[Gunestone]

Our Ryeland shearlings are due to lamb in around 6-8 weeks time and I was wondering what to do about feeding them. About half of them are in good condition and the rest are fatter than I would like. They have had free choice hay since the start of Jan and a mineral lick. Should I give them a little feed (100g) each day or not?

[bj_cardiff]

If their in good condition/fat I wouldn't give them any extras, just hay and minerals. I would probably feed them post lambing, at least while their penned up with the lambs.

[landroverroy]

I'd carry on with just hay and a Lifeline bucket, which is meant to help prevent twin lamb disease. I find it extremely effective.

[twizzel]

I’d give a lifeline bucket or similar (I use mole valley blue energy buckets) at 6 weeks and hold off feed until 4 weeks. My ewes were in good condition if too good when they were scanned but 4 weeks on have lost quite a bit of condition in the cold wet weather. I’m starting to feed the twins and some thinner twins 200g per head per day from this weekend (4 weeks off lambing)

[Backinwellies]

Fat ewes give difficult lambings and more prolapses so not I wouldn't add any feed ….. Rylands run to fat very easily.   I agree with the lifeline bucket ….. but would restrict their access to it …..  greedy girls will eat to much of this with same affect.

[landroverroy]

I've never found the need to restrict intake from a lick bucket. It's not like a feed block where they can bite chunks off at a time, so intake is already restricted by its very design. If one or two need more intake than the rest then it should be available for them to get it. That's the whole point of having it free access. 

[Backinwellies]

I've never found the need to restrict intake from a lick bucket. It's not like a feed block where they can bite chunks off at a time, so intake is already restricted by its very design. If one or two need more intake than the rest then it should be available for them to get it. That's the whole point of having it free access.

I've had 6 ewes finish a lifeline bucket in just a few days.... they love the taste and gorge … 

[twizzel]

Outside? Are you sure you weren’t feeding wildlife too? If inside... ewes will quite often go to buckets out of boredom and do consume them quicker.


My ewes have a mole valley equivalent of lifeline, up to 200g suggested daily intake a day should last them 6 days (18 x 0.2 = 3.6kg/day, 22.5kg bucket = just over 6 days). They are on day 4 today and probably have 70% left. I feed it with a harder crystalyx energy bucket which seems to make the lifeline last longer and stops fighting.

[Backinwellies]

It was indoors.

[Gunestone]

Thanks everyone. I'll put a lifeline bucket in with them and see how much they take of it.

[Bramham Wiltshire Horns]

HI
i have attached a feed plan that i used on the ryelands 2 years ago and all lambed perfectly fine and all sheep where shearlings and the last to lamb was a single and was a bit bigger than the rest but had no problems lambing

there are some bullet points so maybe just adjust if they dont fit you criteria

i got this feed plan before i had scanned the ewes so but it still worked fine

hope it helps and good luck 


Feed Ration

Notes:
•   Feed a 18% protein, 12.5MJ ewe concentrate
•   Assuming hay is of average quality at 8.5MJ
•   Ewes are in Body Condition Score (BCS) 3 – 4
•   Concentrate feeding to start 6 weeks pre lambing
•   Not knowing how many lambs ewes are carrying
•   Offer high energy lick buckets 6 weeks pre lambing

Shearlings are usually not as prolific as older ewes and their cervixes are generally tighter having not lambed before. If you over feed you will have difficulties lambing single lambs. Considering all these factors I would feed each ewe up to 0.5kg/head/day as shown in table below:

Weeks Pre Lambing   
Weeks Pre Lambing                            6      4     2    1
Amount to feed per ewe (kg)    0.13   0.25    0.4   0.5


This is just a guide that I used  you may have to tweak the ration next year if lambs are too big, reduce feed. If lambs are too small/weak or ewes are in poor condition, increase amounts.

Hope this helps

[Bramham Wiltshire Horns]

it wouldnt let me attact the files

and the format has messed up a bit but

6week pre lamb starts @0.13 and so on

[Gunestone]

Thank you, that helps.