Feeding 2009 lambs

Username John

Hello all,

I have some 2009 lambs left - was hoping to sell em soon, but I weighed em today and they're only around the 40 kg mark.

Currently, they're on stubble ground and I'm feeding them a mix of sheep nuts & rolled barley.

As I'm feeding them I'm wondering what the optimum feeding rate should be? I'd like to get them up in weight and sell em as soon as possible.

Just wondering what peoples thoughts are on whats the best amount - or whats the maximum safe amount to feed? And what weight gain would this give me?
I only feed them once a day, and they're outside, so I dont want to leave a lot of feed to the crows either.

Thanks for any advice.

tabby aspreme

is there much picking on the stubble, i have some lambs in shed feeding at the moment they are eating 1 1/2 pounds of lamb ration /rolled barley mix and a small bit of coarse silage , i am still increasing amount of meal so dont know how much they can eat, will put dry ewes n ewe lambs in with them tomorrow trade too good to keep zeros ,if you can feed just before dark lambs have a chance to eat plenty before crows get going

Username John

tabby aspreme wrote: »

is there much picking on the stubble, i have some lambs in shed feeding at the moment they are eating 1 1/2 pounds of lamb ration /rolled barley mix and a small bit of coarse silage , i am still increasing amount of meal so dont know how much they can eat, will put dry ewes n ewe lambs in with them tomorrow trade too good to keep zeros ,if you can feed just before dark lambs have a chance to eat plenty before crows get going

Hello tabby_aspreme,

There is a bit in the stubble all right. Twas barley we grew, and there was a bit of grass in it, esp around the headlands, which wasnt great at the time, but means there is a nice bit there now . And, there was fencing needed to be done, which only go finished over Christmas - so they have only been in there 2 weeks really yet.

Am giving em about a pound now. Re feeding em before night - yeah, probably be a good idea all right, but it wouldn't suit me, as I feed em before I go to work in the mornings.

Are you feeding many of em? I only have a small few left - prices are good all right now, but I wont be selling any ewe lambs, want to increase numbers next year.

eorna

have a handful of lambs left, in the shed at the moment getting 1 pound in the morning and 1 pound in the evening plus rough silage, bit of a pain but want them gone asap as i need shed when lambing starts. ( i reckon dividing the food am and pm helps them not to get acidosis as i had before and they just stop eating altogether). Good luck with them

Username John

Hello,

How are yer lambs doing?

I weighed mine yesterday - and they hadn't really come on much, I'm a bit disappointed with em to be honest. Am feeding em about 1.2 - 1.5 pounds of ration & barley a day now (2/3 ration, 1/3 rolled barley) and I expected em to come on a bit more on it.

tabby_aspreme - you mentioned you were still increasing feeding. How much are they getting now? And what weight would you hope for them to put on a week, if you're feeding em 1.5 pounds / day + silage?

I read in the journal a while back that the conversion from feeding to weight gain is around 7 to 1. Is this right?

Just trying to work out whats a decent level of weight for them to put on per week is.

Thanks.

tabby aspreme

1 1/2 pounds is the most i can give , i went above that and a few got acidosis but they are ok now , not sure how much weight they are gaining bu there backs are gettin solid so they not too bad ,i have a lot of texel in the lambs so its hard to get the size into them to get big weights

eorna

Username John, Fluke could be a problem if the lambs not thriving properly, maybe you have it covered but just thought of it. Are the dosed for fluke?

Red_Marauder

Username John wrote: »

I read in the journal a while back that the conversion from feeding to weight gain is around 7 to 1. Is this right?

Yeah that's right, it's 6:1 up to 8:1 variable FCR depending on the breeding. Bit depressing isn't it.

What concentrates are you using?

If the possibility exists of adding beet pulp to the concentrates, it makes the energy from the barley more efficiently absorbed as well as being a good nutrient source itself, and should improve the daily ligeweight gain.

Given the nature of the beet pulp, you're also exposing yourself to less risk of acidosis.

This is also a good reason not to feed rolled barley for finishing.

Username John

eorna wrote: »

Username John, Fluke could be a problem if the lambs not thriving properly, maybe you have it covered but just thought of it. Are the dosed for fluke?

Hello Eorna,

No - they should be ok as regards fluke, dosed em there in December.

Red_Marauder wrote: »

Yeah that's right, it's 6:1 up to 8:1 variable FCR depending on the breeding. Bit depressing isn't it.

Depressing is the word...

Red_Marauder wrote: »

What concentrates are you using?

Feeding em nuts and rolled barley - maybe 2/3 nuts, and 1/3 barley.

Red_Marauder wrote: »

If the possibility exists of adding beet pulp to the concentrates, it makes the energy from the barley more efficiently absorbed as well as being a good nutrient source itself, and should improve the daily ligeweight gain.

Given the nature of the beet pulp, you're also exposing yourself to less risk of acidosis.

This is also a good reason not to feed rolled barley for finishing.

Yeah - I am watching the barley intake in case they do get acidosis. I didn't know you could still get beet pulp? I thought this was something that was gone along with the sugar beet industry?
I'm up-ing the amount of nuts that they get now, as its a safer feed.

Thanks for feedback.

snowman707

Username John wrote: »

Hello Eorna,

barley intake in case they do get acidosis. I didn't know you could still get beet pulp? I thought this was something that was gone along with the sugar beet industry?
I'm up-ing the amount of nuts that they get now, as its a safer feed.

Thanks for feedback.

there is some imported beet pulp nuts available, we are now creep feeding the first of this year's lambs ( the frost played havoc with the grass) and using a mix of barley pulp nuts distillers soya and minerals, costing €170 per ton in bulk collected.