How to Boost ewes before tupping with no grass

[Chev54]

Putting tups with ewes mid September, bugger all grass, wondering what could do to give best boost for a better scanning %. Licks ? Feed ? Oats in a 3 in 1 feeder ? Silage ? What are everyone’s thoughts.

 

[BAF]

I've been thinking the exact same thing! Everything went to the tup 1st of September last year. I'm thinking I'm going to delay it 2-4 weeks this year because we've got nothing to flush the ewes on.

 

[neilo]

I've been thinking the exact same thing! Everything went to the tup 1st of September last year. I'm thinking I'm going to delay it 2-4 weeks this year because we've got nothing to flush the ewes on.

It’s perhaps worth considering whether lots of others will think similarly, creating a supply shortage next Spring?
A tenner a head in feeding the ewes now might end up looking cheap…

 

[livestock 1]

I’ve used sugarbeet in the past or molasses your situation is different as it’s grass sugars I’m usually short of weathered and washed grass. Molasses we used is a urea one in ball feeders probably cheapest option and easiest too

 

[neilo]

Putting tups with ewes mid September, bugger all grass, wondering what could do to give best boost for a better scanning %. Licks ? Feed ? Oats in a 3 in 1 feeder ? Silage ? What are everyone’s thoughts.

Energy!
If you’ve no grazed fodder available (like lots of us ) then silage first (assuming you have it), then top up energy, if needed, with the oats.
Licks and/or feed would be the more expensive way of achieving the same result.

 

[Chev54]

Energy!
If you’ve no grazed fodder available (like lots of us ) then silage first (assuming you have it), then top up energy, if needed, with the oats.
Licks and/or feed would be the more expensive way of achieving the same result.

Have plenty of pretty standard molasses, would that work as well as oats?

 

[neilo]

Have plenty of pretty standard molasses, would that work as well as oats?

They’ll need forage as well, assuming they’re short of grazing?

My March lambing Charollais ewes are on bare parkland and clearing a bale a day of decent haylage. They are looking very well for it, and of course, dropping 90% of it out as fertiliser ready for the rain, whenever it comes.

What CS are your ewes in currently? If they’re not excessively lean, then good forage should be plenty for now imo.

 

[unlacedgecko]

Putting tups with ewes mid September, bugger all grass, wondering what could do to give best boost for a better scanning %. Licks ? Feed ? Oats in a 3 in 1 feeder ? Silage ? What are everyone’s thoughts.

Whole oats and barley through a 3:1 feeder works very well.

 

[CopperBeech]

No point of they are in good condition.

If they are not, then some sort of oats or hard feed is probably your best bet. Or molasses.