SHEEP FEEDING

I. General

A. Ration Should:

1. Providing optimal (not max) production

2. be efficient

3. be economical

4. decrease nutritional disease

II. Energy

A. usually the most limiting factor in sheep nutrition

1. Energy Deficiency

- cessation of growth

- weight loss

- reproductive failure

- decreased survival

- reduced resistance to parasites and disease

III. Protein

A. NPN can be utilized

B. Most important in young, growing animals

IV. Selenium

A. Deficiency = stiff lamb disease (muscular dystrophy)

1. White muscle disease (2 – 8 wks of age) reduced growth. Se supplementation to prevent should not exceed 0.1 ppm of total ration (add to salt/mineral mix). Toxicity occurs when sheep consume more than 2 ppm in diet for a period of time (tetanus like symptoms).

 V. Feeding the Flock

A. 3 Critical Periods

1. Flushing – feeding ewe right before breeding season to increase ovulation rate, but not necessarily # of lambs born. Sheep in good condition will probably not respond to flushing, begin 3 wk prior to breeding

2. last 6 wks of gestation (147 d) developing fetuses – pregnancy toxemia, almost always carrying twins or triplets

3. 1^st 8 wks of lactation. Requirements depend on number of lambs

B. critical periods even more so with accelerated lambing programs – 3 lambings/2 years