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| St. Johns' Wort |
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| Yarrow |
Weather has been fairly mild, though the ground has been treacherous for man and beast with all the ice, but so far, we're good.
I can do without the rain. We get enough during * mud * season, and it seems a bit premature at this time of year. I will say though, everyone seems confused as to what season it is. The birds are cavorting between the ducks' feed dishes with a great deal of song and chatter and it does seem like Spring is imminent though in reality - not so much. Yet it is a welcome respite from winter doldrums and the phrase "January thaw" does come to mind.
It is hard not to envision the coming greenery and plant life that will swell and take over come Spring. We usher in Spring with maple sugaring, something we love to do and look forward to with high anticipation. Who knew that trees of all things would yield such delicious elixir?
It is this time of year that I start thinking about the logistics of pasture rotations and getting the ewes with newborn lambs out to the rich, lush grass that will be the mainstay of their diet for several months.
As I consider the nutritional needs of the sheep ( and dogs and cat and ducks and horses ) I find it ironic that I spend much more time finding or creating just the right combination of nutrients to ensure their well being, than I do my own!
My how far mankind has come since the days of hunting and gathering. Now hunting and gathering has to do with which grocery store to shop and what foods I can get that will satisfy my needs quickly , inexpensively and without much clean up. Yipes!
As for the sheep, I've learned that the best case scenario for them is good quality hay and grass when they can get it.
We feed both second cut and first cut hay all winter long, offering them continuous access 24/7.
As ruminants they are well designed to derive their required nutrients from this grass based diet, right up until the last four weeks of gestation and the first four weeks of lactation.
Because Finnsheep can carry up to as many as 7 lambs at a time, it stands to reason that their organs undergo a shift and compression that compromises their ability to take in enough dry matter to sustain their energy and nutrient needs during those last few weeks. As a result, the shepherd intervenes and provides the essential food in the form of grains, the exact type varying from shepherd to shepherd. This allows for adequate intake of nourishment until lambing time.
Once the lambs are on the ground and nursing the nutritional requirement skyrockets for those first few weeks and milk production is related to the amount of energy taken in by the ewe.
I've learned that taking them off their grain too early results in decreased lactation, so those first four weeks, they receive a healthy, balanced diet designed to support lactation. By four weeks of age the lambs have a good start and are robust so that any diminished production only increases their desire to graze and eat "real" food.
Of course, minerals play a large role in their diet as well, particularly since our area is selenium deficient making it necessary to see there is adequate access to selenium supplement along with the other important nutrients.
The rams however, are not given grain during any portion of the year largely because it is associated with a higher incidence of urinary calculi, a painful and fatal blockage of the ureter.
If I feel it necessary to supplement the rams my food of choice is shredded beat pulp with molasses.
It provides the needed energy and nutrition along with roughage and they love it.
I've also learned to manage many of their health issues such as worming, with herbal supplements and this has worked out nicely. In some cases if I need to give a dose of medicine, I can disguise it in an herbal ball and it is readily taken from my hand with no knowledge of the cure within.
Easy - peasy!
One of the many observations I've made as a shepherd is that of the surrounding flora and fauna, both in cases of plants that heal as well as those that can kill if a sheep eats it.
I am delighted to find that all manner of wild, often considered invasive weeds, thrive in our immediate area because they afford the raw material to craft medicinal cures, salves, supplements and even dyes.
Still, not all those I rely upon grow locally and I do utilize purchased herbs at times. Ideally I would have an herbal garden, something I intend to create but find hard to get started.
And of course, I look forward to the first new lambs due in 89 days! But, whose counting?
Regards,
Kathryn
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