Late pregnancy/lambing goals!!
Meet energy and protein requirements, Meet mineral and vitamin requirements, Maintain mid pregnancy BCS, Have ewes which survive pregnancy, Avoid metabolic diseases, Avoid prolapse, Produce ‘good sized lambs’, Minimise lamb mortality, Timely production of sufficient colostrum, Have ewes which milk well afterwards, Good lamb growth rates
- Essential Needs:
air, water, energy, protein, minerals, and vitamins for optimal health and foetal development. * Nutrition requirments change in last two months
- Energy Importance:
Energy is crucial, needed for ewe maintenance and foetal growth, especially during the last 6 weeks of pregnancy when ~50% of foetal growth occurs.
- Bcs and Weight:
desired bcs of 3.5 at lambing.
- Dry matter Intake:
Dry matter intake reduces in the final 2 months of gestation due to restricted abdominal space from uterine pressure. More lambs greater the reduction in intake. Triplet bearing intake of silage is 85% that of single bearing. 150g undegradable protein required a day for twin bearing ewe.
- Protein requirements:
Protein requirement rises in the final 2/3 weeks, ideally provided at 16-18% crude protein. Not available in forage, concentrates required. Additional undegradable protein that can be utilised required e.g soybean meal. Important for maintenance, pregnancy and colostrum/milk
- Energy requirement
A 70 kg ewe requires 10 MJ/day and for each 10 kg change in weight, there is a 1 MJ change in energy required. A twin-bearing ewe requires 18-20 MJ/day
- Fat/oils
2% added fat is acceptable
- DMI;
Go’s from 1.7 to 1.3 kg. High plain of nutrition re quired
- Twin Pregnancy Consideration:
Scanning for twin pregnancy simplifies feeding, with twin-bearing ewes requiring 18-20 MJ/day, often needing concentrate supplementation.
- Silage Quality and Supplementation
Silage quality of 70 DMD necessitates supplementation from 6 weeks before lambing, with poorer quality silages requiring earlier supplementation. Quality of silage and wheather its chopped also affects silage intake. Important to test silage quality.
- Concentrate Feeding Benefits:
Feeding concentrates twice a day increases dry matter intake response by up to 28% and improves overall metabolic status. The poorer silage dmd is the higher the % of concentrates required
- Head space
Large ewes 20 inches.
- Steaming Up
Steaming up during the final 2 months of gestation by increasing forage and concentrates prevents negative energy balances, twin lamb disease, produce strong healthy lambs, optimise ewe milk yields/quality so lambs have high growth rates.
- Ewe condition (BCS):
Aim should be to have a bcs of 3.5 at lambing.
- Energy requirements vs DMI (6wk to )
12mj/day to 16/18 mj/day vs 1.7 to 1.
- Feeding Protocol:
Twin-bearing ewes should be fed silage with a minimum quality of 70 DMD, supplemented with concentrates, accounting for intake variations based on silage quality.
- Forage Quality Analysis:
Forage quality analysis (€35-40) aids in accurate feeding management, avoiding overestimation of nutritional requirements.
- Supplementation:
: Selenium and vitamin E supplementation in late pregnancy prevents lambs being born with stiff joints or wasted muscles.
- Concentrate only strategy:
This is where house ewes are fed concentrates only. Important not be on straw bedding or have access to any other nutrition. At week 6, 1.2 kg fed this is increased to 1.6kg . 18% protein required final 4 weeks. Will need to be altered for twins. Can be very expensive. Intake is tracked.
- Metabolic Disorders:
Metabolic disorders include pregnancy toxaemia, hypocalcaemia, and acidosis, with ewe mortality rates <2% achievable through good nutrition management.
- Hyocalcaemia:
Twin lamb disease energy imbalance due to poor plain of nutrition interlinked with ketosis and acitosis. Uses up fat stores which are converted to ketones and deposited in the liver. This can lead to death
- Listeriosis
Bacterial infection in Brain caused by bacteria found in spoilt silage or if soil is present in silage.
- Consequences of inferior Diet:
Weaker lambs born, higher mortality, poor milk supply, slow lamb growth rates, poor mothering , increase in prolapses.
