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SHEEP-fed-barely-sprouting-fodders, page : 171
2. Ewes with missing teeth
3. Animals that limp and do not respond to regular foot trimming and footbaths
4. Ewes that produce insufficient milk
5. Ewes that have slow-growth lambs.
6. Rams you do not want to sire their own daughters – these can be sold too or exchanged with another shepherd's ram.
Practicality is the another key to profitability. Even if you have become attached to a certain lamb that you raised by hand, it is not a viable choice for breeding stock.
FEEDS DURING BREEDING
We mentioned earlier the desirability of flushing a ewe before and just after breeding, but it must be remembered not to overfeed ewes during the early months of pregnancy because overfeeding can cause ewes to gain excessive weight that can lead to difficulty lambing.
Provide an adequate feeder with a space that is approximately 20 – 24 inches (50.8 – 61 cm) per ewe. In this way each ewe has access to her share of feed. If the feeder is on the small size, what will happen is the more timid or older ewes will get pushed out and they won't get their fair share. A mineral-salt mix containing selenium can make it unnecessary to inject selenium prior to lambing and thereby protect lams from white muscle disease. Caution, never use a mineral mix formulated for cattle, because of the risk that it is fortified with copper at levels that are toxic to sheep. Check with your vet about the use of mineral-salt mix that contains selenium.
LAST MONTH BEFORE LAMBING
Now that the last month before lambing has arrived, you will need to give the ewe 4 times as much water as she needed before she became pregnant.
70% of the growth of the unborn lamb takes place during the last 5 – 6 week period, so the feed must have adequate calories and nutritional balance to support growth, do not be tempted to feed bulky, low quality feed because if a ewe cannot consume enough energy to sustain herself and her unborn lamb, and as we mentioned before, she begins to use stored body fat to provide this energy - this can lead to pregnancy toxemia. Poor energy supplementation can also cause low blood sugar – that is hypoglycemia – the signs of which are similar to pregnancy toxemia.
A good grain mix:
3. Animals that limp and do not respond to regular foot trimming and footbaths
4. Ewes that produce insufficient milk
5. Ewes that have slow-growth lambs.
6. Rams you do not want to sire their own daughters – these can be sold too or exchanged with another shepherd's ram.
Practicality is the another key to profitability. Even if you have become attached to a certain lamb that you raised by hand, it is not a viable choice for breeding stock.
FEEDS DURING BREEDING
We mentioned earlier the desirability of flushing a ewe before and just after breeding, but it must be remembered not to overfeed ewes during the early months of pregnancy because overfeeding can cause ewes to gain excessive weight that can lead to difficulty lambing.
Provide an adequate feeder with a space that is approximately 20 – 24 inches (50.8 – 61 cm) per ewe. In this way each ewe has access to her share of feed. If the feeder is on the small size, what will happen is the more timid or older ewes will get pushed out and they won't get their fair share. A mineral-salt mix containing selenium can make it unnecessary to inject selenium prior to lambing and thereby protect lams from white muscle disease. Caution, never use a mineral mix formulated for cattle, because of the risk that it is fortified with copper at levels that are toxic to sheep. Check with your vet about the use of mineral-salt mix that contains selenium.
LAST MONTH BEFORE LAMBING
Now that the last month before lambing has arrived, you will need to give the ewe 4 times as much water as she needed before she became pregnant.
70% of the growth of the unborn lamb takes place during the last 5 – 6 week period, so the feed must have adequate calories and nutritional balance to support growth, do not be tempted to feed bulky, low quality feed because if a ewe cannot consume enough energy to sustain herself and her unborn lamb, and as we mentioned before, she begins to use stored body fat to provide this energy - this can lead to pregnancy toxemia. Poor energy supplementation can also cause low blood sugar – that is hypoglycemia – the signs of which are similar to pregnancy toxemia.
A good grain mix: