Make mineral the foundation
The foundation of any sheep nutrition program is a high quality mineral. It ensures ewes have all the nutrients they need to support a healthy pregnancy, parturition and more.
Even the highest quality forages can fall short in providing ewes with necessary mineral nutrition, specifically calcium, magnesium, cobalt, vitamins A and E and selenium. It’s important to remember pasture quality can change on a dime and forages that contained ample mineral levels last week might not today.
Act quickly when forage conditions change
Quality forage will contain somewhere between 18 to 21% protein. When that grass starts to go dormant, protein can drop to around 5%.
Ewes would have to consume more forage to make up for the steep drop in protein value, which isn’t feasible or cost-effective in most real-world scenarios.
Feeding a mineral and protein supplement can help provide additional nutrients needed to support sheep fertility, especially when forage quality and quantity decline. A good rule of thumb is to start supplementing protein 30 to 45 days before grass starts to visually decline.
Make the most of your forages
A key to profitability for nearly any sheep operation is using their home-grown or purchased forages as efficiently as possible. Maximizing forages are especially important as many producers face persistent drought in the Western states.
That’s where strategic supplementation comes in. Selecting a supplement with intake modifying properties can help ewes get more out of the forages they consume.
Monitor supplement consumption
Once you set out supplement, check in and ensure ewes are hitting target consumption on a weekly basis.
Don’t forget supplementation is an ongoing process. It’s important to keep an eye on consumption to make sure ewes receive the full benefits of supplementation.
Keep consumption on track with these best practices:
- Monitor consumption, it should be approximately a half pound to one pound per ewe per day.
- If consumption is too low, move tubs to frequently trafficked spots like loafing areas, next to the water source, near shelter and underneath sheds.
- If consumption is too high, spread tubs out and move them further away from heavy traffic areas.
Investing in a high quality sheep nutrition program before forages start to decline is an investment in your flock’s overall productivity. Contact your local nutritionist to get started today.
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