The right lick supplement during pregnancy and lactation ensures success in sheep farming

To optimise production, it is important to apply the correct management practices. Producers sometimes shy away from doing the right thing because of the cost, but ultimately lose out because production efficiency is compromised. Strategic nutrition at the right time will always be cost-effective and improve the profitability of the farming operation.

A practical example is a producer who used AFGRI Animal Feeds’ Supertech 25 and once again proved what an excellent multi-purpose supplement it is for ewes before lambing, for ewes nursing lambs, and for wool production. Mature Dohne Merino ewes were divided into two groups at the beginning of April 2018. A total of 400 ewes were mated with Dohne rams and 200 ewes with Suffolk rams. Dormer rams were used to mate 440 two-tooth Dohne Merino ewes.

The rams were given a mating period of four weeks, and the ewes received Supertech 25 meal at 150 to 200 g per ewe per day from four weeks before mating as a flushing feed, as well as throughout the mating period.

After the breeding season, the mature ewes were fed Supertech 25  for a further two weeks. Due to the nature of the terrain, the ewes could not be fed daily and could only be supplemented three times per week. The producer therefore switched to sheeplick 35, a high-protein lick with a lower intake requirement. Intake averaged approximately 150 g of Sheeplick 35 per day on low-quality grazing. The two-tooth ewes continued to receive Supertech 25 because young ewes are still in a growth phase and have a greater need for high-quality bypass protein to maintain growth.

Six weeks before lambing, the mature ewes were switched back to Supertech 25 pellets at 250 g per ewe per day. The Supertech 25 intake was increased weekly by 50 g per ewe per day until lambing started. Intake for single-bearing ewes was limited to 400 to 450 g per animal per day. Ewes carrying multiples, which have higher nutritional requirements, received 500 g of Supertech 25 pellets per ewe per day, as well as additional lucerne (alfalfa) on the side.

Ewes with lambs were placed on cultivated pastures and received 150 g of Supertech 25 meal per ewe per day as a supplement. As the quality of the planted pasture declined, intake was increased to 200 g per ewe per day. Lambs were weaned and marketed at approximately five months of age.

The first 300 Dohne crossbred lambs marketed directly off the ewes and later slaughtered all achieved an A2 carcass classification, with a dressing percentage of 49.03% and an average carcass weight of 20.5 kg.

Lambs from the two-tooth ewes mated with Dormer rams were sold as store lambs at R32.50 per kg. The lambs received no creep feed during the period from lambing to marketing.