What are the feeding and management methods for sheep to safely overwinter?
How do you keep sheep safe through the winter?
(Agricultural Wealth Network) How do you keep sheep safe through the winter?
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Prepare sufficient feed: You should prepare enough soybean straw, soybean pod hulls, alfalfa, sweet potato vines, tree leaves, silage and ammoniated feed, which are all rich in protein. These are all good feed for sheep through the winter and should be harvested and stored promptly in autumn. Store concentrate feed such as corn for supplementary feeding. Straw feed such as soybean straw should be crushed before feeding.
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Repair the sheep shed: The sheep shed should be well ventilated, dry and clean. Before winter arrives, block up draft openings, making sure the roof does not leak, the floor is not damp and the walls are not drafty. Before the start of winter each year, the flock should be adjusted according to the sheep's nutritional condition, so that sheep in the same body condition are grouped together for grazing, making full use of the pasture. Graze the weak groups nearby and the strong groups farther away, so that the weak groups can be looked after. For sheep that have been ill for a long time without recovering, are small and thin, have been barren for a long time, are old and weak, or have low production performance, you should build up their autumn fat or cull them in time. In late autumn and early winter, the flock can be dewormed with trichlorfon or bithionol.
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Strengthen supplementary feeding: After winter begins, the pasture grass withers, and grazing alone can no longer meet the sheep's nutritional needs. Supplementary feeding should be carried out before grazing in the morning and after the sheep are brought back, from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., and the supplementary feeding should be done in an open pen outside the shed. Each sheep should be given 1000 grams of silage corn straw, 100 grams to 250 grams of concentrate feed, 5 grams to 7 grams of bone meal and 5 grams to 10 grams of salt per day, and watered twice a day. For ewes carrying twins, the amount of supplementary feed should be doubled, and as much succulent silage as possible should be provided.
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Do a good job of grazing: When sheep go in and out of the pen gate, graze, return from grazing, are fed and are watered, they should be handled calmly, and crowding must be strictly prevented. Choose pasture that is rich in grass, warm and sheltered from the wind for grazing, and except on windy days, keep grazing for more than 6 hours every day. According to the terrain and forage conditions, graze the sunny slope first and the shady slope afterward; graze the distant areas first and the nearby areas afterward; graze the bottom of the gully first and the gully slopes afterward; graze short grass first and tall grass afterward. While the sheep are in good condition, make the most of distant pastures and leave nearby pastures for lambs and thin, weak sheep. Before grazing in the morning, first open the doors and windows on the leeward side of the sheep shed to let the hot air out, and when the temperature inside and outside the shed is close, drive the sheep out, so as to prevent the sheep from catching cold.
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Prepare sufficient feed: You should prepare enough soybean straw, soybean pod hulls, alfalfa, sweet potato vines, tree leaves, silage and ammoniated feed, which are all rich in protein. These are all good feed for sheep through the winter and should be harvested and stored promptly in autumn. Store concentrate feed such as corn for supplementary feeding. Straw feed such as soybean straw should be crushed before feeding.
--------------------------------------
Repair the sheep shed: The sheep shed should be well ventilated, dry and clean. Before winter arrives, block up draft openings, making sure the roof does not leak, the floor is not damp and the walls are not drafty. Before the start of winter each year, the flock should be adjusted according to the sheep's nutritional condition, so that sheep in the same body condition are grouped together for grazing, making full use of the pasture. Graze the weak groups nearby and the strong groups farther away, so that the weak groups can be looked after. For sheep that have been ill for a long time without recovering, are small and thin, have been barren for a long time, are old and weak, or have low production performance, you should build up their autumn fat or cull them in time. In late autumn and early winter, the flock can be dewormed with trichlorfon or bithionol.
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Strengthen supplementary feeding: After winter begins, the pasture grass withers, and grazing alone can no longer meet the sheep's nutritional needs. Supplementary feeding should be carried out before grazing in the morning and after the sheep are brought back, from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., and the supplementary feeding should be done in an open pen outside the shed. Each sheep should be given 1000 grams of silage corn straw, 100 grams to 250 grams of concentrate feed, 5 grams to 7 grams of bone meal and 5 grams to 10 grams of salt per day, and watered twice a day. For ewes carrying twins, the amount of supplementary feed should be doubled, and as much succulent silage as possible should be provided.
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Do a good job of grazing: When sheep go in and out of the pen gate, graze, return from grazing, are fed and are watered, they should be handled calmly, and crowding must be strictly prevented. Choose pasture that is rich in grass, warm and sheltered from the wind for grazing, and except on windy days, keep grazing for more than 6 hours every day. According to the terrain and forage conditions, graze the sunny slope first and the shady slope afterward; graze the distant areas first and the nearby areas afterward; graze the bottom of the gully first and the gully slopes afterward; graze short grass first and tall grass afterward. While the sheep are in good condition, make the most of distant pastures and leave nearby pastures for lambs and thin, weak sheep. Before grazing in the morning, first open the doors and windows on the leeward side of the sheep shed to let the hot air out, and when the temperature inside and outside the shed is close, drive the sheep out, so as to prevent the sheep from catching cold.