Category: Sheep

Well ideally, before they are weaned, young ruminants are supposed to be given enough milk by the mother. After weaning, when they are to be fed with forages, it is advisable that those to be served the young ones are more succulent than those for the adults. In serving them concentrates, those to be served to the young ones should be richer in protein than those to be served the adult. This is because the young needs it for growth. Meanwhile, a balanced ration should provide protein, energy, minerals and…

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Ruminant farmers most times try to find out the recommended place where they can source their feeds. Well as for forages, they are readily available everywhere. However, for concentrates, feed-mills and already existing farmers should be contacted for link. A good feed formula could be got from your consultant in case you need one. In sourcing your feed however, you must be sure of the quality of the feeds from that source otherwise you will be exposing your animals to diseases.  Meanwhile, Energy and protein sources are of prime importance…

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Beef cattle and sheep are often raised on marginal lands that provide a highly variable feed supply and are prone to drought and climate change. They evolved a capability of utilizing poor quality feeds and have the potential to survive variation in feed supply through the use of body lipid reserves. Despite this, in regions with marginal land, undernutrition is commonly regarded as the greatest welfare problem for extensively reared cattle and sheep, which can extend to starvation in drought periods. Dairy cows that have been bred for high milk…

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Ruminant animals are usually allowed to graze between 10am and 6pm. This would have served them for the day. However, if feeds are served them in their ruminant housing, feeds should be made available ad libitum (i.e. As much as desired by the animals). Feeds is supposed to be available for them at all times, Feeding time could be divided into two or three and the feeds being served them could also be rotated. i.e. the feeds served them should be of good quality and enough quantity. Animals can go…

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The best way to control ruminants from destroying grasses where they graze is to do what is called “Rotational grazing”. If you have a fenced paddock where your animals do graze, it is not good to allow them access to the whole of the grasses at the same time. Some portion should be reserved while the other is being grazed on by the animals. In case of nomadic grazing, the areas of grazing should be rotated regularly to allow grasses maintain their freshness. There could also be times when paddocks…

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The ideal time to take them out for grazing is the early hours of the morning preferably any time after 10.00am. This is because it is better to allow sun to rise so that eggs of worms attached to grasses would have been destroyed before the grasses are consumed by the animals. If they are not destroyed, the worm load of the ruminants will be increased and this is not good for their health. Physical Indicators of Ruminants Feed and Grazing Quality The physical nature of the feeds can pose…

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