I haven’t done it for a few years, but when trying to get lambs away late in the year I used to get them in and feed steam rolled barley. It never caused any problems if phased in over a couple of weeks. Don’t use it now as I haven’t got a convenient supply.
My only experience with oats was with some sheep I sold to an arable farmer for his son to keep. (Father did ag degree at Aberystwyth but no stock on the farm so livestock learning had atrophied). One of their crops that year was oats so he asked if the ewes could be fed on them. I gave him the same advice about rolling them and he said he knew someone with a roller mill so no problem
We hired him a ram and because the Landy got nicked it was a long time before I could go and get him. When I did I was surprised at his condition. I asked what he, and the ewes, had been fed and he said they had all been getting a generous ration of oats. I looked at the ewes which were like coat racks and asked if he had been rolling the oats. He admitted he hadn’t bothered.
I quizzed him on worming regime etc. and everything else seemed OK so had to conclude that it was the oats which were to blame. Perhaps that was jumping to an incorrect conclusion.
