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The Rumin
Like all ruminants, sheep have the stomach divided into four sections for progressively smaller digestion. From the reticulum section, food is forced back to the mouth to be chewed again. It has been estimated that sheep chew their cud for 7 out of 24 hours. The intestines maybe as long as 100 feet, and it can take 5 days for the food to pass through the animal.
Proteins build and repair tissue. Ewes need the highest number of protein in late pregnancy, to support the rapid growth of the lambs, and during lactation. For sheep the emphasis is on quantity of protein rather than quality. In the four part ruminant stomach, microorganisms change lower quality proteins and some nitrogen compounds into the proper balance of amino acids. Thus sheep can convert large quantities of high-roughage feeds into wool and meat. Many experienced sheep producers consider legume hays, such as alfalfa and clovers, to be the central part of their sheep-feeding program. Hay ranges in protein content from 12% - 18% protein and can be the sheep's total diet.
Sheep also need carbohydrates and fats for energy. Low-energy feeding is usually the most serious nutritional problem facing sheep and results in weight loss, reproductive problems, and even death. Sheep with food always before them may still be hungry because the food is not 100% digestible. The production of the feed actually used for energy is more important than the quantity eaten. One way to judge how much energy is provided by a feed is to look at the Total Digestible Nutrients(TDN), the percentage of a given feed that can actually be used. Protein supplements and grains, for example have a relatively high level of TDN(70-80%), while hay has only a moderately high level of 45-55 percent.
Ruffage can meet most energy requirements of mature sheep. Cereal grains can be used to increase energy levels during serve cold, when forage is poor quality and during important periods such as late pregnancy. Grains can also be used for feeding growing and finishing lambs.
Sheep also need water. Sheep will not drink adequate amounts of water if it is stagnant or dirty, so rinsing buckets and water tanks to prevent slime build up is recommended.
Genetics
Some of the unsoundness that sheep have are Inverted eyelids, undershot jaw, overshot jaw, horns on breeds that are supposed to be hornless, and a tendency to develop a rectal prolapse. Little is known about the exact degree of heritability in these traits.
