Sheep Nutrition Facts #1

Ewe nutrition must be managed around six key stages of production. These are:

1. Maintenance
2. Flushing
3. Breeding
4. Early gestation
5. Late gestation
6. Early lactation.

Generally, nutrient requirements are least during maintenance and early gestation, and greatest during late gestation and lactation.

When preparing your nutrition program consider the following:

1. Feed can represent from 60% to 80% of the total production costs of raising sheep.
2. Parasite control is crucial to insure nutrients are not wasted in sheep.
3. Consider your production system. Accelerated lambing? Early lambing? Pasture lambing?
4. Inventory your forages by quality and feed the best to lactating ewes and young lambs.
5. Provide adequate pen and feeder space to allow separation of ewes by body condition or stage of lactation.

Forage analysis is critical in determining supplemental protein and mineral requirements. Consider borrowing a hay corer from your feed supplier in order to properly sample hay or baleage.