this hay will feed the flock for about 2 weeks
We’re now buying Canadian hay…big compressed 2nd cutting bales that weigh about 65-70 pounds a piece. It’s nice and green and the sheep are loving it. We had it tested and it’s the perfect maintenance ration for our girls and guys. Actually, it’s easier to handle than normal 30 pound bales. This comes 28 to the pallet, gets put on our trailer by forklift and when we get it home, we roll the bales off the trailer and into the barn. It takes up very little space and far less time than it would take us to put a ton of square bales on the trailer, take them off & stack them.
we weigh out the hay everyday so the sheep get just what they need and there's no waste
We have some square bales already paid for, however, so the day is coming when we’ll have to pick them up. Need some nice weather. Water is always an issue in the winter. We see the sheep eating snow all the time. I think they enjoy crunching on crusty snow but we have to remember that they can’t possibly get the amount of water they need just by eating snow. The issue in these low temps is keeping the water liquid long enough for the sheep to get their fill. We’re pretty low tech here and don’t have a stock tank heater so Jim is mixing hot water from the house (an outside hot spigot is a wonderful thing) into the cold water from the livestock well. He’s noticed that the water stays liquid for many more hours than it would otherwise and that the sheep seem to drink alot more than they do if just cold water is put out for them.
