Nutrition Ewe Lambs

8/2/2019 Nutrition Ewe Lambs

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Nutrition of the Ewe

and herlambs

Susan SchoenianSheep & Goat Specialist

W. Maryland Research & Education CenterMaryland Cooperative Extension

[email protected]

www.sheepandgoat.com


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Pre-Breeding Breeding

Flushing

Feed the ewe so she isgaining weight about 2 weeksbefore breeding.

Continue for the first several

weeks of the breedingseason.

Flushing may increaselambing percentage byincreasing the number of eggs

ovulated. Flushing has more effect early

in the breeding season, butmay improve embryo survivallate in the breeding season.


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Pre-Breeding Breeding

Flushing

Flush ewes whose bodyconditions are < 2.5 / 5

Ewes that are already in goodbody condition do not generally

respond to flushing. Mature ewes respond better to

flushing than yearlings.

Flush ewes by feeding them 0.5 to1 lb. of grain per day or by moving

them to better quality pasture. Keep ewes off pastures containing

high levels of legumes (clover,alfalfa, birdsfoot trefoil) because ofestrogen content.


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Early mid-gestation

Placental development occursfirst 30 to 90 days of pregnancy.

Placental size or weight affectsnutrient transfer between theewe and her fetuses.

Underdeveloped placentasresult in low birth weights,regardless of late gestationnutrition.

21 days of severe underfeedingor 80 days of moderateunderfeeding can affect

placental development. Do not overfeed or underfeed;

aim for a body condition scoreof 3 to 3.5 / 5.

Nutrient requirements are onlyslightly above maintenance.


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Late gestation

Proper feeding andmanagement during lategestation are crucial to asuccessful lambing.

During the last 4 to 6weeks of gestation, 70percent of fetal growth isoccurring.

The mammary system isdeveloping.

The ewes rumen capacityis decreasing.


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Extra nutrition is needed.

To support fetalgrowth.

To support mammary

tissue development. To prevent pregnancy

toxemia (ketosis).

To ensure the birth ofstrong, healthy, lambsof proper birth weight.


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Late gestation nutrition

Energy is thenutrient most likelyto be deficient.

Calcium

requirementsvirtually doubleduring latepregnancy.

Selenium andvitamin E are criticalnutrients during lategestation.


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Late gestation nutrition

Level of nutrition dependsupon size and age of eweand the number of fetusesshe is carrying.

To meet the energy needsof pregnant ewes, youusually need to feed grain.

If forage quality is low, you

may need to supplementprotein and/or calcium inthe diet.


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Do not underfeed eweseven the fat ones!

Inadequate nutritioncan result in: Pregnancy toxemia

(ketosis)

Small and weak lambs Higher lamb mortality Reduced quality and

quantity of colostrum. Poor milk production.

Reduced woolproduction (in offspring)due to fewer secondaryfollicles.


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Do not overfeed eweseven the thinner ones!

Because . . . Fat ewes are more prone to

pregnancy toxemia

Fat ewes experience morelambing difficulties(dystocia).

Fat ewes are more likely toprolapse.

Large fetuses can causedystocia.

Oversized lambs have ahigher mortality.

Fat is expense to put on.


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Proper feeding management

Enough feeder spacefor all sheep to eat atonce.

Feed and manageyearlings separatefrom mature ewes.

Do not feed on the

ground. Plenty of fresh, ice-

free water.


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Feed additives (during late gestation)

Coccidiostat (Bovatec,Rumensin, or Deccox)*to reduce coccidia inlambing environment andas an aid to preventabortions caused bytoxoplasmosis.

Antibiotics to preventabortions.

Make sure mineral mixcontains adequateselenium.

*Toxic to horses, donkeys, and mules.


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Two common health problems

Pregnancy toxemia

Inadequate energy intakeduring late gestation.

Treat with propylene glycol

or IV glucose (or c-section). Milk fever

Low blood calcium causedby not enough or too muchcalcium in diet.

Treat with IV or sub-Qcalcium solution.

Similar symptoms


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Feeding after lambing

Plenty of ice-free,fresh water

Feed best quality hay No grain first 24

hours after lambing

Gradually increasegrain in diet.


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Feeding during lactation

Highest nutritionalrequirement.

Highest percent of feed bill.

Energy and proteinrequirements increase by30 and 55 percent,respectively.

Ewes should have bodyreserves (fat) for optimumperformance.

Inadequate energy intakeincreases protein need.


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Ideally, ewes should beseparated into productiongroups for feeding.

General rule of thumb isone lb. of grain per lambor access to betterpasture (quality andquantity).

A loss of weight and bodycondition is acceptable.

Yearlings should be fedand managed separately.


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Singles Lowest nutritional

requirements.

Twins Produce 20 to 40 percent

more milk than ewes nursingsingles. A ewe nursing twin lambs

growing at 0.66 lbs. per dayis as productive as a dairycow producing 66 lbs. ofmilk/day.

Triplets Full feed?

May need to limit forageintake.

