Feeding considerations for breeding ewes:
1. Reducing over fattening of ewes:
- Over-fattening will result in excessive fat deposition resulting in reduced fertility
- A good shepherd should watch for over-fattening at least one and a half to two months before the onset of breeding season.
- The over-fat ewes may be gradually brought down to the desirable lean condition, by reducing the ration and by exercising.
- The farmer should constantly check and keep the ewes in condition for flushing by mild reduction in feed and providing exercise. .
2.Flushing ewes
- About 2 to 3 weeks before the onset of the breeding season, nutrition of ewes should be stepped up to promote their body weight.
- This practice will bring ewes into heat earlier in the season thereby giving early lambs.
- It also has the effect of bringing the ewes into heat a more nearly the same time, resulting in a more uniform lamb crop.
- Besides, flushing also increases the lambing rate and incidence of multiple births in the flock.
- This period is usually during the latter half of May in India.
- Different flushing rations are furnished below and any one method can be followed depending upon the availability of feed resources.
3.Suggested flushing rations
- A good mixed pasture of legumes and grasses,
- A grass pasture plus 150 g of wheat bran per head per day,
- Grass pasture plus 250 g of grains and 450 g of oil cakes,
- Legume hay full fed plus 100 g of wheat bran and 150 to 200 g of grain and
- Green fodder at the rate of 10 per cent of body weight and 150-200 g of concentrate per head per day.
4.Concentrate feed ingredients for sheep and goats
- Sorghum
- Maize
- Broken rice
- Jowar
- Soya bean cake
- Groundnut cake
5.Reducing over fattening of ewes
- Over-fattening will result in excessive fat deposition resulting in reduced fertility.
- A good shepherd should watch for over-fattening at least one and a half to two months before the onset of breeding season.
- The over-fat ewes may be gradually brought down to the desirable lean condition, by reducing the ration and by exercising.
- The farmer should constantly check and keep the ewes in condition for flushing by mild reduction in feed and providing exercise.
6.Flushing ewes
- About 2 to 3 weeks before the onset of the breeding season, nutrition of ewes should be stepped up to promote their body weight.
- This practice will bring ewes into heat earlier in the season thereby giving early lambs.
- It also has the effect of bringing the ewes into heat a more nearly the same time, resulting in a more uniform lamb crop.
- Besides, flushing also increases the lambing rate and incidence of multiple births in the flock.
- This period is usually during the latter half of May in India.
- Different flushing rations are furnished below and any one method can be followed depending upon the availability of feed resources.
7.Suggested flushing rations
- A good mixed pasture of legumes and grasses,
- A grass pasture plus 150 g of wheat bran per head per day,
- Grass pasture plus 250 g of grains and 450 g of oil cakes,
- Legume hay full fed plus 100 g of wheat bran and 150 to 200 g of grain and
- Green fodder at the rate of 10 per cent of body weight and 150-200 g of concentrate per head per day.
8. Feeding ewes during early and mid-pregnancy
- Good feeding during gestation is the keystone for a healthy strong lamb crop
- If feeding is inadequate or defective, weak or dead lambs will result..
- It increase the number of strong healthy live lambs born,
- It prolongs the productive life of the ewes,
- It increases milk yield by the ewes resulting in healthier weanlings,
- It also improves the wool productivity,
- It lessens the incidence of lambing paralysis, and
- It decreases the probability of ewes disowning their lambs as a result of exhaustion and weakness.
9. Suggested rations for ewes during this period
- Grazing: On a good pasture. .
- Sorghum silage: One to two kg. Sorghum silage plus legume hay half to one kilogram per head per day.
- Ad libitum supply of maize or sorghum fodder plus 50g of oil cakes like groundnut cake, per head per day.
- Grazing on stubbles and harvested fields supplemented with 100 g of oil cakes per head per day.
10. Feeding ewes during late pregnancy
- During this period ewes may be allowed to graze on crop aftermaths (crop stubbles), wild grasses and weeds
- Their ration must be supplemented with available green fodder fed at the rate of 5 kg per head per day.
- During the last one month of pregnancy the foetus grows rapidly in the uterus.
- Lack of enough energy in the feed can cause pregnancy toxaemia in ewes.
- Molasses or grains (barley, maize, oats, etc.) may be fed at the rate of 225 g per head per day.
- Further, ewes should also receive available green fodder at the rate of 7 kg per head per day or
- 600 g of quality legume hay or 300 g of concentrate with 12 to 14 % DCP and 65 to 70% TDN during last 45 days of pregnancy.