Diet change opinions please!

Hey all!

I'm fairly new to sheep. I was given 3 bottle lambs (2 wethers & 1 ewe lamb) 2 months ago. They were 6 wks when I became their mommy if you will. I've weaned them off milk replacer, have had them on grain for awhile and just moved them to a grass pen. Here's my question. They get quality hay (all the time- they nibble on that and grass) and a cup of sheep pellets & half cup of cracked corn 2x a day. Can I take them down gradually to nothing on grain? Or will I have to feed them grain their whole lives? One of my little guys is bloated, you can clearly see it. He's the biggest of them all ( always has been), & has always been a little pig. I guess I'm not sure what I should do. I'd greatly appreciate all of your advice as I don't want to lose any of my little sweeties! ☺️

If you're not planning on breeding, and they stay in good condition, you should be fine gradually cutting out all the grain. Google 'body condition scoring sheep' so you know how to feel them to tell if they're getting too thin. If you live in a place with cold winters, you may need to give them a bit of pellets during winter if they don't keep enough weight on with the hay.

Oh, and make sure they have access to a good loose mineral mix.

Congrats on your new sheep - got pictures?

Hello new shepherd! As you closely watch your new lambs, keep a bottle of Bloat Guard or the recipe for homemade bloat treatment around just in case of emergency. (google frothy bloat and you'll get several hits with helpful info. It consists of household items.). Often sheep don't show signs of illness that you would easily recognize as red flags until it is a serious crisis. It's good to have an awareness of how bloat can build up in the system. Often the healthiest looking, most energetic lamb in the flock will suddenly succumb. I learned a trick when I had some orphaned lambs froma neighborly farmer: He taught me to place my hands on either side of the lamb's belly and gently rub in a circular motion. This encourages the rumen to process. If you hear (or smell) a burp, that's good!

Thank you both! Sorry I haven't replied sooner, I've recently added a Shetland pony to my animal family & I've recently bought a mini donkey (although, he's as big as my Shetland lol, I'd like to see what a full size donkey looks like!) I really should take pictures of my little guys & gal. I'll do that this weekend when I get some downtime (full time mom, wife, animal mom, CNA and nursing student..I don't have much time to sleep lol)