Farm Tech

In The Paddock
Seasonal sheep flock management tips September 2001

Ewes need priority feeding after lambing - Drafting weights and lifetime production are at stake

Key points

• Feeding levels at this time of the year will determine whether productivity targets are achieved
• Single-suckling ewes should be fed twice maintenance
• Twin-suckling should be fed three times maintenance
• Feed quality is extremely important
• Early weaning or creep grazing should be considered if feed is short

It is vital to feed ewes well after lambing, if your farm is to achieve its production potential for the year.

In the spring everything should be geared to maximising lamb growth rates, so that target weights are reached as early as possible.

This will determine drafting dates of slaughter lambs, as well as the future potential of ewe lambs retained as replacements, including the quantity and quality of their lifetime wool production.

Recommended feeding levels

From lambing until weaning, ewes should be offered a ration which averages two to three times maintenance.

Where single- and twin-lambing ewes are being grazed separately, single-suckling ewes should be fed at two times maintenance.

For a 60 kg ewe this is an intake of 2.2-2.4 kg DM/ewe/day of good quality pasture. (For a 65 kg ewe, 2.4-2.6 kg DM/ewe/day.)

A 60 kg twin-suckling ewe should be fed three times maintenance, or 3.3-3.6 kg DM/ewe/day. (For a 65 kg ewe, 3.5-3.7 kg DM/ewe/day.)

For single- and twin- suckling ewes, these levels can be met by grazing pastures down to about 1200 and 1500 kg green DM/ha, respectively. These levels correspond to pasture lengths of about 2 cm and 4 cm respectively.

In early lactation it is very difficult for ewes to consume enough feed to meet their peak requirements, and some loss of body condition will result.

Feed quality is paramount

The importance of feed quality - providing ewes with plenty of green leaf and clover - cannot be over-emphasised.

Ewes and lambs will have probably been set-stocked for lambing so, in early lactation, feed quality may not be a problem. But after a couple of weeks, especially in cold springs or with early lambing ewes, supplies are likely to run short.

The use of a reasonably quick grazing rotation is one way to build up a bit of pasture in front of the ewes.

However, once spring growth gets away, pastures will attempt to go seed, reducing feed quality markedly. This is more likely to happen under rotational grazing, so a return to set stocking in mid-lactation is usually the best policy.

Early weaning?

In early lactation, lambs consume only milk. But their grass intake gradually increases until, at 3-6 weeks of age, they get more energy from grass than they do from milk. This occurs earlier in twins than singles. This is shown very clearly in the diagram.

As lactation progresses and ewe milk production declines, lambs eat more and more grass until - in late lactation - they are competing with their mothers for high quality pasture.

If post-grazing pasture mass is less than 800-1000 kg DM/ha under set-stocking, or after grazing out a paddock in the rotation, lamb growth will be seriously penalised and early weaning and/or creep feeding or creep grazing should be seriously considered.

Lambs should be at least six weeks of age and weigh at least 16 kg for an early weaning strategy to be successful. Equally important, the feed provided must be high quality - leafy, green, high in legume (clover or lucerne).

For younger or lightweight lambs, creep grazing or creep feeding on supplements (as practised in Britain) can be a very effective tool for rationing scarce feed.

Use a raised fence or gate, or an electric fence with the bottom wire missing, to hold ewes on part of the paddock, while allowing lambs to graze the remainder at high allowances. Ewes can be fed supplements such as grain or nuts in a confined area.

More information

For more information, refer to these Sheep Council publications, available from Meat & Wool Innovation:

• A Guide to Improved Lamb Growth. Chapter 4.
• A Guide to Improved Lambing Percentage. Chapter 5.
• Sheep Council Seminar 10 March 2000. Lamb Weaning Strategies, by Ken G. Geenty

Your local farm consultant or veterinarian will also be able to help. Alternatively, contact your local WoolPro extension specialist: