FIVE KEY THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN KEEPING SHEEP

For good health and to remain productive, sheep need water, energy, protein, minerals (salt, calcium and phosphorus) and vitamins (Vitamin A) the most.

Energy

Insufficient energy limits performance of sheep probably more than any other nutritional deficiency. An energy deficiency may result from inadequate amounts of feed or from feeds (generally forages) that do not contain enough protein to sufficiently “unlock” the energy in the feedstuff.

The major sources of energy are hay, pasture, silage, and grains. Barley, corn, oats, and wheat also can be used to raise the energy level of the diet when necessary.

Protein

In sheep rations, the amount of protein is much more important than quality of protein. However, since the sheep is a ruminant, mature sheep use effectively the naturally occurring protein and non-protein nitrogen (urea) in their diets. Common sources of natural protein supplements include cottonseed, soybean, sunflower, linseed and peanut.

These oilseed meals contain 40 to 50 per cent protein and are excellent sources of supplemental protein. High-quality legume hays can contain from 12 to 20 per cent protein and provide adequate nutrients for most classes of sheep when fed as a complete ration.

Non-protein nitrogen sources should not be fed to young lambs until they are approximately two months old. However, mature sheep can be fed low levels of non-protein nitrogen.

Urea should never make up more than one-third of the ruminally degradable protein in the diet. Additionally, non-protein nitrogen sources should not be used when lambs are limit-fed. Urea can be toxic if consumed in large amounts over a short time, especially when the diet lacks ruminally available energy.

Water

Water is essential for all livestock and its quality is also important. Sheep will not consume enough water if it is stagnant or of poor quality. Ordinarily, sheep consume two to three times as much water as dry matter.

Without water, lambs may eat less. Water running through a low trough or dripping into the trough can help to start the lambs drinking and eating.

Minerals
Approximately 13 different minerals are essential in sheep nutrition. Most of these requirements are met under normal grazing and feeding habits. Those that are most deficient are salt (sodium chloride) and phosphorus.

Salt is essential for many body functions. When sheep are deprived of it, they generally consume less feed and water, produce less milk, and grow slowly. When adding salt to mixed feed, put 0.3 per cent to the complete diet or 1 per cent to the concentrate portion.

In general, supplemental salt should be provided to range ewes at a level of 8 to 11g per head, per day. Provide loose salt rather than salt blocks.

Sheep tend to bite instead of lick salt blocks. As a consequence, their teeth may break or wear down prematurely. In most cases, pastures and hay are generally low in phosphorus. In grains, however, the amount of phosphorous is moderate to high. It may be beneficial to provide phosphorus supplements year-round for the breeding flock.

Creep feeding

The objective of any sheep enterprise is to develop fast-gaining lambs that can be marketed at an early age. Creep feeding may help accomplish this objective. The most efficient conversion of feed to weight gain occurs during the first 100 to 120 days of a lamb’s life. A creep feeding programme has the following benefits:

• Increased weight gain, especially for multiple-birth lambs.

• Highly efficient feed conversion.

• Early marketing.

• Early growth and development of the lamb lessens the stress of early weaning.

Start lambs on creep feed as soon as possible after birth. Ordinarily, lambs do not consume much feed until they are three to four weeks old. However, the small amount consumed at earlier ages is critical for establishing rumen function in the lamb.

Most studies have shown that if the intake of the creep ration does not average 0.2kg per day from 20 days of age to weaning, then no increase in lamb performance is realised from creep feeding.

The creep ration should provide at least 15 to 16 per cent natural protein. A simple creep ration containing 80 per cent grain sorghum, 10 per cent oats, 10 per cent oilseed meal, with alfalfa hay free choice should be adequate.

Some farmers wean lambs when they are 60 days old. Early weaning of 18 to 20kg lambs can be successful, provided they are consuming adequate amounts of feed. Heavy lambs must be finished more rapidly, so they need a ration with a higher level of grains for energy.

Lighter lambs can be fed rations containing more roughage. Generally, lambs are started on rations containing 60 to 70 per cent roughage.

For general lamb feeding, where both legume hay and feed-grains are readily available, a ration of 50 to 60 per cent grain and 40 to 50 per cent hay can produce very economical gains while minimising the occurrence of digestive disturbances.

Mwangi is based at the Department of Animal Science, Egerton University.