[Jacob-list] on grain, down ewes

[Gillian Fuqua]

	For grain I use an organic whole grain mix.  I like it because they 
get good energy from the whole grain and I don't feed a whole lot of it 
and my girls are fine.  I giving more grain this year because it was 
such a bad hay year but that still means less than a cup per head per 
day.  Green Mountain Feeds also makes an organic pellet lamb starter 
mix.  for minerals I use a loose mineral and kelp and I sprinkle it on 
the feed.  that way I don't have to worry about anyone gorging on it.  
I have also read that kelp is good for fleece production and quality.
	On your "runt" John, perhaps it is some genetic issue.  I think we 
sometimes loose sight of the fact that despite our breeding efforts, 
Mother Nature throws birth defects everyone's way and some of them are 
less obvious and show up as something undefinable but not right.  Is 
her fleece nice or is it brittle?  That might give a clue to something 
systemic.  I may well be talking out my ear here but I think that 
sometimes we just don't know what the problem is and we never will 
either and that's ok.  Still a bummer to have a sick girl around 
though.

Gillian