Feeding and nutrition of lambs and growing sheep Flashcards
Goals of sheep nutrition
- Incr repro
- Rearing of lambs
- meat prod
- milk prod
Nutrient requirements of sheep (6)
- DM
- E as NEm
- Metabolisable protein (maint)
- CF
- Minerals
- Vitamins
Sheep: DM
2.5-6kg per 100kgBW
Roughly 3.5kg
Sheep: E as NEm
Adults: 0.31 MJ x BW to the power of 0.75
Sheep: metabolizable protein (maint)
2.6 x W to the power of 0.75
Sheep: CF
15-20%
Sheep: minerals (6)
Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, I, Se
Sheep: vitamins:
A for maturing ewes
E for suckling lambs
Timeline (5)
- Nov: insem
- April: lambing
- July: weaning
- Oct: flushing
- Nov: insem
4 pieces of key info for ewes
Pregnancy
Lactation
Ovarian cycle
Rest period
Ewe length of pregnancy
136-155 days
ewe length of lactation
3-4 mnths
ewe: ovarian cycle
16 days
ewes rest period:
3 mnths- after this “tupping” takes place
Key info for the lamb (4)
BW at birth
Weaning age
Weaning weight
Insem age
lamb: BW at birth
2.5-6kg
Weaning age:
30-40 days
weaning weight
12-15kg
Insem age
3-4 mnths
Nutrition of mothering ewes (3)
- Time when the nutrient requirement is higher in the form of conc
- BCS
- Flushing
Mothering ewes: time when the nutrient requirement is higher in the form of conc
- Flushing
- Last 6 wks of preg
- Milk prod
Mothering ewes: BCS
Measured before mating and at the end of preg
Optimal=3
Mothering ewes: flushing
- 2-3 wks before mating
- Roughages + 0.3-0.4kg of conc (rye or wheat)
- P
- Carotene
Nutrition of pregnant ewes (3)
Month 4: +30% NEm
Month 5: +50% NEm
6wks before partuition: 0.3-0.5kg of conc
