Sheep Rations Flashcards
A ration should
- provide optimal (not maximum) production
- be efficient
- be economical
- decrease nutritional disease
What is usually the most limiting factor in sheep nutrition?
energy
Energy deficiency
- cessation of growth
- weight loss
- reproductive failure
- decreased survival
- reduced resistance to parasites and disease
Protein
- NPN can be utilized
- most important in young, growing animals
Selenium Deficiency
Stiff Lamb Disease (muscular dystrophy) / White Muscle Disease (2-8 weeks of age)
- reduced growth
- be careful when supplementing to prevent
Describe considerations when supplementing selenium
Se supplementation to prevent deficiency should not exceed 0.1 ppm of total ration (add to salt/mineral mix)
- toxicity occurs rapidly!
- toxicity occurs when sheep consume more than 2 ppm in diet for a period of time (tetanus like symptoms)
3 critical periods
Flushing
Last 6 weeks of gestation
First 8 weeks of lactation
Flushing
- feeding ewe right before breeding season to increase ovulation rate, but not necessarily # of lambs born
- sheep in good condition will probably not respond to flushing
- begin 3 weeks prior to breeding
Last 6 weeks of gestation
- developing fetuses
- pregnancy toxemia (KETOSIS)
Pregnancy toxemia occurs almost always with…
ewes carrying twins or triplets
First 8 weeks of lactation
requirements depend on # of lambs
Critical periods are even more so with
accelerated lambing programs (3 lambings in 2 years)
When to creep feed
- early weaned lambs (90 d normal) <60 days
- fall and winter born lambs
- purebred and registered lambs
- twin lambs and late lambs
- drought or range
Creep feed should be
very palatable and <15% CP (oats, alfalfa, corn, whey, molasses)
When should you start creep feeding the lambs?
as soon after birth as possible
