Plentiful forage

Upon arrival, the lambs grazed cool season grasses, mostly fescue, in a wooded pasture area. They are now grazing a paddock that was established last fall.

It is a pasture mix consisting of grazing tolerant orchardgrasses, Montana Meadow Brome, Tetraploid Perennial Ryegrass, Freedom! Red Clover, Regalgraze Ladino Clover, and Forage Chicory. Before the lambs were given access to it, a cutting of baleage was taken off.

There is another four acre paddock containing a similar mix. A warm season pasture mix was recently planted. It is a one acre paddock. The mix includes cow peas, buckwheat, sunflowers, and sunn hemp. Both pasture mixes offer the lambs a proverbial "salad bar."

In addition to pasture, the sixty-five lambs are being hand-fed a mixed grain ration twice per day. The grain mix consists of whole barley, soybean meal, and minerals. The rate of supplementation is ~5% of body weight (3 lbs. per head per day, split into equal feedings). The lambs also have access to a bale of orchardgrass hay. Salt is available free choice in several mineral feeders. Fresh water is plentiful. Shelter is provided under a large (open) roofed structure.