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EWE NUTR I T ION
WINTER 2011 ISSUE
LIVESTOCK MATTERS
16
Forages
In severe winters, where no grazed grass
is available, then ewes in mid pregnancy
will require 3-4 kg of a good quality
silage (or 1-1.5 kg hay) per head per
day to maintain body condition. Silage
and hay can vary hugely in quality so
ideally have it analysed to avoid over or
underfeeding. A good quality silage will
have a dry matter of 25% plus and a
D-value of more than 65, but protein
values can be as high as 22% or as low
as 8% so the protein requirement will
obviously vary significantly. Knowing what
your forage contains allows you to pitch
your concentrate levels correctly.
Concentrates
Ideally formulate your feed to complement
your forage. If you are home mixing, use
a good quality protein source and use
rolled rather than whole grains to avoid
grain being passed undigested. A simple
2 parts barley with one part beet pulp
and 1 part soya with some molasses and
minerals will produce an 18% protein
mix that will be digestible and of good
quality. If you are buying a compound
in then check the ingredients before
ordering. Two 18% rations may be of
completely different energy values. Avoid
compounds containing a lot of feed by
products such as cocoa and citrus pulp, if
you don't recognise it, it is probably of
low quality! Ingredients are listed in order
of percentage inclusion, which will give
you an indication of how the compound is
likely to perform. Aim to have an energy
density of no lower than 12MJ/kg and
ideally higher than the ME of the forage.
Supplementary feeds
How much concentrate
to feed?
Again this will come down to the quality of
forage, the nature of concentrate available
and the number of lambs expected. For
example, on reasonable quality big bale
silage, start feeding twin bearers 250g per
head 4 - 6 weeks prior to lambing and
increase by 100g -150g per head per week
up until lambing. Triples will need to be fed
two weeks sooner; singles in good condition
can start 2 weeks later. Make sure you have
adequate trough space (at least 18 inches
per head) to avoid bullying.
Once lambing has begun don't forget that the
ewe's milk production doesn't peak for 3-6
weeks and ewes should continue to be fed for
this time or until grass growth produces pasture
of at least 4 inches of grass cover.
Minerals
Deficiencies of vitamin E and selenium can
cause lambs to have poor vigour so adequate
levels of trace elements are important. Don't
assume that ewes will take what they need
from mineral licks, as consumption of these
will vary massively.
Blood Sampling
This can be used to assess the energy status
of your ewes in the run up to lambing. High
levels of butyrate can indicate weight loss and
risk of twin lamb disease. Trace element levels
can also be checked to avoid deficiencies or
unnecessary supplements. Plan to have
samples taken early enough to spot problems
before they happen rather than to find out
why things went wrong.
The sooner you get your vet involved the better
advice he can give you and the more time
you have to make it pay!
Many XLVets practices run lambing or
pre-lambing FarmSkills workshops. These
are a great opportunity to learn more
about how to body condition score ewes
and feed them accordingly. Contact your
local XLVet practice or the FarmSkills office
for more details.
More detailed feeding information
can be found at:
www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/farmanimal/
welfare/advice/documents/ewenutri.pdf
www.sac.ac.uk/mainrep/pdfs/yearroundfeed.pdf