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Nutrition of the Ewe
and herlambs
Susan SchoenianSheep & Goat Specialist
W. Maryland Research & Education CenterMaryland Cooperative Extension
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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Feeding during lactation
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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Feeding during lactation
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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Questions ?
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