PRE-LAMB

2. PRE-LAMB Nutritional Supplement for Ewes

3. Dr Sarah Thompson B.Sc. B.V.Sc. The 4 Season Company Pty Ltd

4. Background • Ruminant Nutrition • Nutritional Requirements of Ewes • Lamb Survival • Maximising Farm Returns

5. Prime lamb production • Producing prime lambs to make money • Ewes are “engine room” of the sheep enterprise • Optimal nutrition of ewes to fulfil genetic potential

6. Protein Supplements can • Improve conception rates • Increase birth weights • Improve colostrum production • Improve lamb survival rates • Increase ewe resistance to internal parasites

7. Ruminant Nutrition • Ruminants utilize feeds that monogastrics cannot digest • Digestion by mechanical (chewing) and microbial fermentation • Bacteria produce volatile fatty acids – energy source for sheep • Dead bacteria – protein source

8. Bacteria in the rumen • Require a range of nutrients to function and multiply • Deficiency or imbalance reduces microbial efficiency • Excess roughage slows down digestion • High quality diet – rumen empties faster, sheep can eat more

9. Bypass Protein • Not all protein broken down in rumen – passes through to small intestine • Provides essential amino acid building blocks that bacteria cannot provide • Need balance between microbial protein and bypass protein for optimal digestive efficiency

11. Protein Balance • Excess high quality protein deleterious – toxic and expensive • Feeding some bypass protein better than excess poor quality protein (urea)

12. Bypass Protein promotes feed intake and weight gain

13. Get the balance right • Balance between energy and protein • Balance between microbial and bypass protein

14. Cottonseed meal – better bypass protein than lupins

15. Nutritional Requirements of Ewes • Essential to produce at genetic potential • Target supplementation for times of greatest need • Needs lowest during maintenance and early gestation • Greatest needs late pregnancy and lactation

16. Perils of over-feeding ewes in mid-pregnancy • Leads to reduced lamb birth weights due to stunted placental development • If adequate forage, no need to supplement after joining through to mid-pregnancy

17. Birthweights reduced when ewes over-fed

18. Over 80% foetal growth occurs in the last 6 weeks of pregnancy

19. Colostrum production responds to protein supplementation

20. Bypass protein essential for high performing ewes • Rumenal bacteria alone unable to meet protein needs of late pregnant and lactating ewes • Need high quality bypass protein • Greater need for protein then energy • Pre-Lamb meets the needs of ewes under stress

21. Bodyweight recommendations • Run ewes at BCS 3 out of 5 at joining • Maintain this weight for first 50 days • Gain weight slowly over days 50-100 • Increase body weight by up to 20% over last 50 days

22. Feeding recommendations • Over-feeding and over-supplementing ewes will reduce production • Equals reduced farm profits • If adequate forage – only need a bypass protein supplement to achieve a 20% liveweight gain over last trimester

23. What’s in Pre-Lamb? • Cottonseed meal – safe by-product of cotton industry • Contains 40% crude protein • Molasses – source of phosphorous and sulphur for bacteria, improves palatability • Molasses – source of glucose needed for lactation • Salt – stimulates voluntary intake

24. Trace elements in Pre-Lamb • “White muscle” disease due to deficiency of vitamin E and selenium • High levels vitamin E in green feed, acquired by lamb in colostrum • Selenium passed to foetus in utero

25. Maximizing the benefits of Pre-lamb • Joining ewes BCS 3.5 or less – increase conception rates by supplementing with Pre-lamb • Supplement pregnant ewes last trimester • Supplement lactating ewes for at least 8 weeks • Adequate forage must be available

26. Benefits of Pre-lamb • Improved conception rates • Improved lamb birth weights • Improved colostrum production • Improved lamb survival • Increased ewe resistance to internal parasites • Increased number wool follicles

27. Feeding rates for Pre-Lamb • 4 blocks of Pre-lamb per 100 ewes per 20 days • Daily intake approximately 40 grams/ewe/day • Pre-Lamb does not contain urea – safe for lambs to eat

28. Pre-lamb • Easy to administer • A supplement when adequate forage available • Will improve ewe production if a protein deficiency exists • Improved animal husbandry – less supportive care for lambs and ewes • Improved production results in greater farm returns

29. Pre-Lamb • Consumers want ethically produced products • Pre-Lamb compatible with sustainable agricultural practice • Clever use of by-products from other primary products • Benefits to sheep, sheep producers and the environment

30. Pre-lamb for prime lamb!