| The period from weaning to breeding of ewes is critical if a high twinning rate is desired. Ewes should not be allowed to become excessively fat but should make daily gains from weaning to breeding. The rate of gain depends on the desired weight, but should be ~60-70% of projected mature weight at breeding and 80-90% of projected mature weight at lambing. If pasture production is inadequate, ewes may be confined and fed high-quality hay and a small amount of grain if necessary.
Breeding while grazing legume pastures (eg, sage, white clovers) may tend to depress the size of the lamb crop, lowering the intake of certain feedstuffs. After mating, ewes can be maintained on pasture, thus allowing feed to be conserved for other times of the year. Good pasture for this period allows the ewes to enter the winter feeding period in good condition. When pasture is unavailable, an appropriate ration should be formulated (Table:
Rations for Pregnant Ewes up to 6 Wk Before Lambing). |
| During the last 6-8 wk of pregnancy, growth of the fetus is rapid. This is a critical period nutritionally, particularly for ewes carrying more than one fetus. Beginning 6-8 wk before lambing, the plane of nutrition should be increased gradually and continued without interruption until after lambing. The amount offered depends on the condition or fat covering of the ewes and quality of the forage. If ewes are in fair to good condition, 0.5-0.75 lb (225-350 g) daily is usually
sufficient. The roughage content of the ration should provide all the protein required for all nonlactating ewes. If necessary, the ewes may be classified according to age, condition, and number of fetuses and divided into groups for different treatment. |
| Lactating Ewes: |
| Succulent pasture furnishes adequate energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals for ewes and lambs; no added grain is necessary. When pasture is not being used (confinement rearing), ewes should be fed one of the rations outlined for pregnant ewes in Table:
Rations for Pregnant Ewes up to 6 Wk Before Lambing, and 1-1.5 lb (450-675 g) of one of the grain mixtures in Table:
Grain Mixture for Pregnant Ewes. Ewes should have access to a mixture of trace mineralized salt and dicalcium phosphate. Ewes with twin
or triplet lambs should be separated from those with single lambs and fed more concentrates (grain) and/or better-quality forages. Ewes nursing twin lambs produce 20-40% more milk than those with singles. Under confinement rearing or accelerated lambing, lambs are commonly weaned at 2 mo of age. The ewe’s milk production declines rapidly after this period, and creep feed is more efficiently converted into weight gains when fed to lambs than to the ewe. |
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