Hey there, fellow sheep lovers! If you’re like me, you probably enjoy treating your flock every now and then, but not all treats are created equal for our woolly friends. One of the questions that pops up is: can sheep munch on strawberries? Well, let’s dive into the tasty world of strawberries and find out … Read more
Some years ago I had a surplus of cabbages on my farm. They weren’t for sale as they were damaged by hail, so why not give them to my sheep flock? I was certain that sheep could eat cabbages, but I had to check if there were any downsides to doing so, so I spent some time researching. Now let me give you all the info that I gathered regarding sheep and cabbages. Can sheep eat cabbages?
Sheep can eat cabbage, but make sure that you don’t make cabbage the staple of their diet. Hay or grass should be the only main source of sheep nutrition. Cabbage is a leafy vegetable, high in fiber and a good amount of important vitamins and minerals like potassium, vitamin K, and vitamin C. Problematic part is that cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable that contains a sizeable amount of goitrogens.
Like many others, I also have a few old oaks on one of my pastures. They’re a great landscaping tree, but also useful for their deep shade and their nuts that wildlife seems to be crazy about. Some years ago, we tried making flour from acorns and also a coffee acorn substitute. Last few years, we just didn’t manage to find time to do it all over again. You’ve probably heard that acorns are not recommended for livestock, and now you’re looking for more details. So, let’s focus on our ruminants. Can sheep eat acorns?
Acorns are not recommended for sheep. They should not be a part of the standard sheep diet and should not be consumed on a regular basis. You should provide your sheep with a nutritionally balanced diet that largely consists of hay or pasture. Acorns contain gallotannin which gets broken down into gallic acid and tannic acid which can be toxic to sheep if consumed in larger quantities. It can cause digestive problems, like diarrhea or bloating in sheep. However, like with any toxin, the dosage is the most important. There are some steps that you can take to make sure that your sheep can inhabit the same location as your oak trees.
Almost every year, me or my family, wound up with some vegetables to spare from our gardens. Either we end up with too much of it or maybe the hail or salt winds damage it. All in all, you’re bound to have something extra every year. More often than not, something like that happens with my cucumbers. Some of the extra you might give out to your friends and family, but what about the rest? Farm animals to the rescue. Can they rid you of the extra? In this post, we’ll discuss if sheep can be the ones to help you with the excess cucumbers problem. So the first question to ask here would be, can sheep eat cucumbers?
Sheep can eat cucumbers. By definition, sheep are herbivores, and herbivores primarily eat plant material. Cucumbers are a type of plant. However, the more important question then is if cucumbers are the right type of plants for sheep. Should they be a part of a balanced sheep diet and do they actually have anything nutritionally valuable for sheep?
We all know and love watermelon. Watermelon is a tasty, thirst-quenching fruit. It’s best consumed during the summer heat. The fruit contains a very high percentage of water and various healthy nutrients, like vitamins A and C. Some studies that were investigating watermelon’s benefits for people say that this sweet melon can decrease body inflammation and muscle soreness. And while watermelon might be very tasty, nutritious, and even slightly healthy for people, here we have to discuss if all those benefits apply to sheep as well. So, let’s tackle the first question, can sheep eat watermelon?
Sheep can eat watermelon. It won’t do much for them nutritionally as it contains over 90% water, but it’s a great thirst-quenching melon. Watermelon contains some vitamins that could benefit sheep, but in no way can you consider it a feed replacement, only a tasty treat. Sheep will eat the rinds, seeds, vines, and flesh of the watermelon as well. Pink flesh might be more popular with your sheep, but they won’t discriminate and will consume green rinds as well, even the most outermost hard parts of the watermelon. Watermelon rinds are rich in fiber and are nice supplements to sheep’s standard diet.
