Forage analysis can help in-lamb feeding plans

Forage analysis is familiar to most dairy farmers, but for many sheep producers it is an alien idea, which few have ever used or considered.

However, while most flocks are fed a concentrate feed of which the full analysis is known, too many are fed forages – be it hay, silage or any other types of feeds – which will be fed to appetite without any idea of their nutritional value.

For Richard Tyler, who farms with his brother Charles as Dennis Tyler and Sons, at Barrowden, Oakham, forage analysis has long been a part of flock feeding plans, allowing rations to be formulated to balance silage quality and ewes to be fed according to approximate silage intake.

And this year the importance of analysing silage is even greater, with the move to a total mixed ration (TMR) rather than concentrate, fed alongside free-access silage, says Mr Tyler. “I can’t remember the last time we didn’t analyse silage and we’ve always taken notice of the results, so we know exactly what we are feeding ewes.”

Silage made at Redhill Farm tends to be drier and stemmier than some others, but this is ideal for sheep, reckon Mr Tyler and shepherd Jamie Wild. “When we were feeding silage to finishing cattle we used to make it from grass leys. But that was almost too good for sheep and they failed to get the most from it. Now we cut permanent pasture and find this has a slower passage through the rumen, meaning it is better used.”

Factors

The move to a mixed ration was prompted by two main factors: First, to reduce the expense of having feed delivered in bags, and second, to ensure ewes were fed appropriately. “This way ewes are having a consistent feed and it is easier for them to eat. Also having to bag bulk feed out of feed bins is extra work, which the mixed ration avoids.”

With some previous years’ silages being relatively unpalatable due to lower dry matter contents, the new ration should ensure ewes are more inclined to eat, says Mr Wild.

“But even when you know what the silage analysis is you still have to feed according to body condition score and ensure ewes maintain condition throughout pregnancy and monitor intakes carefully.”

Mixed ration

The blend for the mixed ration was developed specifically for the flock by John Bland of Manor Farm Feeds on the basis of the silage analysis, with ewes eating about 1.4kg of dry matter a day – about 4.25kg of freshweight a head.

This year in-lamb ewes are being fed according to litter size. Twins are being offered 250g of supplement as well as silage from housing until four weeks before lambing and then 500g from four weeks before until lambing. Triplets, meanwhile, are being fed an extra 100g of supplement for the final two weeks before lambing, the step up in feed rate occuring about a week earlier than the twins. Singles will be offered 400g of supplement for the final two weeks before lambing.

With the 1800 North Country Mule ewes scanning at 211%, Mr Tyler is adamant about the need to ensure they are fed right. “We try to treat our sheep enterprise exactly the same as our arable business. We pay for agronomy advice for the crops and regularly analyse soils, so why not invest similarly in the sheep flock? It would be foolish not to.”

And the investment certainly pays off, as, unlike many flocks, Mr Wild says there are seldom cases of twin lamb disease, acidosis or prolapse, all of which he believes are the by-product of poor nutrition management. “And ewes usually milk well, with plenty of colostrum, meaning we see very few cases of watery mouth or other neo-natal diseases. Even triplets are good-sized, vigorous lambs, so they hold their own and are easily set on to single-bearing ewes.”

This is underlined by the farm’s sheep consultant Lesley Stubbings, who calculates the ration recommendations. “Stuffing ewes full of concentrates in late pregnancy is unnecessary in many cases,” she says. “Total concentrate use in this flock will be a fraction of what many others use, which represents a huge cost saving. This also allows ewes to function as ruminants, which is why the flock experiences so few problems.”

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