feeding lactating ewes

[Bruce Almighty]

We've early lambed a few (80) Suffolk X this Christmas for the first time. (Mainly to Charollais)
It's gone reasonably well but now the question is feeding the ewes to milk inside.

Twins are having 1 kg ewe nuts (16%), hay & beet, singles are having 0.5 kg ewe nuts, hay & beet. Is this enough protein ?
We have access to a TMR dairy ration (M+25) which can easily be fed to the twins.
Also at what stage should we introduce creep ? We were thinking twins only so the singles don't get too fat too quick

tia

 

[andybk]

like to see at least 18% indoors with protein a bit undegradable , for first few weeks till lambs are taking some creep , we usually feed about 2 1/2 lbs per head flat rate , singles are flying .

 

[yellowbelly]

Also at what stage should we introduce creep ? We were thinking twins only so the singles don't get too fat too quick

Have creep available to all from the word 'go'.
We feed 2lbs/hd/day to all ewes (18% home mix). When the lambs are taking a decent amount of creep, reduce the ewe's feed - you're better feeding them direct and cutting out 'the middle man'.

 

[neilo]

Supplementary feed requirements will depend on what is being supplied by the forage (which is very variable), so attest needed really. Hay is generally only 8-10% protein and 9-10 ME, unless it was made from very young ‘rocket fuel’ grass, so not actually supplying much.

I did some calculations for my early lambing Charollais ewes a couple of years ago, feeding decent enough haylage ((10.5 ME/16% CP). Their actual DM intake when lactating was about 4% of body weight. Feeding a very good ewe nut (13.1 ME/19%CP - tested), I calculated I had to feed 1.5kg/hd to adequately supplement 100 kg ewes rearing twins.

I tried it that year, and they milked like stink, although still lost some condition. It would bankrupt me to keep it up though! No early lambs this year, for the first time in 29 years, and enjoying not writing the cheques. I’m sureI’ll miss the £120 cull lambs at Easter too though.

Lambs will start nibbling at a bit of creep from about 2 weeks ime. I always got a few bags of a very tasty coarse ration to encourage them to nibble early, before changing to something cheaper.

 

[rancher]

Supplementary feed requirements will depend on what is being supplied by the forage (which is very variable), so attest needed really. Hay is generally only 8-10% protein and 9-10 ME, unless it was made from very young ‘rocket fuel’ grass, so not actually supplying much.

I did some calculations for my early lambing Charollais ewes a couple of years ago, feeding decent enough haylage ((10.5 ME/16% CP). Their actual DM intake when lactating was about 4% of body weight. Feeding a very good ewe nut (13.1 ME/19%CP - tested), I calculated I had to feed 1.5kg/hd to adequately supplement 100 kg ewes rearing twins.

I tried it that year, and they milked like stink, although still lost some condition. It would bankrupt me to keep it up though! No early lambs this year, for the first time in 29 years, and enjoying not writing the cheques. I’m sureI’ll miss the £120 cull lambs at Easter too though.

Lambs will start nibbling at a bit of creep from about 2 weeks ime. I always got a few bags of a very tasty coarse ration to encourage them to nibble early, before changing to something cheaper.

We used to feed pure bred vendeens indoors here and, like yours, they needed 4% of their body weight or you'd pay dear with the performance of the lambs, very difficult to keep them milking indoors, we always fed only straw as roughage here and everything had to come from the meal. they needed over 2 + kgs for three weeks to keep them milking and then reduce when the lambs where eating the creep. If you let them out after lambing they'd graze the whole farm so the lesser of two evils