Achievement of lamb growth targets starts with the right preparations ahead of lambing. What happens from scanning through to the first four to six weeks of ewe and lamb nutrition has a huge influence on lamb daily live weight gain (DLWG) and how quickly they can leave the farm.
In episode 3 of Wynnstay Agri-Hub podcast, season 2, I was joined by youngstock specialist Laura Monk and national beef and sheep specialist Bryn Hughes to look ahead to prepare for the upcoming lambing season. We talked through the critical stages which influence lamb success, starting with ewe nutrition during pregnancy.
Two thirds of all joint ill cases are caused by the bacteria Streptococcus Dysgalactiae – the same bacteria that causes mastitis in cows. The other third of cases are preventable through adequate colostrum uptake.
Weaning can be considered a simple change from milk feeding to solid feeding but in truth it is a balancing act between maximising early feed efficiency and managing rumen development.
In mid-season lambing flocks, the aim is to get lambs to 32 to 42kg as soon as possible, capitalising on early feed conversion efficiency (FCE). Investing in early nutrition to capitalise on this early growth potential will pay dividends.
With the fortnight of Eid celebrations commencing in mid-July, those who lambed early to mid-March need to get lambs finished quickly to ensure they don’t miss market opportunities.
We are all aware of the importance of ewe colostrum as the first feed and antibodies has always been the ‘buzz’ word, however, successful colostrum feeding is a considerably bigger picture.
For years we have seen demand for 5 and 10kg bags of lamb milk replacer. But if we take a closer look at how much powder it takes to rear a lamb…should we really be buying these small bags?
Pre-season preparation is the key to minimising problems, reducing losses and achieving a higher lamb yield per ewe, which eventually will lead to improved daily liveweight gain and increased margins.
Lambs should receive colostrum as soon after birth as possible – ultimately within the first 6 hours. Lambs are born with a permeable gut wall to allow for the absorption of large antibody molecules.
