Check body condition of in-lamb ewes

Checking in-lamb ewes are carrying the correct amount of body condition during pregnancy – and providing better grazing or extra feed for those losing condition – is the key to the most effective supplementary winter feeding.

That’s the advice of Cumbria vet Matt Colston, who says although recent trends have seen some flockmasters feed “little and often” throughout the last three months of pregnancy, maintaining an awareness of the body condition of ewes should dictate when feed is offered.

“The ability to condition score ewes ensures the right sheep get the feed when they need it – it’s better for the ewes, the unborn lamb and the farmer’s pocket. Through mid-pregnancy ewes, should be in condition score 2.5-3.0 to ensure foetal growth, udder development and to produce a good supply of colostrum.

“So unless the introduction of supplementary feeding is triggered by adverse weather, farmers should regularly get their hands on ewes to keep tabs on condition and pull out thinner ewes. It most cases just putting them on to better ground or feeding hay will be sufficient rather that resorting to troughs if ewes are in mid-pregnancy,” says Mr Colston, Frame, Swift and Partners, Penrith.

Although feed blocks may be the only option for hill flocks where access and daily feeding isn’t easy, vets believe this can be an expensive way of providing energy in mid-pregnancy.

“For March-lambers their January-to-early February feed needs can usually be met by adequate grazing and reasonably good-quality forage but it’s important to avoid excess weight loss in mid-pregnancy. That’s the critical time and if it happens it will affect placenta development – leading to small, less viable lambs.

“The last six weeks is still an important time for the pregnant ewe, so rather than start blanket feeding the entire flock with small amounts from January onwards, split off those carrying less condition well ahead of the six-week pre-lambing stage.

“But also check the quality of the protein in the feed you’re using during the final six weeks so you can really make sure you’re meeting their precise nutritional needs.

“An 18% protein feed based on urea is no good for pregnant ewes compared with a ration based on soya. So it’s essential to check the protein source of your sheep feed with your supplier well ahead of the approach to lambing time,” advises Mr Colston.

And for lowland flocks that have switched to Texel-cross ewes from Mule-types, the focus must be on feed rates that don’t risk ewes becoming over-fat.

“A Mule carrying triplets needs about 25Mj of energy a day in late pregnancy compared with a Texel carrying triplets which needs about 20Mj of energy a day – the equivalent to a Mule carrying twins.

“The Texel-cross is a different type of ewe so when you’re lambing them for the first time this season it’s worth taking advice and not making arbitrary estimates on how much to feed.”

CASE STUDY, RICHARD CATON, NORTH YORKSHIRE

North Yorkshire sheep producer Richard Caton has risen to the challenge of producing top-quality prime lambs out of Texel-cross ewes from his hill farm near Settle – and the nutrition of ewes throughout their pregnancy is a priority.

“Producing three-quarter-bred Texel lambs from a hill farm means we’ve got to be on top of these ewes during their pregnancy.

We regularly get our hands on them from mid-January onwards and draw off any that are lean. Keeping an eye on the body condition of in-lamb ewes is a must for us and it pays off at lambing time with stronger lambs and milky ewes.

“There was one year when we didn’t do it and we ran the flock as one lot without pulling any ewes out. We certainly paid the price at lambing time,” says Mr Caton who runs 670 Texel-cross ewes at Neals Ing Farm, Stainforth.

Tups are turned out in mid-November, but ewes are fed “a nibble” of sugar beet – one bag for every 50 ewes – throughout tupping time and until mid-January.

“It just keeps them tickling along and makes them easier to bring up so that we can keep an eye on them. But from scanning in mid-January we start pulling out any leaner ewes and run them separately. We’ll switch them to a little over 0.5lb a day of an 18% concentrate immediately – and even house them when we think they need it.

“We don’t want over-fat ewes but on this type of farm these Texel cross ewes need nursing if they lose condition. We don’t want them going hungry.”

Mr Caton believes regular checks on ewe body condition makes sure supplementary feed is targeted at where it’s most needed during the winter and early spring.

“It’s become a important part of our management and it has definitely paid off,” he says. “We get far fewer poor lambs because we’re on top of any ewes that start losing flesh. On a farm like this it’s often the shearlings carrying twins that we need to watch. They’re the ones that can quickly lose condition in mid-pregnancy.”