Feeding ewes... when to stop

[sheepladywales]

So usually I feed cake to the ewes, lambs learn to come and eat, then I put a pen round the trough to stop the ewes, and just feed the lambs. Sell the lambs fat in the autumn. This year I'm thinking to not feed the lambs until after weaning, to cut down on cost and work involved. Is this OK to do? I would stop feeding cake altogether now in a week or two and then restart feeding the lambs when I wean them in August. I'd be interested to hear opinions on this. Thanks

 

[M-J-G]

We start lambing in the 2nd week of March and I aim to have all lambs gone by tupping time
I stopped feeding about 3 weeks ago, and I don't feed lambs apart from pets or the last handful of lambs to finish in the autumn.

A soon as the grass can cover a ewes hooves after lambing there's no need for concentrate.

 

[sheepladywales]

We start lambing in the 2nd week of March and I aim to have all lambs gone by tupping time
I stopped feeding about 3 weeks ago, and I don't feed lambs apart from pets or the last handful of lambs to finish in the autumn.

A soon as the grass can cover a ewes hooves after lambing there's no need for concentrate.

Do you sell them fat?

 

[Jerry]

Feed conversion rate in lambs drops rapidly with age.

In young lambs for every 3.5kg eaten they roughly put on a kilo of wieght, so 3.5:1.

At weaning that is more like 7:1 and continues to drop with age.

I put out creep at 3 weeks old and it stays with them. Sell all lambs fat by Sept from Feb/Mar lambing.

I also have good young leys with clover so lambs are only taking about 200gr of creep a day. With good grass and creep dont normally get massive a growth check at weaning.

 

[Bury the Trash]

I also have good young leys with clover so lambs are only taking about 200gr of creep a day. With good grass and creep dont normally get massive a growth check at weaning.

as you no doubt know. but for the op.
that young ley and clover will be better quality feed than creep , the dry matter side of it is another matter
problem in practise is that mum is bumbling around eating and crapping weeing on as well it so junior gets a secondhand or shared with elders bite.
creep gates for them to graze ahead make a big difference that way.

as far as their op. ewes are concered getting fed is theres even a little bite for them now ie they are not on realativly bare ground which they shouldnt be by now. of then feeding them can stop

 

[M-J-G]

Do you sell them fat?

Yes all of them go fat

 

[Jasper]

We start lambing in the 2nd week of March and I aim to have all lambs gone by tupping time
I stopped feeding about 3 weeks ago, and I don't feed lambs apart from pets or the last handful of lambs to finish in the autumn.

A soon as the grass can cover a ewes hooves after lambing there's no need for concentrate.

The grass covering the hooves that’s a really good way to judge I’ll remember that thanks

 

[Agrivator]

Feed conversion rate in lambs drops rapidly with age.

In young lambs for every 3.5kg eaten they roughly put on a kilo of wieght, so 3.5:1.

At weaning that is more like 7:1 and continues to drop with age.

I put out creep at 3 weeks old and it stays with them. Sell all lambs fat by Sept from Feb/Mar lambing.

I also have good young leys with clover so lambs are only taking about 200gr of creep a day. With good grass and creep dont normally get massive a growth check at weaning.

In the later stages of fattening, the KO% increases to the extent that while liveweight gain falls off, carcase gain is about 80% of liveweight gain. Exactly the same happens in fattening cattle.