Sheep Pocket Guide (continued)

AS-989, May 1996

Nutrition

Feeding Tips Flushing the Ewe Feeding Alternatives for Ewes Creep Feeding Lamb Feeding Urinary Calculi Nutrition and Health Water Ration Nutrient Requirements

Minerals Signs of Mineral Deficiency Signs of Vitamin Deficiency Urea Feedstuff Values Weights of Grains Pasture Management Stocking Rates Buying Hay

Feeding Tips

An average ewe (150 lbs) normally requires about half a ton of hay and about 120 pounds of grain to winter her (November thru April). That includes her gestation and lactation period. The most critical nutritional period for the ewe is late gestation and early lactation.

A 150 pound ewe needs about 3.5 lbs feed/day during the first 15 weeks of gestation, 4.5 lbs/day during the last four to six weeks of gestation and 6-7 lbs/day during lactation. Heavier ewes naturally require more feed. For each 25 pounds additional weight per ewe, feed about 1/4 pound more total feed per day. A 175 pound ewe requires about 3.75 pounds of feed per day during early gestation.

"Thumb Rule Estimates of Daily Feed Needs of Sheep" (expressed in pounds)

  		      ROUGHAGE		        PLUS
	       -----------------------	-----------------------
			        Corn	 	    Protein
  		Hay   Haylage  Silage    Grain	   Supplement*
---------------------------------------------------------------
EWE				                       
---------------			                       
Maintenance	2.5-4	6-7     7-8	                     
Breeding	2.5-4	7-8     8-9     0.5-1.0
Early gestation	2.5-4	7-8     8-9	                     
Late gestation	 4-5	9-10   10-11    0.5-1.0     1/8-1/4
Lactation	 5-7   10-12   11-13    1.0-2.5     1/4-1/2
---------------			                    
RAM	 	 4-7	8-10   11-15  	0.5-2.5       0-1/4
---------------			                    
REPLACEMENTS	 2-4	6-7	 	1.0-2.0     1/4-1/2
---------------			                    
FEEDER LAMBS	0.5-2	2-4	 	1.0-3.5     1/4-1/2
(30-110 lbs)		
---------------------------------------------------------------
* Protein supplement is normally needed when alfalfa hay is
  not used and corn is the grain.

Flushing The Ewe

Feeding the ewe to gain weight about two weeks prior to breeding may increase lambing percentage by 10 to 20 percent. Ewes already in high condition may not respond as well to flushing as those in poorer condition. Flushing that is continued through the breeding season will favorably influence embryo survival during early pregnancy.

To flush, graze ewes on a good pasture saved for this purpose or feed them 0.5 to 1.0 lb of grain (corn, wheat, barley, or oats) per head per day. The amount per day depends on size and condition of ewes. Corn and wheat require less amounts (0.5 lb), barley in the middle (0.75 lb), and oats more (1.0 lb). Grains should be fed whole. Sheep are well equipped to do their own grinding.

Use some caution if flushing ewes on legume pastures. During years of heavy rainfall, such pastures may contain a high level of coumestrol, a plant estrogen that can delay conception.

Feeding Alternatives For Ewes

Feeding Higher Levels of Grains or Screenings

Corn, barley, and wheat all have about the same feeding value for ewes. Oats, rye, millet, and speltz can be used but their energy values are less and therefore more pounds per day will be needed especially during late gestation and lactation. Screenings can be used quite successfully during the early gestation period.

No experimental data are available on the minimum roughage requirements for ewes. However, experience tells us that ewes probably should have at least 1 to 1.5 pounds of roughage per day for normal rumen functions. During periods of low level roughage feeding, ewes can become bored and wood chewing or wool biting may be a problem. Suggested daily rations are:

Gestation	    Gestation
First 15 weeks	    Last 4-6 weeks	Lactation
---------------------------------------------------
1.5 lbs hay	    2 lbs hay           2 lbs hay
2 lbs grain	    2.5 lbs grain	4-5 lbs grain

During lactation, if the grain is not barley or wheat, 1/4 pound of protein meal should also be fed each day. When feeding high levels of grain to the ewes, feed half in the morning and half in the evening. This should reduce the problem of ewes engorging themselves when eating grain and getting sick.

