[Lswswake]

Hello - we are new to sheep and hopefully have pregnant ewes due early Feb - does anyone know how much we should be feeding them ewe nuts daily?  Everything we read is different!  ? thanks

[twizzel]

Depends on a whole host of contributing factors. What condition score are they? Have they access to hay, grass, lick (if so what lick?). Have they been scanned? Our ewes are in good condition score 3-3.5 with ad lib hay, due from mid feb but most due in March- they have an energy lick as the grass is getting low, and won't have concentrates until 2-3 weeks before lambing so as not to get too fat. In the new year they will have the energy bucket taken out and go onto Lifeline buckets. We are going to try and scan them with the help of our vet which may change the plan, but an experienced friend has guided us this far as it is too our first time lambing. We have shearlings and a ewe lamb, all first timers.

[Marches Farmer]

Have you taken a look at Tim Tyne's book?  Lots of good info there.  I have a flock plan which I'll happily send if you'd care to PM me.  It's specific to our farm, our flock and our weather conditions and lambing system, but it may give you a starting point.

[shep53]

So many variables !  2 farms next to each other will have different regimes .    Breed and age of ewes ?  breed of ram ?  how many lambs are they carrying ? condition score ?   quality and amount of grass available if any  ?  quality of  hay/silage/haylage ? questions questions 

[Foobar]

The most important thing you need to know in order to work out how much to feed them is what is their (ideal) average adult weight?  Then you need to know what condition score they are.  Then if you know how many lambs they are due to have (or how many they usually have will do) that will be handy.  And know how good your grass is, and how good your hay or silage is .....

...then you need to read this:
http://beefandlamb.ahdb.org.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/brp-manual-12-Improving-ewe-nutrition-for-better-returns-281114.pdf

...and this:
http://beefandlamb.ahdb.org.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Booklet-Year-Round-Feeding-the-Ewe-for-Lifetime-Production.pdf

 


Or, just give them ad-lib hay over winter, then give them Lifeline buckets from 6 weeks prior to lambing and for 2 weeks afterwards.  Replace the Lifeline buckets as they empty them.  (8 weeks prior if they are skinny ewes, 2-4 weeks prior if they are fat ewes)

[Bramham Wiltshire Horns]

The most important thing you need to know in order to work out how much to feed them is what is their (ideal) average adult weight?  Then you need to know what condition score they are.  Then if you know how many lambs they are due to have (or how many they usually have will do) that will be handy.  And know how good your grass is, and how good your hay or silage is .....

...then you need to read this:
http://beefandlamb.ahdb.org.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/brp-manual-12-Improving-ewe-nutrition-for-better-returns-281114.pdf

...and this:
http://beefandlamb.ahdb.org.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Booklet-Year-Round-Feeding-the-Ewe-for-Lifetime-Production.pdf

 


Or, just give them ad-lib hay over winter, then give them Lifeline buckets from 6 weeks prior to lambing and for 2 weeks afterwards.  Replace the Lifeline buckets as they empty them.  (8 weeks prior if they are skinny ewes, 2-4 weeks prior if they are fat ewes)

some excellent reading thanks

[Bramham Wiltshire Horns]

Depends on a whole host of contributing factors. What condition score are they? Have they access to hay, grass, lick (if so what lick?). Have they been scanned? Our ewes are in good condition score 3-3.5 with ad lib hay, due from mid feb but most due in March- they have an energy lick as the grass is getting low, and won't have concentrates until 2-3 weeks before lambing so as not to get too fat. In the new year they will have the energy bucket taken out and go onto Lifeline buckets. We are going to try and scan them with the help of our vet which may change the plan, but an experienced friend has guided us this far as it is too our first time lambing. We have shearlings and a ewe lamb, all first timers.

im in same boat as you twizzle

i have ryelands BTW

[Lswswake]

Thanks so much for your replies!! They are all 2yr olds, 3-3.5 apart from one that is a 2 score- access to grass but it isn't brilliant so they have hay, a mineral lick, and the ewe nuts- due early Feb but still trying to find a scanner! Ive bougt the Tim Tyne book too - its good to know there is no set amount - thank you

[nimbusllama]

It would be helpful to know where you are  then someone on here might suggest a scanner?   

[devonlady]

It would be helpful to know where you are  then someone on here might suggest a scanner?   

I did suggest, once upon a time that we could correlate (is that the word or did I just make it up?) a list of scanners and small-flock shearers.

[Fleecewife]

[member=163873]Lswswake[/member]  amongst all the other variables mentioned, for me breed is important.  If yours are Primitives, then they will need less feeding than a large downland type, say.   So, what breed/cross are your sheep?


As I keep Primitives I am able to give feed in response to how the sheep perform and how hungry they are - ie if they eat all I put down within about 10 mins, then they needed that much, as they are not greedy and will not put on fat, as other breeds.  If they nibble then walk off, they don't need so much.  Expected condition score is lower in Primitives - what is normal for, say, a Hebridean, would be skinny for another breed; just right for another breed is decidedly hefty for a Heb.

[Lswswake]

[member=163873]Lswswake[/member]  amongst all the other variables mentioned, for me breed is important.  If yours are Primitives, then they will need less feeding than a large downland type, say.   So, what breed/cross are your sheep?


They are suffolks and I get the feeling that they would carry on eating til they popped!?

[shep53]

Looks like you have it just about right , keep on condition scoring them , since they are young and suffolks they shouldn't lose much before lambing .  You have the same problem as many smallholders in that the sheep in cs 2 may be carrying more lambs or just a poor animal and really needs extra food now to at least hold its condition but this is difficult for 1 sheep

[Foobar]

The only way to overcome this with one sheep is to get it to eat out of your hand, every day.  Bit time consuming though!

[Womble]

And in our case, impossible without either losing the hand or ending up as the ball in a rugby scrum!