[Jacob-list] To creep feed or not to creep feed???

[Jacobflock at aol.com]

In a message dated 4/17/2003 7:12:31 AM Central Standard Time, 
kellyandrich at earthlink.net writes:

> Does anyone give their lambs creep feed? The local feed store sells lamb
> creep feed (21% protein).
> 
> It also contains  lasalocid (15 mg/lb). According to one of my sheep books
> this is "...a coccidiostat
> that prevents coccidiosis. It is also an ionophore that promotes better 
> feed
> conversion (pounds of feed need to produce a pound of gain." Anyone have
> experience with this? I don't like to give my animals any meds they don't
> need.
> 
> Kelly
> 

Fred here .. with a personal note ... not a prescription.  We have used a 
natural "made from scratch" feed for graining times such as flushing, 
gestation and lactating and during periods of drought when we have to hay and 
feed.  We have never used a "prepared" sheep feed for our Jacobs.

The Jacob breed is slow to mature and is a relatively poor converter of high 
protein to body mass.  Therefore, we have tried to keep "yearling and aged" 
protein to about 10%-14% and feed about 4-8 oz per ewe and 12 oz per ram.  We 
place about 10% more feeding stations than sheep count so the sheep lowest in 
group rank has a feeding station.

The basic formula we use is: 1.5 cups of sheep mineral (we happen to use a 
Purina product), 3/4 of a one pound coffe can of cotton seed meal, 3/4 of a 
one pound coffee can of soy bean meal, 1 pound coffee can of whole oats, 1 
pound coffee can of whole wheat, 2 one pound coffee cans of whole corn, 2 one 
pound coffee cans of alfalfa pellets, 9 one pound coffee cans of "all grain" 
(this has a light molasses coating which binds the mineral, cotton seed meal 
and soy meal).  The "all grain" from our mill is for cattle and horses but 
contains no copper or additives.


The above "formula" is 13% protein, 6% crude fat, and about 10% crude fiber.  
The weighted average cost is about $7 per 50 pounds.  You can build yourself 
a little spread sheet in Excel or Lotus and insert the "ingredients", 
protein, fat, and fiber as listed on the label, insert a cost per bag and 
weight average the "formula".  As a guideline a normal pellet is about 14% 
protein, 7% fat and 8% fiber.

For lambs we eliminate alfalfa pellets and whole corn and use a generous 
creep width ... and yes some of the two horn ewes get in.  To replace alfalfa 
pellets, we buy a few bales of alfalfa and feed alfalfa hay to the lambs and 
mothers.  

Lasalocid (for coccidiosis prevention) is toxic for horses and we have 
horses.  If you regularly grain rams with any molasses product, you should 
consider adding ammonium chloride to reduce or prevent urinary calculi.

Some shepherds do not use any grain to speak of, relying on good pastures.





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