Feeding ewes with lambs at foot

[Shepherd12]

What would people say is best to feed ewes with lambs at foot just now as it’s cold here with the grass disappearing quickly. Good quality cake at £260/ton ish, or sprinkle fodder beet across the fields at about £22/ton. Thanks very much

 

[livestock 1]

What would people say is best to feed ewes with lambs at foot just now as it’s cold here with the grass disappearing quickly. Good quality cake at £260/ton ish, or sprinkle fodder beet across the fields at about £22/ton. Thanks very much

For me it depends on what size batches you run your ewes in?
Small batches use cake or both big batches use beet. Cake is better but if you have problems with mismothering like me use beet.

 

[Bury the Trash]

Good conc.

Fed out in troughs so as not to waste it .

The conc will be better with a protein with a useful amount of Dup.


Plastic drain pipes make economic long lengths of troughing. Easy to move but watch out for the strong wing blowing them around

It's very important they have enough feed for milk supply in early lactation. Fb are not enough ......on their own, anyway.

 

[livestock 1]

We have some big batches which you cannot cake without a muddle so caking at certain times not an option

 

[Shepherd12]

For me it depends on what size batches you run your ewes in?
Small batches use cake or both big batches use beet. Cake is better but if you have problems with mismothering like me use beet.

50 ewes with twin lambs at the moment. Be bunched up to 100 soon, then to 150 which they’ll stay at until weaning

 

[Stewartry hill]

Both

 

[Agrivator]

Beef nuts are about £50/t cheaper - just as high in energy, and the higher copper levels will do more good than harm.

 

[Bury the Trash]

Feeding couples concentrate ( as long as they are mothered up for long enough ), will not result in 'muddles' .
Feed in small 'family' groups to start with obviously.
Then later there is no problem feeding 5o 's or even 100 in a flock if you like, and it just means a bit a hand labour and fleet of foot to keep ahead of them,( maybe scrum half type agility will help )
Every shepherd should be fit enough for the physical job that it is. , not a lard ass who just rides around on a bike.

But By the time they are pushed up into bigger flocks then they wont need conc anyway, and grass will be growing, hopefully.

 

[livestock 1]

Ok for small numbers I suppose

 

[livestock 1]

50 ewes with twin lambs at the moment. Be bunched up to 100 soon, then to 150 which they’ll stay at until weaning

They will be fine then

 

[Nithsdale]

Beet pulp.

 

[Bury the Trash]

Not much grass here either but the odd field that's shut up has started to spring back , it's just a question of being able to do that.

If they are being supplementary fed it will make it more possible to lay up fields.

We are fortunate enough to have enough good hay left to buffer with, plus fodder beet which we have grown ourselves , a not too 'hard" variety and the ewes are used to it as well which helps
We bought some in once first loads were fine, then the later ones were higher dm , yes higher feed value but harder and in practice they weren't so keen on them ,
The point is that you cant be sure what you're buying in.

Hay or silage and good conc if availiable would be ideal .

And a good readily availiable fresh water supply of course.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

We always end up with a few stupid lambs racing around not finding their mothers if we feed nuts to families outside. But we do run fairly big bunches on big lumps of land. Not little fields. I drop out mag blocks, feed blocks and fodder beet (although on stock feed carrots atm as they were practically a gift) when they get Hungary they wander up and eat a bit then wander off again nice and quiet. It also lets them forget that the quad means food and I can check them without being chased around by 80 ewes with twins.
I do keep the ewe hoggs in smaller bunches and trickle nuts into them as well a blocks. The farm they go onto makes it fairy easy to keep them in 30/40's until mid summer