Lamb nutrition management Flashcards
Name the 4 phases of lamb-kid nutrition
- Fetal - in the womb
- Neonatal - shortly after birth
- Nursing - suckling, pre-weaning,
- Growing/finishing - weaning to market or breeding
How long is sheep ewe pregnancy?
150 days
5 months
Most wool follicle development occurs in the ____ trimesters
2nd and 3rd trimesters
The majority of fetal growth occurs in the final ___days
60 days
__% of placental growth occurs by day __ of pregnancy.
90% day 90
What are the effects of under nutrition in late pregnancy?
- Low birth weights
- Reduced survival rate
- Poor growth rate during suckling period
- Lower weaning weights
- Reduced brown fat reserves - reduce survival
- Lower colostrum and milk yield
- Poorer maternal bond - can reduce survival
- Fewer secondary wool follicles - less wool production
- Risk of pregnancy toxemia (ketosis) - risk of losing mother and babies
What nutrients are especially important during late gestation?
- Selenium
- Vit E
- Calcium
Should high quality hay be saved for pregnancy or lactation?
Lactation
For how long does ewes/does produce colostrum?
First 24 hours only
Colostrum quality/quantity is affected by ..?
Late gestation nutrition
Antibodies in colostrum depend upon ..?
Antigens dam was exposed to in late pregnancy - naturally or via vaccination
What can be done if we do not have enough colostrum?
- Collect colostrum from ewes/does that have extra
- Colostrum from another female in flock/herd
- Colostrum from another sheep or goat farm with similar disease status
- Get cow colostrum from local dairy farm.
- Can store colostrum for up to a year in deep freeze - must use within 24 h after defreezing - warm frozen colostrum in warm water bath as to not denature proteins with extreme temperatures
What amount of colostrum must a lamb consume?
10% of their body weight
4 feedings in first 24 hours
Is bucket self-feeding or handfeeding better with orphan lambs?
bucket self-feeding
What determines the weaning of lambs ?
- Weight
- Amount of feed consumed
During the nursing period there is 3 options. Name and describe these nursing options
- No supplementation
- Supplement does/ewes
- Supplement lambs/kids
Define creep grazing
Creep grazing is where you allow lambs/kids access to better quality “cleaner” pasture while limiting ewes/does to lesser quality pasture.
What are the advantages of creep feeding?
- Increases growth performance
- Reduce weaning stress for early weaned lambs/kid
- Especially advantageous for twins/triplets where milk
production is a limiting factor. - Increase weaning weights
How much creep feed needs to be consumed to make it economical?
> 200 g per head per day
What are the requirements of a creep area?
- Creep gate big enough for lambs/kids to enter but too small for ewes/does to enter
- High traffic area
- Dry, well-bedded area
- A light will attract lambs/kids
- Large enough for all lambs/kids to be at one time
What are the requirements for the feeders of creep feed?
- Feeders that can’t be easily contaminated
- Feeders that are easy to clean
- Enough feeders to accommodate all the lambs/kids at one time
- Recommended feeder space is 5 cm per lamb
- Hay in a rack or manger
Describe the creep ration
- 20% crude protein
- Palatable
- Finely ground, small particle size
- Fresh; replace daily
- Offer free choice good quality hay
- Offer fresh water
What must we change in the creep feed as lambs/kids get older?
- Reduce protein level
- Switch to coarser feeds
- Add a coccidiostat to prevent coccidiosis
- Include ammonium chloride to prevent urinary calculi
- Gradually switch to the ration that the lamb/kids will be fed after weaning
Nutrient requirements of lambs/kids are based on ..?
- Species
- Age
- Sex
- Genetics
- Desired level of performance (ADG)
Deciding on pasture or concentrate depends on ..?
- Land availability
- Feed and pasture costs
- Performance needs/expectations
- Genetics of animals
- Predator pressure
- Parasite pressure
- Markets
Name the pros of Pasture/Forage Diet
- More “natural” environment and diet.
- Leaner, more healthful carcasses
- Growing consumer demand for grass-fed meat and milk.
- Potentially more economical gain.
Name the pros of concentrate diet
- Superior growth
- Reach market sooner
- Milder flavored meat (lamb)
- No parasite or predator problems to deal with.
- More pasture for ewes/does
Name the cons of pasture/forage diet
- More susceptible to worm parasites.
- More vulnerable to predators.
- Slower growth
- Longer to reach market weight
- May not meet genetic potential.
- May require supplemental feeding to reach slaughter condition.
- More pasture is needed for enterprise
Name the cons of concentrate diet
- Fatter, less healthful carcasses
- Not all breeds suitable for dry lot finishing
- More costly gain
Name the options for feeding lambs/kids
- As a supplement to pasture diet
- Hay + concentrate
- TMR (total mixed ratio)
- Only concentrate
Name the difference between hand feeding and self-feeding
Hand feeding improves feed efficiency
Self-feeding improves ADG and reduces labor input
What causes Enterotoxemia?
Proliferation of bacteria due to sudden change in diet
What causes Acidosis?
Drop in rumen pH due to rapid fermentation of highly digestible carbs
What causes Urinary calculi?
Mineral imbalance (Ca:P)
More common in grain-fed animals
What causes White muscle disease?
Selenium/Vitamin E deficiency
What causes Polio (PEP)?
Thiamine (B1) deficiency caused by change in rumen environment
At what age does sheep reach puberty and breed?
7-9 months
At what weight must males be at puberty and breed?
50% of mature weight
At what weight must females be at puberty and breed?
60 to 70% of mature weight
