Universal Feeders controlled feeding system allows your sheep to only eat a small portion of their daily ration at a time. It works by only allowing access to the grain or feed that will stick to their tongue. As the sheep eats, its tongue becomes dry and feed will no longer stick to the tongue, and the sheep eventually leaves the feeder.
With 24/7 feed availability thanks to a saliva lick feeder, sheep face less stress associated with bunk feeding one or twice a day traditional feeding. Smaller sheep or lambs don’t have to worry that they’ll be bullied away by larger animals, and ultimately less stress means happier and healthier sheep.
Eating the right amount of grain or feed supplement without overeating is challenging in a large herd. A saliva lick feeder makes proper nutrition easy by relying on the sheep’s natural saliva production. Sheep eat the right amount of feed and no more, leading to healthier rumens and forage utilization. Ewes that are fed small amounts of grain daily produce significantly more milk and healthier, heavier lambs.
By eliminating the risk of overeating, your sheep ultimately consume less feed while still receiving the proper ration. Feed waste is reduced, and your bottom line is improved.
With less feed waste, less time spent doing routine feedings, and improved nutrition, farmers can not only save money on inputs but can also increase outputs. Capturing that early growth curve and the most feed efficient time of a animals life is key to better feed conversion and increased weight gain leading to increased revenue and better margins.
The Universal Feeders’ Original Feeder lets farmers control their livestock’s daily intake of grain or pellets. It’s easy to adjust and built to last, and this Australian sheep feeder can be used as a saliva lick feeder for precise nutritional needs or as an ad-lib feeder allowing animals to feed at any time.
The newest Universal Feeders’ feeder, the Ultimate Series Feeder is faster and easier to adjust without tools, allows for lower and more accurate feed rates (for smaller animals like sheep and lambs), and reduces possible corrosion points compared to competing feeders.
Accessories to make your sheep feeder setup even better.
The Restrictor Guard can be used to achieve lower feeding rates by restricting grain width without affecting the flow of feed. In some instances, it also stops some animals from bridging the grain over the lick area. The Restrictor Guards for the Ultimate Feeder have a swing-away design to make cleaning the feed area easier.
The Ad-Lib attachment allows feed to flow freely into the trough and is ideal for feedlots. It is designed to increase the trough height to minimize feed waste. The Ad-Lib Attachment has two height options to make it low enough for smaller lambs.
We love talking to sheep farmers about the benefits of saliva lick feeders. If you’re curious about a sheep feeder for your farm, get in touch to learn more today.