With the rising costs of compound feed supplementing ewes may appear less attractive than previous years; however reducing supplementary feed is a mistake that will cost the farmer in the long term with regard to weak lambs, twin lamb disease, reduced milk yield and higher lamb mortality. Profitability in sheep flocks is ultimately determined by the number of lambs born and reared per ewe and it is therefore vital the ewe is fed correctly both prior to lambing and during early lactation. With the extreme weather conditions that have already occurred, ewe condition must be assessed to ensure feed rates are accurate. In the last 6 weeks prior to lambing ewe requirements are significantly high (Table 1), with 70% of lamb foetal growth occurring at this time. During this period feed intake will decrease, so supplements high in energy are vital during this time to ensure both the ewe and lamb requirements are being met.

The condition of ewes at lambing has an impact on lamb birth weights, colostrum quality and milk quantity ensuring lamb growth rates are maximised. Batching of scanned ewes - despite being slightly more labour intensive - can ensure single, twin and triplet bearing ewes can be fed accordingly. Overfeeding of single bearing ewes will not only add to the feed bill, but also over-conditioned ewes at lambing can be problematic. Forage type and quality (digestibility and intake potential) in addition to other factors such as body condition and litter size will dictate the level of concentrate supplementation required by the ewe. Where maize silage is being included as part of the diet or replacing grass silage, it is important to remember both a higher protein compound will be necessary and additional minerals and vitamins will also need to be supplemented. Table 2 gives an indication of feed rates based on a 70 kilo twin bearing ewe. The use of a forage analysis can help ensure the correct feeding regime is applied to each individual flock.

Thompsons Shepherd’s Care Range is designed to meet the nutritional needs of ewes by promoting ewe health, lamb survivability and performance. For further information on Thompson ewe feeds please contact Thompsons on (028) 9035 1321 or visit our website on www.thompson.co.uk

Table 1: Energy requirements (MJ/Day) of a 70 kg twin bearing ewe.

Table 2: Ewe Concentrate Requirements (Kg/Head/Day) Based on 70kg twin bearing ewe.