[Jacob-list] Hay Feeders and Fleeces

[JACI SIEHL]

Do not hesitate to put coats on!  I only have 10 sheep and keep them coated - my shearer appreciates it, I spend less time cleaning fleeces, I get a higher % of good fleece, and I get a better price.  I use only 1 coat per sheep.  I sew on straps along the top back of the coat and adjust as the fleeces grow out.  I have a neighbor with 85 Cormo sheep that she keeps coated, but uses 3 different sizes for each one (too much work and $$$ for me).
   
  I have a wooden hay holder (not as fancy as a f"eeder") that my husband built that holds 1 square bale.  I can drop in a couple flakes at a time or a whole bale if we are going to be away a few days.  This also keeps the hay low and they don't dig their horns in and flip the hay as much this way.  I can also adjust the height of the sides by dropping in more boards on the side.  This helps with the babies that like to jump in and stand in the feeder.

Leigh Nelson <shmee1 at mail.com> wrote:
    Hello All,
   
  I've noticed the recent topic of hay feeders and wanted to hear some opinions on what people are doing to minimize the hay ending up in the fleece.
   
  Last winter was my first year with Jacobs, or any sheep for that matter.  I am a spinner and plan to sell the fleeces to other spinners.  I was very discouraged by the amount of hay that ended up everywhere on them.  The neck area was the worst but hay was present throughout the fleece.  I hand sheered my sheep, and skirted by leaving the dirtiest wool on the sheep. We would then pack up the fleece and re-shear to remove the wool we didn't want.
   
  We are a small farm and don't have a tractor so we feed square bales only.  I know it's important to make sure the hay isn't falling on top of them, towards the end of the winter we put the hay outside on a pallet (to minimize parasite problems) but it would still end up in the fleece.  I noticed that when they eat they tend to pull out a chunk, munch away while having a look around, the sheep next to them then gets most of the surplus hay on their back.  How can this be stopped!
   
  I would prefer to not have to put coats on my sheep but in order to sell a decent product to hand-spinners I think I might have to!  Any suggestions on this would be greatly appreciated
   
  Thanks,
  Leigh Nelson
  Bent Willow Farm
  Kapuskasing, On

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