# Feeding fresh cut grass?



## unregistered168043 (Sep 9, 2011)

Our ram as recently become a bit hard to handle. He must be 'coming of age', lol. Anyway we cannot put him into the movable fence to graze with the girls, he ignores electric fence now, breaks out, tries to ram me and the ewes. ( too bad he was so well behaved before ).

We are out of hay and I suggested we cut a swath of grass daily or semi-daily to feed him directly in his pen ( cutting with a sickle bar, not a lawn mower ). My girlfriend says we cannot do that because 'you cannot feed cut grass' and 'its bad for him'. I really dont see how this can harm him. I dont see how, if it is fresh, it can be any different from grazing. Any insights?


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

Eating grass, they have to work to get it. Already cut grass, they can bolt large amounts, so fresh cut grass can cause Bloat. 

If you turn it into hay, it would be fine.


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## PNP Katahdins (Oct 28, 2008)

Fresh-cut grass can mold pretty quickly. Plus they consider it something different. We sold two four-month-old pasture-raised Katahdin wethers to a fellow last summer and he tried to feed them grass clippings along with the good hay that they ate readily. They wouldn't touch the grass clippings.

Peg


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

Does he have a buddy? Sounds like he desperately needs one.


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## unregistered168043 (Sep 9, 2011)

MDKatie,

No roight now he doesn't have a buddy, and yes he desperately wants one. The problem is that he bullies the girls now, and bulldozes through our fence. When he gets loose, I worry that my girlfriend will come up on hm in the field because he will attack. He has attacked me multiple times. Its a whole big deal to find that he is not where he is supposed to be, then I have to go searching for him and forcibly subdue him, then drag him back ( he does passive resistance and goes completely limp when I need to move him ).

Right now it is easier and safer for everyone to keep him in the pen. Might be I can put one of the older ewes with him at some point.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

My sheep have been living on bagged lawn clippings for 2 weeks. I give them hay in the morning and then bag grass for them when it's dry enough to bag in the afternoons. They love it. I give the rams 1/2 a bag and the ewes and lambs 2-4 bags every day. They eat every bit of it. No one has bloated, choked or struggled except to move everyone else out of their way.


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

Darntootin said:


> MDKatie,
> 
> No roight now he doesn't have a buddy, and yes he desperately wants one. The problem is that he bullies the girls now, and bulldozes through our fence. When he gets loose, I worry that my girlfriend will come up on hm in the field because he will attack. He has attacked me multiple times. Its a whole big deal to find that he is not where he is supposed to be, then I have to go searching for him and forcibly subdue him, then drag him back ( he does passive resistance and goes completely limp when I need to move him ).
> 
> Right now it is easier and safer for everyone to keep him in the pen. Might be I can put one of the older ewes with him at some point.


Wow, what a butthead! That's a pain to deal with. Have you considered just shipping him? It's not worth it to deal with a dangerous ram like that. May be worth it in the long run to replace him.


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## StockDogLovr (Apr 13, 2009)

I used to cut long grass with a weed whacker and feed it to the sheep, no problem. I'd also let it dry and feed it like hay. Fresh lawn cuttings too as long as it was immediate - but they weren't as fond of the clippings as the weed-whacked stuff. They would eat some but leave much of it.


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## zephyrcreek (Mar 30, 2012)

This ram needs to be shipped. I would not want to pass these genetics on in my flock.


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## Gritty (Nov 26, 2012)

Darntootin-you raise Icelandic's, correct? My boy has done a Jekyll and Hyde in the past week. He's never been "friendly", but has always been warily respectful. Just this past week he tried to smush a chicken, decided the corn chips I brought out for the hens should be his and tried to ram though a chicken wire enclosure...then...when I tried to **** him away he stood his ground and kind of puffed at me. ...like a bull. I got as big as I could (I'm 120 soaking wet after eating a three plate buffet ). He still stood his ground and I shouted "mutton" and charged him. He decided I was crazier than he was and ran (fast) away. Don't know if the mutton comment convinced him or if he saw the ferocity of intent in my eye. He's back to being warily respectful. His buddies arrive this week and I just hope he plays nice. 

Oh, and I have fed grass clippings, but only after feeding hay. It was for a ewe that was penned and wasn't able to graze freely. She wasn't eating much hay, so in desperation I started throwing handfuls of fresh grass to her. She mostly picked through to find the clover and vetch. Kept her alive during recovery.


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## purplequeenvt (Mar 3, 2013)

Sounds like your ram needs a good training session. I would highly recommend halter training him. I know people tell you to not handle your rams, but halter training him could be a life-saver. All of our rams are halter-trained and they are all gentleman. We had one semi-aggressive ram for a couple years, but as long as you had him on a halter and next to you, he was fine. He eventually chilled out completely and no longer needed the halter.

He sounds like a young man that thinks too highly of himself. You need to take him down a peg or two. And I don't mean chase him around or beat him up. Halter training and, believe it or not, frequent handling will help him learn that you are in charge. 

Get a halter like this....http://www.premier1supplies.com/detail.php?prod_id=92&criteria=halter they are cheap and easy to put on/off.


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## unregistered168043 (Sep 9, 2011)

Thanks guys, I do believe this ram was raised by some children that taught him bad habits. He has absolutely no fear of humans. He will walk over towards you like a pet, problem is he thinks ramming is an acceptable way to say 'hello'.

I'm not too concerned about it. He will serve the purpose and breed my ewes as he is a proven ram. Good AI genetics too, nice conformation should make nice lambs. After he is done we will get rid of him and get a new ram which I'm sure will also come with problems. Honestly I would be suspicious of a 'well behaved' ram. LOL.


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## Hexe (Mar 8, 2007)

I'm currently feeding mowed grass to a bull I'm keeping separate. He gets mostly hay, but to stretch it I scythe two wheelbarrows full of grass for him every day.
He's eating it without problem, eats around the stuff he doesn't want and does not seem the worse for wear. He actually starts drooling now when he sees me with the scythe...


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