Hard for a ewe to raisetriplets on pasture withoutsupplementation.

General rule of thumb is 1 lb. of grain per lamb.


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Lamb nutrition: Colostrum

Colostrum is the first milkproduced by the female. It is richin maternal antibodies andnutrition.

Both the ability of the lamb to

absorb antibodies and the supplyof antibodies in colostrumdecrease rapidly after birth makingit vital that the lamb receives itsmothers first milk in the first fewhours after birth for high levelprotection against disease.

By 24 hours, a lamb loses theability to absorb antibodies fromthe colostrum.

Lambs need 1 ounce of colostrumper pound of body weight duringfirst 24 hours.


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Colostrum sources

1) From the lambs mother2) Fresh colostrum from another ewe that

has lambedOld ewes produce better colostrum than young ewes

3) Frozen colostrum from anotherewe in the flockThaw slowly!

4) Fresh or frozen goat or ewe colostrumfrom another farm (of similar diseasestatus).CAE/OPP and e. coli risk

5) Cow colostrumColored breeds produce colostrum with more fatGive one third more volumeJohnes risk

6) Synthetic colostrum (bovine origin)Colostrum Supplement - not a substituteColostrum Replacer (contains antibodies)

7) Ewe milk replacernot a substitute for colostrum


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Young Lamb Nutrition

For the first several weeks oflife, all a lamb needs fornourishment is its mother's milk.

Lambs will start to nibble onsolid food soon after birth.

74% of the ewes milk issupplied in the first 8 weeks oflactation.

A ewe's milk production peaksbetween 3 and 5 weeks oflactation.

By the time lambs are 4 to 6weeks old, they may beobtaining as much as 50percent of their nutrient intakefrom sources other than theirmother's milk.


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Feeding orphan lambs

Adequate colostrum. Feed lamb milk replacer,

not calf. Mix properly. Feed cold milk to prevent

overeating. Small numbers - bottle

Large numbers - lamb bar Start on creep feed early. Wean abruptly at 6-8

weeks (min. 20 lbs.)


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Creep feeding

A means of providing extranutrients (usually grain) tonursing lambs puts on extrapounds.

Beneficial to lambs managed anintensive system in which early

weaning is practiced. Advantageous in flocks that have

a lot of multiple births or flockswhere milk production is limited.

It is more efficient to feed thelamb directly than to feed the ewe

to produce more milk. Is of less value for lambs that will

be developed on pasture. May not be cost-effective in all

situations.


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Creep feeding

Lambs gain access through acreep an opening in thefence or gate that is largeenough for the lambs to getthrough, but too small for the

ewes to enter. The creep should be located in

a high traffic area. A light will help to attract the

lambs. It should be kept dry and well-

bedded. Besides providing feed, it is a

place for lambs to loiter andsleep.

~2 square feet per lamb.


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Creep feeding

Start when lambs are 1-2 weeksold.

Feed palatable feeds with smallparticle size: soybean meal,cracked or ground corn.

18-20 percent all-natural protein. Usually includes coccidiostat. Fresh and dry. Do not let feed run out. Water Hay

Feeders that the lambs cannotstand or play in.


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Creep feeding on pasture

Creep feed

Depends on quantityand quality of grazing.

Creep grazing

Allow lambs to grazehigher quality pasturethan ewes.


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Weaningremoving the milk diet

Weaning age variesfrom less than 30days to 5 or 6

months (naturalweaning). Averageis 60-90 days.

Causes stress tolambs (nutritional)and ewe (mastitis).


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Weaning: Lamb

Leave lamb in familiarsurroundings.

Leave lamb in samegroup.

Leave lamb on samediet.

Vaccinate for overeatingdisease prior toweaning.

Treat for coccidiosisprior to weaning.

Maintain fence linecontact with dam (?).


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Weaning: Ewe

Feed low protein-lowenergy diet 5-10 daysbefore weaning and 3-5days after weaning.

Restrict water intakebefore/after weaning (?)

Wean cold turkey

No special feeding or

management is neededwhen lambs are weanedlate or naturally.


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Body Condition Scoring

A valuable tool for managing sheep


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Body condition scoringan estimate of fat and muscle

It is a subjectivescore. The exactscore is not asimportant as therelative scores

and differencesbetween scores.

Both the vertical bone protrusion (spinousprocess) and horizontal protrusion (transverseprocess) of the loin are felt and used to

access body condition scoring.


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Body condition scoring

The system most widely used in theU.S. uses a scale of 1 to 5, with 1being an emaciated sheep, 3 being asheep in average condition, and 5being an obese sheep.

Half scores are commonly used.

On average, 1 condition score isequal to about 13 percent of the liveweight of a ewe at a moderatecondition score of 3 to 3.5.

Most sheep have body conditionscores between 2 and 4.

A ewe's body condition score will

change throughout her productioncycle. The three most important times to

body condition score ewes are prior tobreeding, late gestation, and weaning.

1.5

3-3.5

5.0


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Nutrition Ewe Lambs

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