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Peter Bailey: Project Manager Red Meat Value Chain & Lamb Specialist

Managing Ewe Nutrition to Drive Lamb Growth Rates BestWool/BestLamb Conference Bendigo 26 July 2013. Peter Bailey: Project Manager Red Meat Value Chain & Lamb Specialist. Insert appropriate picture here. Aspirational Targets. Targeting 400 gLWG / day birth to weaning

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Peter Bailey: Project Manager Red Meat Value Chain & Lamb Specialist

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  1. Managing Ewe Nutrition to Drive Lamb Growth RatesBestWool/BestLamb Conference Bendigo 26 July 2013 Peter Bailey: Project Manager Red Meat Value Chain & Lamb Specialist Insert appropriate picture here

  2. Aspirational Targets • Targeting 400 gLWG / day birth to weaning • Ewe nutrition & lactation is key • Maternal Ewes • lamb weaning weight (> 40kgLW)!! • ewe efficiency (> 80%) ? • ewe kgLW / ha (> 600) ? • lamb CW / ha (> 400) ? • Merino Ewes • what are their desired targets?

  3. Benefits of 400 gLWG / day • Increased lamb vigour and survival • More lambs sold off mum (earlier less days on feed) • Higher dressing out % • Less animal health • Meet (spring) market premium • Improved feed utilisation • Align feed supply and demand profile • Lower (more efficient) cost of production • Free up feed for (more) ewes or other livestock enterprises

  4. Ewe Condition 3.0 (+ kgLW) • Why condition score & liveweight? • CS: 2.5 – 3.5 • LW: 50 – 80kgLW • Foetus: 0 – 4 lambs • Changes energy (feed) demand!

  5. Foetus and Mammary development

  6. Ewe Nutrition Mating to Lactation • Grazing strategies are key • rotation vs. set stocking

  7. Early – Mid Pregnancy Management • Time of mob stocking • allocate ram ratio to ewe mob size • no physical pressure • Nutrition • pasture cover not to drop below 1,200 kgDM pasture cover • underfeeding in first third of pregnancy reduces cotyledon numbers – lowers lamb birth weight • flush with a green pick and rising plane of nutrition • marginal decrease in CS 3.0 > 2.8 day 40 to 80? • animal health – vaccinations, drench

  8. Mid-Pregnancy Ewe Shearing? • An option worth considering? • Mid winter shearing between day 50 – 100 • pre-scanning • increase birth weights by up to 0.7 kgLW / lamb (up to 1.0 kgLW) • increased vigour, stored energy as fat reserves • Increased lamb survival & decreases lamb mortality by up to 3 % • easier lambing with less wool • Extra feed required 10 – 15 days • Positive affect on wool yield and quality • Must fit your enterprise mix

  9. Mid – Late Pregnancy Management • Time to change from rotation to set stocking • set stock 1 week pre-lambing • lower weaning weight of lamb when ewes set stocked 4 weeks prior to lambing (c/w 1 week) • Nutrition • gradual rising plane of nutrition • weaning weight increase 2 kg / 100 kgDM pasture cover increase (target > 1,200 kgDM / ha) • milk production peak and total • animal health pre – lamb vaccinations

  10. Understanding Ewe Milk Production • Understanding Ewe milk production • rising plane of nutrition from mid pregnancy (post scan) to lambing • 1.0 – 1.5 – 2.0 x maintenance • ewes lamb at CS 3.0+ • enhances lamb energy reserves (fat and glycogen) and vigour • over lambing pasture cover required > 1,300 kgDM/ha • minimum allowance offered 6 – 8 kgDM/day • eat 2.5 – 3.5 kgDM/day (3x maintenance) • health and mineral status • mastitis, milk fever

  11. Ewe Lactation Curve

  12. Pasture Allowance During Lactation

  13. Ewe Lactation • Daily milk production peaks at 2 – 3 weeks and produce • 2.5 kg milk/day (single lamb) • 3.5 kg milk/day (twin lambs) • 40 – 50 % milk produced in first 4 weeks of lactation • After which it declines by 19.0 – 26.0 g milk/day • By day 100 milk production is down to 0.0 – 0.5 kg milk/day • by then the ewe is competing for feed with lambs !

  14. Ewe Lactation • Ewes with twins produce 30 – 50 % more milk / lactation than singles • Each twin lamb receives only 60 % as much milk as a single lamb • Twin lambs forced to eat pasture at an earlier age • Total milk produced is influenced by management • genetics / breed • ewe condition / age • nutrition

  15. Ewe Milk energy Vs lamb Energy

  16. Lamb Nutritional Requirements • Understanding lamb nutritional requirements for 400 gm / day growth to weaning. As a guide: • milk consumed by lambs most important in first 6 weeks • transition from milk to pasture begins at 3 – 5 weeks of age • ME requirements • 6 weeks > 20 kgLW requires > 10.0 MJME/day • 8 weeks > 25 kgLW requires > 20.0 MJME/day • 12 weeks > 35 kgLW requires > 28.0 MJME/day

  17. Milk to Pasture Transition: Singles

  18. Milk to Pasture Transition: Twins

  19. Pre – Post Weaning Lamb Growth • Competition for feed between ewes and lambs begins 30 to 40 days after lambing commenced • Ewe lactation ends around day 80 – 100! • Why wean later than day 100 days? • short of feed – wean earlier < 1,000kgDM/ha ? • surplus of feed – wean later >1,400kgDM/ha ? • Compromise lamb growth: 50g – 350g/day!

  20. Summary • Understand the management requirements of the ewe and lamb from mating to weaning • Optimise ewe lactation through genetic selection and culling • Nutrition, feed quality, match feed supply and demand • Achieve 400 g/day lamb growth • Timeframe 100 days • Improved lamb survival and next years conception

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