Maintain your flock's fertility
- 9 Oct 2020
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Fertility is the key driver in all flocks as the number of lambs reared will influence the farms profitability. Ensure both ewes and rams are in a good Body Condition Score (BCS) prior to tupping (3.5). Remember it can take up to six weeks to increase a ewes BCS by one condition score.
To ensure successful implantation of embryos, offer a rising plane of nutrition around two weeks pre-tupping and until three weeks post-tupping will ensure fertility is not compromised. Relying on forage alone to provide sufficient trace elements is not always guaranteed, therefore, supplementing with a trace element bolus 4-6 weeks prior to tupping will supply a controlled and continuous amount of key trace elements during this critical period.
It's also important to remember the tups. A fertile ram should be able to successfully inseminate at least 85% of a batch of 60 ewes in their first reproductive cycle.
The benefits of trace elements
The four key trace elements required by ewes and rams pre-tupping are selenium, cobalt, iodine and zinc. The Wynnstay ewe boluses provide all these key elements with copper as an optional extra.
A continuous supply of Iodine is required by the ruminant but given that they do not have the capacity to store it for very long, administering a bolus is an ideal choice. Iodine is required for fertility; to secrete hormones and help with egg implantation, late-term abortions, weak live lambs or even stillborn lambs. Iodine deficiency can also have a detrimental effect on a ram’s libido and fertility.
Cobalt is required by the rumen microflora for the formation of vitamin B12 in the rumen. Like iodine, it is required on a constant basis and ruminants are not able to store it for very long. This is more of a concern in growing lambs, however, lambs born to deficient mothers can often be slower to get to their feet and suckle, which can affect the amount of colostrum intake by the lamb and can potentially leave the young naïve lamb open to other disease and infections.
Selenium and vitamin E work in conjunction with each other as an antioxidant. Like iodine, selenium deficiency can negativity impact on fertility resulting in early embryonic death, infertility and lambs can be born weak or stillborn. Care must be taken to not over supplement selenium due to toxicity. A slight marginal deficiency of zinc presents with suboptimal growth, reduced fertility and mild skin orders.
Investing in a ewe bolus pre-tupping will help correct any trace element deficiencies and maintain them at optimal levels throughout pregnancy. This will help maximise scanning percentages and reduce the number of barren ewes at scanning time.