Utilizing Straw

If straw is available, it will make the ration considerably cheaper and still meet the ewe requirements. Suggested daily rations with straw are:

Gestation	    Gestation
First 15 weeks	    Last 4-6 weeks	Lactation
---------------------------------------------------
1.5 lbs hay	    2 lbs hay	        2 lbs hay
1.5 lbs straw	    1.5 lbs straw	1.5 lbs straw
0.5 lb grain	    1 lb grain	        3.5 lbs grain

During the last four weeks prior to lambing, if straw is going to be used, the hay should be alfalfa. Straw should only be used at this time as a last resort.

During lactation, if the grain is not barley or wheat, 1/4 pound of protein meal should also be fed each day. Ideally, the hay and straw should be mixed together with the grain to get better consumption of the straw. However, if a grinder-mixer is not available, the hay and grain can be fed daily and straw fed free-choice. If the straw is not fed free-choice but rather on a daily basis, feed the straw in the morning and hay in the evening. This should help force the ewes to eat the straw more readily during the day when they are most active.

CAUTION! Ewe lambs that are bred to lamb as lambs will not respond as well as the older ewes to some of the feeding programs above, especially those where poorer quality feed is being substituted (screenings and straw).

Creep Feeding

Creep feeding lambs is a means of providing supplemental feed to young lambs during the nursing period. It works best for early-born lambs (before March 15) and is especially beneficial when the lambing percentage is high. Lambs which have the inherited ability to gain rapidly benefit from creep feeding.

Lambs begin to nibble grain a week to10 days of age and should have access to a palatable lamb starter ration. A 75-90 percent concentrate level and a protein level of 17-20 percent are generally considered ideal for a lamb starter. Corn and oats plus leafy, high-quality alfalfa free choice are excellent feeds for starting lambs. Barley can be used but may not be quite as palatable as corn and oats for the first two weeks. Protein sources can be soybean meal, linseed meal, or sunflower meal. Molasses at 5 percent of the ration serves as an excellent appetizer and helps hold down the dust.

Antibiotics at the rate of 20-25 grams per ton are recommended. Aureomycin (chlortetracycline) and terramycin (oxytetracycline) are the two most commonly used antibiotics. The creep ration should be ground or cracked, unless a pelleted ration is used. Remember that lambs have a tendency to eat feed in whatever form their mother's ration is. At 35-45 days of age, it is advisable to change to a more practical ration of 14-16% protein.

The creep area should be clean and well bedded. A light in the creep is a good tool to attract the lambs to the creep area. The grain, hay and a source of water should be in the creep at all times.

Lamb Feeding

For early-born lambs that never see pasture, start with a hay/grain ration containing a grain-supplement mixture of about 85 percent cracked corn and 15 percent protein supplement for lambs up to 60 pounds. For lambs from 60 pounds to market, feed a grain mixture of 90 percent corn and 10 percent protein supplement. Restrict hay intake to about 1/2 to 1 lb/day when lambs reach 85 to 90 pounds. By reducing hay intake, lambs will consume more grain and put on faster gains. Replacement of corn with barley will give similar results. Barley based rations require little or no protein supplement. Lambs fed oats will take longer to get to market. Feed the grains in the whole form. The common problems of high grain feeding are greatly reduced when feeding whole grain.

For purchased feeder lambs, start lambs on good to average quality hay for one to three days. Hand feed grain twice a day and feed the amounts lambs will clean up in 30 to 45 minutes. Gradually bring lambs up to full-feed. Utilize a ration containing about 90 percent grain and 10 percent protein supplement in a grain mixture. Restrict hay intake as lambs get heavier.

