The key to any profitable lambing system is by feeding ewes adequately, correctly and carrying out good management practices – especially during late-pregnancy.
75-80% of foetal growth occurs in the final six-to-eight weeks before lambing, therefore getting nutrition right and managing ewes correctly is vitally important.
The rapid growth of the foetus increases the ewe’s need for nutrients and with that, her daily requirements can no longer be met with a forage-based diet alone.
The level of meal fed to ewes will be determined by the quality of your silage. By testing your silage, it will allow you to make management decisions on the level of concentrates needed in late pregnancy.
A number of factors will determine the amount of concentrates which should be fed to ewes during late pregnancy.
These include the number of lambs being carried by the ewe; the stage of pregnancy or number of weeks before lambing; the body condition score (BCS) of the ewe; and the quality of the hay, silage or other forages being fed.
When feeding concentrates to ewes in late pregnancy, consider the following advice from Teagasc:
- Watch ingredient specifications closely – don’t skimp on cost;
- Ideally, feed 17-20% crude protein;
- Use high-quality protein sources to enhance milk output on both grass and preserved forages (soybean meal is an excellent-quality protein source);
- Feed a ewe nut with optimum levels of cereals (barley, wheat, maize) in order to maximise energy intakes;
- Ensure that the vitamin and mineral mix is suitable, e.g. calcium and magnesium (Cal-Mag) are included in order to reduce the risk of milk fever and grass tetany post-lambing;
- Introduce concentrates at a low level and build up slowly.
There are a number of other management factors which impact the nutrition of the ewe in late pregnancy.
Factors that impact ewe nutrition
Water: It is important that a fresh, clean supply of water is available to ewes at all times. A pregnant ewe will consume up to 6L of water/day – especially when being fed a dry feed, i.e. meal.
Water troughs should be checked regularly and cleaned out if contaminated with faeces, hay or silage.
Trough space: Where concentrates are being fed, it is vital to ensure that adequate trough space is provided. For a standard bay, 4.8m wide, there is not enough space to feed greater than 10 ewes – each of 70kg in late pregnancy.
Trough space requirements for different sized ewes are outlined (below).
In short, ewes must be fed correctly in late-pregnancy in order for the foetus to grow, for colostrum and milk production and to maintain or improve body condition.
Where silage quality is not sufficient, ewes will need to be fed concentrates. The amount of, and which meal to be fed will be determined by the number of lambs a ewe is carrying, the condition of the ewe and the quality of silage.
When feeding concentrates to ewes, make sure to build up gradually and split feeds when feeding above 0.5kg/day.
Furthermore, ensure adequate feed and lying space, as well as a supply of clean, fresh water.