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Ewe lactation feeding the key to great lamb performance

Supplementary feeding is just as important to ewes during the first 4-6 weeks of lactation as it is during late pregnancy, according to Trident technical manager Dr Michael Marsden. And a failure to adequately support the ewe’s nutrition requirements during this time will reduce milk yield and quality, cut lamb growth rates and in the long run prove to be a false economy.

“It’s hugely important to continue to invest in supplements for ewes even after lambing,” he explains. “As the ewe moves from pregnancy to lactation, her nutrient requirements increase substantially, and although some of that energy will come from body reserves, losing any more than half a body condition score during the first six weeks of lactation will significantly reduce performance.

“The rest of the nutrients have to come from feed, and depending on liveweight, ewes will need between 2030MJ ME/day at peak lactation.”

Since the nutrient requirements for ewes suckling multiple lambs can’t be met by forage alone - even good lush spring grass – a 75kg ewe with twins typically needs up to 1.1kg/day of supplementary feed. Where hill flocks only have access to poor quality grassland, or early lambing ewes are heavily reliant on silage, straw or hay until grass growth takes off, up to 1.6kg/day will be needed, especially for bigger ewes.

Using home-grown cereals is a popular strategy to help keep costs down, but it’s important to include feeds like sugar beet pulp to supply the digestible fibre needed to buffer the rumen against acidosis. Ewes will also need source a of high quality protein to supply the rumen-bypass protein (digestible undegraded protein, DUP) needed to support good milk yields, with alternative protein feeds like Scottish barley distillers’ feed and rumen-protected soyabean meal (SoyPass) often better value than traditional protein meals like soyabean meal, claims Dr Marsden.

“The simplest and easiest solution is to continue feeding the same supplement used in late pregnancy, at least for the first four weeks of lactation,” he continues. “The lamb is entirely dependent on milk for all its nutrients during this time, so aim for at least 12.5MJ ME/kg DM, with 16-18% crude protein for those ewes being fed grass, silage or hay, or 20-22% crude protein for straw-based rations.”

Table 1 shows some simple combinations suitable for feeding to early lactation ewes. To help avoid digestive problems, feed no more than 0.5kg/head of supplement per meal, splitting off ewes which require higher levels and feeding them several times per day if needed. And don’t be tempted to increase the level of cereals without adding more digestible fibre, as too much starch can raise rumen acid levels (acidosis), leading to lower feed intakes, poor digestion efficiency, a drop in milk production and quality, and an increase in lameness.

Table 1 – Example rations for lactating ewes     

* Advice should be sought before feeding Scottish barley distillers’ feed to ewes due to the copper content.

The benefits of including feeds high in digestible fibre, like Scottish barley distillers’ feed and sugar beet feed, have been confirmed by independent research. In addition, the high quality protein in Scottish barley distillers’ feed offers a unique opportunity to completely replace expensive soyabean meal in lactating ewe diets, claims Dr Marsden.

“With a protein quality – in terms of the proportion of the crude protein that is DUP – similar to that found in hi-pro soyabean meal, plus an energy content the same as in barley, Scottish barley distillers’ feed is a great choice for high quality ewe rations. Not only that, but most of the energy is also in the form of rumen-buffering digestible fibre, which is ideal for maximising milk quality and minimising the risk of acidosis,” he confirms.

In a trial carried out at ADAS Rosemaund, a traditional barley-plus-soyabean-meal type concentrate was successfully replaced with a simple 50:50 mix of sugar beet feed and low-copper Scottish barley distillers’ feed. Ewes and lambs were turned out to pasture within 48 hours of lambing, and fed one of the two supplements for six weeks, starting at 0.75kg/head/day and reducing to 0.25kg/head/day by the end of the period. A vitamin and mineral supplement was also fed to all ewes.

The results are shown in Table 2. Despite a slightly lower energy and protein content, the sugar beet feed / Scottish barley distillers’ feed mix produced similar lamb growth rates, was just as effective at minimising ewe weight loss and body condition loss, yet at the time of the trial was 33p/head less expensive over the course of the six week trial.

Table 2 – Comparison of early lactation ewe diets (lambing to six weeks , source: ADAS) ¹          

¹ Both diets supplemented with appropriate vitamins and minerals.

² Advice should be sought before feeding Scottish distillers’ feeds to ewes due to the copper content.

“The importance of digestible fibre in promoting milk fat production has been confirmed by research conducted at Writtle Agricultural College,” continues Dr Marsden. “Feeding sugar beet feed as part of a lactating ewe’s ration consistently improved milk butterfat levels, and hence the energy content of the milk. Repeated on farm, the result would be higher lamb growth rates, greater weaning weights and quicker finishing.”

For more information on feeding sugar beet feed or Scottish barley distillers’ feed to lactating ewes, contact Trident direct on 01733 422214.

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