Sheep handle cold weather well. As most people know sheep grow wool to keep them warm. This is differently an advantage in colder temps, but down in the south Louisiana the cold weather also brings rain, we don't get cold enough for snow or ice very often There are a few things that are provided to help keep the sheep happy during the cold, such as housing, hay, and fresh water.
At The Muddy Homestead and Sheep Farm the sheep have a large 40 x 60 barn that provides covering and protection from the wind. This allows the sheep to get out of the rain and wind when it get cold. The barn has large openings to help keep a good air flow and decrease moisture build up which leads to possible respiratory problems in sheep.
The sheep are provided hay during the winter months due to decreased grass. The hay is offered at night when it is coldest, because the body uses energy to digest hay which helps keep them warm. The hay is placed in hay racks, some homemade to help keep the hay off the ground and decrease waste. At times if a bale of hay is unable to be pulled apart for slow use it will be placed in the barn for the sheep to eat at their own liking, but it requires increased work to remove the hay to keep the barn floor clean and dry. The amount of minerals and supplements are increased during winter to help keep them healthy.
The water provided for the sheep is important in keeping them healthy. Sheep get a large amount of their water from their forage, grass and hay. Hay is dried grass so it has less
water which means since their is limited grass during the winter for sheep to get water from, they need an increased amount of fresh water provided. The cold adds the issue of frozen water so either a heater is needed in the water or hot water added at times. At The Muddy Homestead and Sheep Farm, water heaters are not used due to limited amount of freezing temps, so either hot water is added at times and/or ice is broken and removed when necessary. When sheep lave decreased water it affects health and productivity.
Sheep handle cold weather quite well with a few extras to be sure of their happiness. Happiness is important this winter as 11 of the ewes are expected to be pregnant and due in April. As we say around here, not everyone handles things the same way and their is no right way as long as the sheep are happy and well cared for. Hope this provides you with some insight in how to best set up your processes. Because here, we are doing things a bit differently.
Comments