[Jacob-list] corn gluten/ration

[Linda]

Do you feed corn gluten to your sheep? I've seen a number of references to 
feeding it to sheep. One mentioned copper content as not always being 
consistent. I have not seen a bag of this, so don't know if the copper content 
is listed on the tag. My hay guy buys it by the ton, but it is available bagged. 
Russ does mix it, but I'm not sure of the percentage. I doubt I will use it, as 
I'm finding that driving two hours to save $4 isn't all that practical - even if 
(or maybe especially because)  I get to sneak in a trip to my favorite Chinese 
restaurant.

Thanks, Neal, for pointing out that our hay may not be the quality of hay in 
other areas.  Alfalfa is grown just a bit north of us, but the dairy goat people 
I know don't consider it anywhere near the quality of the northern grown 
alfalfa. 

Jacob Sheep are incredibly adaptive. That does not just mean that they are able 
to flourish untended on an island off the coast of Maine or ungrained on good 
pasture. It also means that they can flourish on tiny plots of land with no 
pasture. And everywhere in between. I'm somewhere in between, with finally some 
pasture that has been really hard to get established from wooded land during a 
drought. I'm pretty much going to do what I can to protect what grass I've got 
going at this point. My goal is to rely on pasture more and we're constantly 
working on clearing and seeding. I doubt we will ever be at the point here that 
we will be able to totally eliminate grain during some times of the year.

Linda


> In Linda and my ['s ?] area, sheep are not likely to fatten on hay

> unless it is extremely good quality. Alfalfa and good quality

> orchardgrass will be less than 65 mcal/lb because of the summer

> heat and humidity. The total ration would have to be closer to 70

> mcal/lb (California and Minnesota hay) to fatten lambs and support 

> lactation. They may do better on fresh grazing this winter if there

> is a good supply of stockpiled grass grown after the weather

> cooled. That cold season grass stocklpiles extra sugars in the stem

> to use for anti-freeze.

>

> We use corn gluten feed and distillers grain in cattle rations with

> no problem, but keep it less than 1/4 of the ration.

>

> Here's an idea: With bio-diesel coming on the market, glycerol will

> become more available and relatively cheep if you want to pour that

> over your feed. It has as much energy per pound as corn.

>

> Neal Grose

>> ----- Original Message -----

>> From: Robin Lynde

>> To: Linda ; Jacob-list at jacobsheep.com

>> Sent: Sunday, November 02, 2008 11:53 AM

>> Subject: Re: [Jacob-list] corn gluten/ration

>>

>>

>> I wouldn't feed something with questionable copper content no

>> matter how good a deal it seems. Also, is this because hay in

>> your area isn't of good quality? I feed hardly feed grain at all

>> and my sheep are fat on alfalfa. I do buy a little bit of grain

>> but I use if sparingly. During lambing season I mix a medium size

>> bucket of half COB and half alfalfa pellets (cheaper) and I

>> spread that out in all the feeders. But this is one bucket for 50-

>> 60 sheep and goats so you know that they're all getting only a

>> very small amount. This is one way I have of checking to see who

>> might not be feeling good (ready to lamb).

>>

>> Speaking of alfalfa, I just got a donkey and now I'm realizing

>> that since I'll be feeding alfalfa all winter, the donkey will be

>> getting that too unless I separate her. I didn't want to make

>> life more complicated with this addition. Any advice from donkey

>> owners?

>> Robin Lynde

>> Meridian Jacobs

>> Vacaville, CA

>> www.meridianjacobs.com

>>> ----- Original Message -----

>>> From: Linda

>>> To: Jacob-list at jacobsheep.com

>>> Sent: Sunday, November 02, 2008 4:12 AM

>>> Subject: [Jacob-list] corn gluten/ration

>>>

>>>

>>> Does anyone have any experience/information with feeding corn

>>> gluten? Our local hay supplier uses it for his cattle during

>>> the winter. It's 1/2 the price of whole corn.

>>>

>>> From what I've been able to garner from the web, it wouldn't be

>>> recommended as the complete diet. Also the copper content can

>>> be variable. I didn't see the bag it came in, so didn't get a

>>> chance to read the label.

>>>

>>> This year I'm going back to mixing my own feed ration. I did it

>>> for about 8 years, but went to premixes when I got more sheep.

>>> The sheep did very well on my mix. I liked the Blue Seal sheep

>>> feed, but we just lost the Blue Seal dealer that was 35 miles

>>> away in SC. The next closest is 65 miles in NC and the cost in

>>> time and gas just doesn't make sense to me.

>>>

>>> My sheep mix consists of whole corn, whole oats, soybean meal,

>>> wheat bran, and livestock molasses. I'd appreciate hearing from

>>> others that mix their own feeds and what home made mixes have

>>> worked for you.

>>>

>>> Thank you,

>>> Linda

>>>

>>>

>>>  

>>> http://www.patchworkfibers.com

>>> Registered Jacob Sheep, Handspun Yarn  

>>>

>>>

>>> _______________________________________________

>>> Jacob-list mailing list, sponsored by Swallow Lane Farm &

>>> Fiberworks

>>> Jacob-list at jacobsheep.com

>>> http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/jacob-list

>>

>>

>> _______________________________________________

>> Jacob-list mailing list, sponsored by Swallow Lane Farm &

>> Fiberworks

>> Jacob-list at jacobsheep.com

>> http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/jacob-list

  
http://www.patchworkfibers.com 
Registered Jacob Sheep, Handspun Yarn  
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www.pairlist.net/pipermail/jacob-list/attachments/20081102/fb338876/attachment-0001.html>