Why won't the sheep eat?

Question

My friend has a hobby farm with sheep and goats. He bought a huge amount of dried feed and 40Kg of vitamin and protien (or something) pellets. There is little or no grass because of the drought, but the sheep won't eat it and they are getting skinny. He has goats too, they dont eat the feed, but they do eat day old bread.

He is scared the sheep will starve.

Can anybody help?

Answer 1

Try mixing molasses with the feed, they also need hay or grass. Give them all the bread they want! We always give our vegetable left overs to our goats.

Answer 2

Hay, lots of hay. Sheep don't do well on pellets alone, no matter what the idiots at the feed store say. Look for the greenest, freshest hay available (tricky at this time of year); once the sheep get their condition back switch to more moderate quality hay, especially when (or if) they get some decent pasture. Consult with the local agricultural or veterinary school, or Cooperative Extension Service office, for more specific feeding guidelines. The link below has some information to start with.

Answer 3

Typically animals that have been suriving in drought conditions won't eat a food that is too rich. Try feeding an oaten or wheaten hay to get them going, and then offer the pellets again. A rich diet right after a drought diet can actually cause them to die.

Answer 4

Just to help you and your friend out with this question, I called my daughter that has raised livestock and worked for a vet. She says the feed is bad, having a high mold content. Take the feed back and have it replaced. People don't give anamals credit, their smart and are not going to eat something that is bad..

Answer 5

Obviously it is not to their liking, may have to try something else. Was the feed specified for sheep?