Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
OPTIMIZING PERFORMANCE
Getting the most from your feed is really a two-part affair:
1. Make sure your fl ock is eating what it needs when it needs it.
2. Try to do so economically.
You may opt out of the second part. For example, if you have a
really small fl ock and still have an outside job, you may want the
convenience of purchasing prepared feeds, even if they cost a little
more.
3.
Continue giving the ewes the ½ pound for about 4 weeks after mating,
then taper off gradually. This may prevent resorption of the fertilized ova.
4.
Feeding light grain, say,
1
⁄
10
pound (0.05 kg) per ewe per day, is okay until
the last 5 weeks of pregnancy.
5.
During those last 5 weeks of pregnancy, the ewe should be on an increas-
ing plane of nutrition to prevent pregnancy disease (an upset in the metab-
olism cycle of carbohydrates that may occur in ewes carrying multiple
fetuses), gradually working up to ½ pound (0.23 kg) or more per ewe.
6.
For the 6 to 8 weeks of lactation, ewes with single lambs should have
approximately 1 pound (0.5 kg) of grain per day, while a ewe with twins
should have 1½ to 2 pounds (0.7 to 1 kg), plus hay for each. Again, taper
off as the lambs eat more grain and hay (in their creep feeder).
7.
Start diminishing the quantity 10 days before weaning until the ewes
receive no supplemental grain, leaving feed in the creep feeder for the
lambs.
See pages 182-83 for feed charts that can help you balance a ration to opti-
mize performance. More information about grain is given under Types of
Feed, starting on page 182.
Regular Feeding (Time and Amount)
Measure the quantity of grain given each day by using the same container, or
number of containers, for each feeding. Sheep do not thrive as well when the
size of their portions fl uctuates. When given regular feedings at an expected
time, sheep are less likely to bolt their feed and choke. Too much variation in
feeding time is hard on their stomachs and the rest of their systems.
