Are my Ewes too fat?

[shepherdO]

What thinkest thou? I have two rambouillet-suffolk crosses I've recently inherited, both about 5 years old, and both seem very fat to me. Their wool is actually not super deep (1 inch?) so, yep, that's all body. We've nicknamed them Hippo and Rhino

I'm not yet at the stage where I can body/condition-score, but the one ewe particularly seems to be very long, thanks to an extended rear-end... I have had them for about 3 weeks, and I have given no additional food other than what is in the 'tired' fall grass field that they're in.

1) do you think they look overweight?
2) am I taking the correct path in allowing them natural forage with nothing additional?
3) is all the saggy-ness around their necks/backsides exxtra fat accumulation?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Sheepshape]

I'm not seeing any pics., so obviously can't comment on your animals.

Try placing your hand across the back just below where the ribs end.If you can't feel the spine in the middle and the sides of the vertebrae at all, then they are fat.

Really fat ewes have a fat pad over the end of the back where the tail begins and seem to 'ripple' as they walk.

If they are too fat, then leave them on poor pasture, the winter will sort their flab out.

The major problems with ewes who are too fat is a) they may be subfertile b)nobody wan't overly-fat sheep to eat.

 

[shepherdO]

Oops- should be pics now.

 

[Sheepshape]

They look chunky.In the third pic. from the left I think that I can see the 'fat overhang' where the tail starts.

They'll be fine.

 

[shepherdO]

Okay, so would you leave them in this condition - I mean, we are going into winter? They certinaly don't appear to be in need of any supplementation - they're just getting the remaining standing grass which is pretty mature. That should be enough for them at this point.

If I was to look into breeding animals in this condition, what route would you take? Ie, you want ewes to be on 'an ascending plane' nutrition-wise, leading into breeding. But you also don't want them to be overfat...

So how do you reconcile dieting and flushing? Or don't you?

 

[shepherdO]

One more thing - if I decide she's not in a good state for breeding - what does one do with a 5 year old fat ewe? I'm thinking she's huge and would have a ton of mutton meet on her... but she likely also has a ton of fat as well Does a butcher remove most of that fat, or would I be getting some gross cuts...
Thanks,

 

[Latestarter]

They may not need supplemental feed but most probably should be provided sheep minerals, free choice. They should NOT be allowed to eat goat mineral as the copper level can be fatal to sheep. They need SOME copper, but nowhere near the levels goats need. Most here seem to be of the consensus that granulated mineral is better than "block", as goats particularly (and sheep) can't really get enough as they need sometimes from licking a block. There have been reports of damaged teeth from trying to chew the block. Your call.

 

[Sheepshape]

Over here (Wales) very fat animals aren't at all popular. Lean animals (body condition score 2-3) command much more per kilo than their fat counterparts.

Keep the fat ones on the pasture you have and they'll slim down and have a much better muscle/fat ratio if you are going down that road.

 

[shepherdO]

Yep, they have access to a mineral block, and I toss a bit of mineral into their feed as well. I've put it free choice before, but they don't really seem to like it... oh well, I guess they'll take what they need.