Baking Soda sprinkled on feed?

EllieMay

Loving the herd life
Joined
May 15, 2011
Messages
498
Reaction score
26
Points
138
Location
Central Kentucky
I just received 6 ewe lambs and they all went hog-wild crazy on my nice fresh pasture. (I should have fed them hay first, but I didn't.)

Needless to say one of the lambs got a very uncomfortable case of bloat that I treated with the oil/water/baking soda solution, and she was fine within a couple of hours.

I was reading where some people sprinkle baking soda on the grain or mix it in the minerals as sort of a preventative measure.

Are any of you doing this? Is it a good thing??


:)
 

kfacres

New Member
Joined
May 21, 2012
Messages
271
Reaction score
3
Points
0
EllieMay said:
I just received 6 ewe lambs and they all went hog-wild crazy on my nice fresh pasture. (I should have fed them hay first, but I didn't.)

Needless to say one of the lambs got a very uncomfortable case of bloat that I treated with the oil/water/baking soda solution, and she was fine within a couple of hours.

I was reading where some people sprinkle baking soda on the grain or mix it in the minerals as sort of a preventative measure.

Are any of you doing this? Is it a good thing??


:)
best preventative is fill them up with grass hay before you turn them out, and slowly work them onto the pasture. Couple hours the first time- half of day the second, and onward you go.
 

bonbean01

Herd Master
Joined
Jul 2, 2010
Messages
5,192
Reaction score
841
Points
363
Location
Northeast Mississippi
Agree with kf acres...except I always err on the side of safety and start off with just 15 minutes first day, double that next day, etc until they are at a point ( I check poops for that ) where they can go most of the day. At the beginning we did put out some baking soda...free choice...and some took some, and others not.

We have a very small herd, to it is easier for us to do this than those with large herds...also, we tend to baby our sheep and lambs...again...because we are able to do that with a small herd.
 

kfacres

New Member
Joined
May 21, 2012
Messages
271
Reaction score
3
Points
0
for the most part- I think people over- react when turning out to pasture. Personally, I don't worry about it, and I rarely fill up with grass hay before turning out- the loose stools are part of the game. I encourage you all to mix your food half and half with water and see what your's do... Basically, the concern almost always happens with spring green up- when moisture is present heavy, and the grasses are a very high percentage of moisture/ very low % of dry matter. IMO, if your ewes are on good flesh- then a few days of being on a water diet will do them some good. Anyone ever notice that in the spring- the ewes will drink very little- if not zero water?

There are other concerns such as grass tetney, and mineral imbalances-- but those are almost unheard of (at least in my area).

The bloat concern usually happens with pastures high in legumes- or after a frost under certain circumstances. Those are completely different ordeals-- but still should be treated similar to the suggestion I offered above.
 

EllieMay

Loving the herd life
Joined
May 15, 2011
Messages
498
Reaction score
26
Points
138
Location
Central Kentucky
Thank you all for your response.
My mistake was putting them out onto the pasture as soon as I got them.
Before I got them they had been on grain and pasture that had been eaten down to nothing.
I was told by the breeder that my pasture is thick so they may have a bit of the runs (which they didn't -thank god).

I've had them a week and a half now, and they do have access to hay that they choose to eat on occasion.
I feed them some grain when I go out to feed the dogs; mostly because I'm trying to tame them.
The bloated lamb seems to be doing better although her breathing is still shallow.
That's why I thought a little baking soda might be beneficial.

Anyway, I'm learning and enjoying.


:)
 
Top