Unit 10: Sheep Feeding

1. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding Chapter 10

2. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding • Unit 10 Objectives: • Outline life-cycle feeding programs for sheep • Knowledge of nutrient needs and additive options • Understand nutrient related diseases and disorders

3. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding • Largest single cost of production in all types of sheep operations • Must support optimum production, promote efficiency, be economical to feed, minimize metabolic problems • Breeding Flock • Ewes are most important to sheep operations • Produce wool • Raise lambs • Both greatly influenced by nutrition

4. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding • Genetics are important, but the feeding program is crucial • Sheep producers can realize more income over investment than all other meat animal producers • Recommended flock size is 100 or more ewes, minimum of 35 (1 ram) • Choosing a Lambing System • Early Lambing (Jan-Feb) • Lamb prices are highest in May & June when most early lambs can be marketed • More labor available to tend to the flock

5. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding • Parasite problems are less and less severe • Stocking rate can be higher • Don’t need expensive facilities • Late Lambing (Mar-Apr) • Roughages can provide most of feed for ewes and lambs • Lambing facilities don’t need to be as good for early lambs • Less care and management needed before and during breeding season for good conception • Lambs can be marketed w/out feeding much concentrate • Lamb prices are substantially lower in fall & early winter

6. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding • High quality pastures are a must • Parasite control is critical, risk for infestation is high • Feed Requirements • 1 ewe and her lambs • 4 bu grain & 800 lbs of hay/yr • 5-6 mos good pasture grazing, 2 mos winter pasture (or 800 lb more hay) • Poor quality hay = more grain supplementation • Feeding for Maintenance • Mature ewes (3-8 yrs) • Feed enough to maintain physiological function from weaning until 15 wks gestation • Prevent weight loss in previous lactation

7. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding • Pasture is adequate for maintaining ewes, if good quality is available • Feeding & Care at Breeding Time • Remove ewes from pasture ~2 wks before breeding season • Some research indicates hormone interferences with reproductive success while on legume pastures • Begin to condition the ewes in order to bring them into breeding about the same time and shorten lambing window

8. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding • Feeding after Breeding • Gestation = 147-150d • First 3.5 mos • Maintain body condition with good pasture and/or hay • Last 1.5 mos • Poor care at this point can result in: • Lambing paralysis or pregnancy disease • Weak lambs • Drop in milk production • Low wool clip • Light wool clip • Energy requirements are increasing during this period • Protein, min/vit as well

9. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding • Rations may vary due to time of lambing • Pasture Ewe Nutrition • Present and previous stocking rate of pasture greatly affects nutritional content • Overgrazed pastures are unproductive and unpalatable • Pasture forages • Grass plants • Utilize a mixture of cool/warm season grasses • Legumes • Can provide higher protein source than mature grasses

10. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding • Pasture supplementation • Depends on condition of the pasture • May have to supplement: • Energy, CP, P, Vit A, water • Use care to not increase cost too much • Pregnancy Disease • Lambing Paralysis or Ketosis • Caused by lack of usable CHO’s • Usually affects older ewes (especially those carrying twins/triplets) • Most cases occur with ewes in poor condition • Acetone smell on the breath, lagging behind flock, staggering, paralysis

11. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding • Prevention • Increase energy content prior to lambing • Maintain proper body condition • Treatment • Administer molasses, propylene glycol, or dextrose solution • If exhibited by a group of ewes, add ¼ to ½ lb of molasses to diet • Feeding the Lactating Ewe • Nutritional requirements are 2-3x greater than maintenance • Ewes w/ twin lambs produce 20-40% more milk than singles, nutritional requirements adjust accordingly

12. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding • Milk production peaks ~2-3 wks after lambing and lasts until ~8th wk • Milk production of 3-6+ lbs daily • Milk provides primary source of nutrition for lambs for 1st mo or 2 • Don’t force the ewe to eat right away after lambing • Provide lots of clean/fresh water • Little bit of feed • Increase slowly about day 3 • Splitting the amount fed/feeding decreases acidosis • Nursing 1 lamb = feed 1x/d • Nursing 2 lambs = feed 2x/d etc.

13. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding • Ensure proper mineral supplementation • Feeding Lambs • New life • Must nurse w/in first hr • Most do w/in 30 min • Ensure proper antibody transfer to ewe to lamb • Consume at least 6-8 oz of colostrum • Bottle feed, if necessary • Largest portion of lamb loss due to starvation in 1st wk • Orphan lambs, milk production problems, etc. • Triplets, and weak lambs

14. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding • Using milk replacer • Should switch quickly after birth • House in clean/dry area w/ other lambs • Goal is ½ to 1 lb milk replacer consumption/d • 2 feedings • Wean ~3wks to reduce feeding cost and increase rate of gain in the lamb • Access to dry feed & water • Feeding Market Lambs • Early lambs • Healthy lambs will begin eating dry feed at 10d of age • Creep feeding is recommended to increase weaning wts

15. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding • Weaning • 25lb wt at 25-30 d artificially reared • 18-19% CP diet fully fortified until 50lb BW • Lambs normally reared – no weaning necessary as ewe takes care of it ~40lbs • Reduce stress • Maximizing gain & conversions • 10-16% CP diets • Should gain rapidly & efficiently until 75-100lbs (especially crossbred lambs) • After 100lbs BW, reduce to 13-14% CP diet to save cost • Some producers will feed the same feed from creep until ~100lbs BW • Simplifies feeding • ~15% CP diets

16. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding • For grow/finish lambs: shelled corn, hay, and supplement • BMP’s • Start lambs on complete pellet to ensure intake • Vaccinate for enterotoxemia 2x • Make gradual ration changes (7-10d) • Feed 2x/d at regular times • Feed high quality hay • >12” bunk space/lamb • Free choice salt, plenty of water

17. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding • Feeding methods • Self-feeding • Saves labor • Increases the grain feeding amount • Hand-feeding • Feed 2x/d • Easily identify lambs not eating/sick • Most used method when feeding silage • Pasture • Several options – can use early, then finish lambs on grain; pasture until finished • Takes longer to finish lambs on 100% pasture

18. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding • Reduces cost/lb gain • Keep rations vit fortified to reduce diseases, improve immune response • Late lambs • Good pasture is key • Top lambs can be marketed right off pasture • remaining lambs can be fed • Enterotoxemia in Nursing Lambs • Overeating disease • Usually affects the largest, fastest gaining lambs

19. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding • Clostridium perfringens bacteria • Treat w/ antitoxin • Effective for 2-3 wks • Vaccination effective for 5-6 mos • Some vaccinate ewes 1 mo before lambing • Vaccinate early weaning lambs 2x prior to weaning • Vaccinate older lambs when moving • Feeding Replacement Ewe Lambs • Breeding ewes as lambs to lamb at 1 yr of age (7-8 mos old)

20. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding • Advantages • Gets ewes in production sooner • Shortens generation interval, increases genetic progress • Increases lifetime production • Identifies most productive ewes • Keep replacement lambs off possible finished-type diets • Control diet to minimize over conditioning

21. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding • Miscellaneous • Urea • Can be fed up to 1.5% of diet • Don’t use in creep rations, range rations, lamb rations w/ low energy • Grow/finish only • Mix carefully • Additives & implants • Chlorotet/Oxytet in creep rations for nursing lambs & finishing rations improves gain & efficiency • Best response under stress conditions • Be aware of feeding rates

22. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding • Bovatec for Coccidiosis control • Ralgro • Results inconsistent • 3-5% improvement in gains in nursing & feeder lambs • Ammonium sulfate or chloride • .5% inclusion minimizes urinary calculi