will eat an average of about one fourth pound of grain per head during creep feeding period.

Exercises

1. Find the equivalents in the text:

Силос, адаптироваться, многообразие, грубая пища, откармливать, питательные вещества, бобовые культуры, сочный, зрелость, нежный, поддерживать, ценовое преимущество, растительная пища.

2. Match the beginning and the end of the sentences:

	It is necessary to provide	legumes, weeds, and shrubs.
	Sheep are able to consume	is especially imoportant for lambs.
	Creep feeding	helps to even up twin lambs and single lambs in size.
	Creep feeding	proteins and minerals, especially calcium.
	Short, tender, fresh green pasture made up of palatable plants	should be started the age of 2-4 weeks.

3. What are the peculiarities of feeding sheep? What kinds of food are necessary? How should a breeder treat lambs? Speak about general care for sheep. Work in small groups. Make a dialogue.