# sheep and brome hay - good or bad choice?



## cathleenc (Aug 16, 2007)

I've got 2 ewes and a ram plus 3 lambs to feed. Mostly border leicesters with some east friesian/x .

I've been feeding alfalfa hay and the lambs and ewes look perfect. The ram is overweight.

In a couple of weeks (when the calf leaves the barn) I can effectively separate the ram along with a buck and feed them separately from the ewes & lambs.

so - how is good quality brome in general for sheep? What about brome as a main hay for rams?

thanks!
Cathy


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## RiverPines (Dec 12, 2006)

Brome Is ok for sheep but I wouldn't feed only that unless they are being pastured too.

Pure alfalfa I wouldnt give to a ram, to much calcium.

My hay is a mix of several grasses and 30% alfalfa. I dont need to feed grain to keep non-lactating ewes and rams in great shape throughout the winter.


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## catahoula (Dec 14, 2005)

I feed brome hay, that's what they get because that's what I got. My sheep do really well through the winter on hay alone. Of course I should also add that I have a very durable breed of sheep.


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## RiverPines (Dec 12, 2006)

catahoula said:


> I feed brome hay, that's what they get because that's what I got. My sheep do really well through the winter on hay alone. Of course I should also add that I have a very durable breed of sheep.


How long are your sheep without any pasture in winter and how cold of temps?
In Wi our sheep have to hold out without pasture from around September to April. They also have to put up with temps as cold as neg 20, sometimes even colder and sometimes for long stretches, depending on the severity of the winter.
They have a lot they have to survive through here. Sure they can survive it but will they come out of that winter in good shape or will they need to recuperate from it?


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## catahoula (Dec 14, 2005)

RiverPines said:


> How long are your sheep without any pasture in winter and how cold of temps?
> In Wi our sheep have to hold out without pasture from around September to April. They also have to put up with temps as cold as neg 20, sometimes even colder and sometimes for long stretches, depending on the severity of the winter.
> They have a lot they have to survive through here. Sure they can survive it but will they come out of that winter in good shape or will they need to recuperate from it?


 Sort of sounds like an attack.

I have Icelandics they fatten up on a steady diet of rocks and seashells, ba-dump-bump...no but seriously folks.

My pastures dry up in late August and don't green back up until April or May. I get embarrassingly fat lambs. We get our share of freezing weather and big snow, but the wind is the killer, it gets right after it. My sheep always have access to the barn for shelter but more often than not you will see the bare spots in the pasture where they opted to sleep in the snow.


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## RiverPines (Dec 12, 2006)

catahoula said:


> Sort of sounds like an attack.
> 
> I have Icelandics they fatten up on a steady diet of rocks and seashells, ba-dump-bump...no but seriously folks.
> 
> My pastures dry up in late August and don't green back up until April or May. I get embarrassingly fat lambs. We get our share of freezing weather and big snow, but the wind is the killer, it gets right after it. My sheep always have access to the barn for shelter but more often than not you will see the bare spots in the pasture where they opted to sleep in the snow.


I'm sorry I didnt mean it that way. I just asking about your weather because the livestock here do have to endure extremes and I always worry about their condition, so I wanted to tell you about our weather. 

I have had offers to buy Brome alone but was worried it wont suffice for the cold periods. 
Thanks for sharing your info of how your critters do and the weather, that sounds similar to ours, that they have to also endure.

Our sheep sleep in the snow!! They have shelter but I think they prefer igloo style!!


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