Urinary Calculi

Rams and wethers on high concentrate rations are susceptible to urinary calculi (water belly). Rations high in phosphorus increase the chances of calculi being formed in the urinary tract. Calculi (stones) are formed from salts that are normally excreted but because of their abnormally high concentration in the urine they precipitate out and become stones. These stones frequently lodge in the urethra, blocking the flow of urine. Cold or windy weather and reduced water intake tend to aggravate the condition.

Affected lambs stand around with arched backs straining to urinate, and they may kick at their belly. They go off feed and water and in some cases the abdomen may become noticeably larger or a swelling may develop along their underside. Most die of uremic toxemia or peritonitis.

Treatment requires the reestablishment of the ability to urinate. Mild cases may respond to ammonium chloride either in the feed at 0.25 oz per head per day for seven to 10 days, or in a drench at 1 to 1.5 fluid oz per head every other day of a 40 percent solution administered a total of three times. Severe cases may be saved only through surgical intervention. The condition is an emergency. Early action is crucial for survival of the animal.

Prevention is achieved through proper management practices such as:

• providing plenty of fresh water and maintaining the water temperature at 45 to 50 degrees F during cold weather.
• feeding the rams and wethers separate from the ewe lambs when lambs are on full feed.
• adding feed grade limestone at 1 percent of the ration (20 lb/ton of feed).
• maintaining the calcium - phosphorus ratio in the ration at 2:1.
• adding ammonium chloride to the ration at 0.5 percent (10 lb/ton of feed). This may reduce the palatability of the ration and you may have to add molasses to improve the taste.

Relationship Between Nutrition and Health

Most recommendations on the nutritional requirements of sheep are based on the animal's weight and physiological stage of production (growth, maintenance, gestation, lactation, etc.). Assumed in these recommendations is that the animal is healthy, but what about a sick sheep? Unfortunately, little is known about the interrelationship of health and nutrition and the adjustments that need to be made for an animal that is sick. However, two important facts that are known regarding nutrition and health are:

1. Animals experiencing a nutritional stress are much more susceptible to diseases.
2. Diseased animals cannot be cured by increasing their nutrient supply over and above what they normally require.

Water

The exact amount of water required by sheep varies considerably depending on body metabolism, temperature, stage of production, size, wool covering, amount of feed consumed and feed composition.

Voluntary water consumption is two or three times dry matter consumption and increases with high-protein and salt-containing diets. A significant relationship exists between total water intake and dry matter intake. For example, sheep denied water for more than 24 hours eat little or no dry feed containing 15 percent protein but will eat 2 percent protein hay.

Water intake increases by the third month of gestation, is doubled by the fifth month, and is greater for twin-bearing ewes than for ewes carrying a single fetus. A lack of water accompanied by a severe depression in feed intake predisposes ewes to all sorts of problems, namely unthriftiness, malnutrition and, possibly, pregnancy disease in the case of multiple bearing ewes. It is estimated that lactating ewes require 100 percent more water than nonlactating ewes.

During cold winter months, many times ewes are maintained on extremely cold water in troughs and sometimes even on snow. Both circumstances lead to a reduced water intake. Ewes prefer and will consume larger quantities of warm water than cold. If you ever wonder why ewes are not milking enough, don't overlook the possibility that they're not drinking enough water because it's too cold.

Sheep may consume 12 times more water in summer than in winter. Adequate intake of good-quality water is essential for ewes to excrete excess toxic substance such as oxalates, ammonia, and mineral salts.

Daily Water Requirements
------------------------------------------
Adult sheep		1-2 gallons
Lactating ewes		2-3 gallons
Feeder lambs		1-2 gallons
Baby lambs		0.1-0.3 gallon
------------------------------------------
Try to maintain water above 35 F in winter 
and below 75 F in summer.

The following are ration nutrient requirements for different stages of production in sheep.

Ration Identification

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AS-989, May 1996