sheep nutrition
TRANSCRIPT
الرحمن الله بسمالرحيم
Feeding and Nutrition of Sheep
Prof. Dr. Khaled NasrProf. of Nutrition & Clinical Nutrition
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University
Introduction
1. Nutrition plays a major role in the overall productivity, health, and well-being of the sheep flock.
Introduction
2. Because feed costs account for approximately two-thirds of the total cost of production on most sheep farms. 3. It is important that producers consider nutrition management a top priority.
4. Nutrient requirements of sheep vary with differences in age, body weight, and stage of production. The five major categories of nutrients required by sheep are:
1) water 2) energy 3) protein 4) vitamins 5) minerals
Introduction
5. Sheep are able to meet their nutrient requirements from pasture or hay and salt and mineral supplement.
6. Grain may be added to the diet at certain stages of production when additional nutrient supplementation is required.
Introduction
Feeding the Ewe Flock
Feeding the Ewe Flock
1. Ewe body weight does not remain constant throughout the year, but changes with stage of production.
2. Nutrient requirements are lowest for ewes during maintenance, increase gradually from early to late gestation and are highest during lactation.
3. Feeding management are improved significantly by knowing ewe body weight and condition score at three distinct stages of production
1) three weeks before breeding
2) mid-gestation
3) weaning
Feeding the Ewe Flock
Reproductive time line for sheepReproductive time line for sheep
Condition score
1. Condition score is a subjective measure of body fat that is most easily determined by handling ewes down their back.
2. It is best method available to monitor nutritional status and overall well-being of the sheep flock.
3. Condition score range from 1 to 5, with 1 being extremely thin and 5 being very fat.
Condition score
4. Condition score at either end of the scale are undesirable. Ideally, ewe should range from a condition score of 2.5 at weaning to a 3.5 at lambing.
5. Thin ewes are separated and fed additional energy to increase body condition. Conversely, obese ewes are separated and fed a lower energy diet at stage of production when body weight loss is acceptable.
Body condition score
Condition score
• It should be noted that problems with over fat ewes are far fewer than those associated with ewes that are too thin.
Feeding the Ewe FlockBreeding and Flushing
1. Starting 2 weeks before breeding and continuing two weeks into breeding season, ewes should be supplemented daily with 0.250 kg concentrate mix.
2. Flushing improve lambing percentage by 10 to 20 %. Most prenatal deaths occur within the first 25 days after breeding and are usually associated with poor nutrition.
Early Gestation (15 weeks)
1. In early pregnancy, fetal growth is very small, and the total feed requirement of the ewe is not significantly different from that during the maintenance period.
2. Ewes can therefore be fed a similar ration with a slight increase in the amount offered.
Feeding the Ewe Flock
Feeding the Ewe FlockLate Gestation (last 4 week)
1. In the late stages of pregnancy, the energy and protein intake of the ewe should be increased to match the ewes increasing requirements for the developing lambs, for udder development and colostrum production.
2. 70 % of foetal growth occurs in the last 6 weeks of pregnancy, during which time rumen capacity and hence food intake is reducing. Ewe should be supplemented with 0.5 kg conc. Mix / ewe daily.
The consequences of underfeeding in the last two months of pregnancy include:
• Thin ewes • Pregnancy toxaemia • Small weak lambs • Poor supply of colostrum • High lamb losses • Poor milk yield
Feeding the Ewe Flock
Late Gestation (last 4 week)
Pregnancy toxaemia
Low energy intakeLow energy intake
Low insulin High Glucagon
Hormone-sensitive lipase enzyme release from adipose tissue
Lipolysis of fat
NEFA + glycerol
Mitochondria
Stimulate
Cyclic AMP
Inner mitochondrial membrane is impermeable to Fatty acid
Carnitine transports FA inside the mitochondria where they
are burnt to produce energy (β-oxidation)
Carnitine
Lactation (6 to 12 weeks
1. Lactating ewes normally reach their peak in milk production around 3 to 4 weeks after lambing and produce 75 percent of their total milk yield during the first 8 weeks of lactation.
2. A ewe nursing twin lambs produces 20 to 40 percent more milk than a ewe nursing one lamb. Because lamb growth is of primary importance, and is dependant on the milk production of the ewe, optimizing milk production is critical.
3. With average to good quality hay, ewes nursing
singles will need about 0.75-1.0 kg of mixed grain per day; those nursing twins will require 1.0-1.5 kg per day.
Feeding Lambs
• Colostrum : 1-3 day
• Milk or Milk Replacer : 3 day- weaning
• Creep feed : at 7 –day old.
• Whole grain feeding improves feed efficiency, increase rate of gain and lowers the feed cost per kg of lamb gain.
• Ground ear corn, silage and urea should not fed until lambs are weighing 25-28 kg and up.
Feeding Lambs• Creep feeds should contain 18 to 20 percent crude
protein and be low in fiber (high in energy). The source of protein in commercially prepared lamb creep pellets should be all natural protein. Because the rumen of young lambs is not fully developed, urea should not be used as a partial source of protein in the diet.
• A 2:1 calcium to phosphorous ratio is maintained in on-farm feed mixes by adding feed grade limestone at 1 percent of the diet. Calcium to phosphorous ratios of less than 2:1 may lead to urinary calculi (water belly), which most often results in the death of the lamb. If the addition of limestone to the diet fails to control urinary calculi, ammonium chloride should be added at .5 percent of the diet.
Ram Feeding
• Rams should have a body condition score of 3.5 to 4 before the beginning of the breeding season.
• In many cases, forage alone is not adequate nutrition for placing rams in proper body condition for the breeding season. At the very least, rams should be evaluated for body condition six weeks before breeding.
• Thin rams should receive grain supplementation as a means to increase body weight and condition.
• A free choice source of water, salt and minerals should be available at all times.
Thank you for your attention