The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Bramham Wiltshire Horns on February 01, 2019, 10:43:25 am

Title: Feeding Wiltshire Horn Ewes
Post by: Bramham Wiltshire Horns on February 01, 2019, 10:43:25 am

HI
just wondered if anyone on here keep Wiltshire Horns on here and how they feed them during pregnancy if they have a chart for pre lambing

i have one that i used for Ryelands that i can use as a guide

but wouldnt mind something more specific

thanks in advance

Title: Re: Feeding Wiltshire Horn Ewes
Post by: steve_pr on February 06, 2019, 06:34:22 pm

We have Wiltshires and Colpured Ryelands. They are in the shed now on haylage but we have pretty much stopped feeding any concentrates now (we only gave them about 150g a day anyway. Wiltshires are doing fine and keeping their condition nicely, we will feed concentrates AFTER they have lambed since most are having twins.  First one lambed this morning (unaided as usual and the lamb (4.6kg ewe lamb :thumbsup: ) was up and feeding before we got to her.  Last year never had to help a single one - one of the many reasons we like them. Mind you, with teats like this even your average daft lamb would have to be blind as well not to find it!

The Ryelands are another matter, like labradors and retrievers they have a tendency to overeat (to excess) and they can be tough enough to lamb at the best of times - bl*&dy divas! Hence we have stopped feeding them apart from a Lifeline bucket, but even that they will pig out on and 14 ewes finished a bucket in 3 days!  Does help to boost the volume of amniotic fluid which does help the lambs slide out, but we will likely still have to intervene on a few of them. Go with the genuine Lifeline, we tried cheaper substitutes which we were told were just as good and they were hopeless!


Bottom line, unless your Wiltshires are below body score 3 then I wouldn't supplement them at all (unless they are carrying triplets) but start feeding after lambing. Most of our are carrying twins, but they are big sheep (mostly 80-90kg) so they hold their condition very well for us.

Title: Re: Feeding Wiltshire Horn Ewes
Post by: Bramham Wiltshire Horns on February 08, 2019, 11:06:50 am

Hi Steve
thanks for the information

i dont have sheds we have a 6mx3m fibre tunnel that i will be using

the ewes are all around 3-3.5 in body score all carrying twins, they have hay and lick buckets available

its fine marngings with feeding i dont want them to get too fat but not have enough to produce the healthy lambs

ive been giving them 130g per day for the last week

do you keep many wiltshires

regards