DGM:ISU:2012

Practical Feeding Guidelines

for Dairy Ewes


Dr. Dan Morrical
I owa State University
515-294-2904
morrical@iastate.edu

Givens
Feed is very, very expensive
Sheep are selective consumers
Feed cost is over 50% cost of production
Milk yields are similar to ewes raising
singles
DGM:ISU:2012

Critical Phases of Production
Flushing/ breeding

Ewes with multiples produce more milk

Feed increased energy
improved pasture or increased grain
increase ewe body condition score
ideal 2.0 to 3.0

precaution with high grain (>1.5 lbs)

DGM:ISU:2012

Critical Phases of Production
Mid-gestation

Placental development and fetal loss
Fetal loss higher in multiples and young ewes
Minimize stress
Protein status with residue grazing
Do not be too frugal
DGM:ISU:2012

Critical Phases of Production
Late gestation

Position ewes to lactate/ lamb survival
Birth weight goals
singles 7% of dams weight
twins 6.5% of dams weight
triplets 5.5% of dams weight

Ex. 175 pound dam s=12.3, tw=11.3, tr=9.6

Use fetal scanning
DGM:ISU:2012

What we know
ISU and SDSU Diagnostic labs
Most common mineral deficiencies
Selenium
I odine
DGM:ISU:2012

Late gestation
Stressful which leads to reduced immunity
Cold stress
Milk fever
inadequate calcium or too much other minerals
cation-anion imbalance, see Dairy Nutritionist
occurs in late, late gestation mostly
Reduced immunity leads to more health
issues, (mastitis, respiratory, uterine
infections)
Reallocation of nutrients
DGM:ISU:2012

Critical Nutrient, Vitamin E
White muscle disease
Interacts with Selenium
Oxidative stress and free radicals
Cellular level metabolism
Free radicals are a product of energy metabolism
Accumulation creates cell/muscle damage
DGM:ISU:2012

Vitamin E
Research results most important under
stressful lambing conditions Kott

Vitamin E does not transfer via placenta

High E intake in ewes = high levels in
milk
DGM:ISU:2012

BMP Vitamin E
Feed ewes 100 IU/ hd/ d
late gestation and lactation
Creep feed minimum 40K IU/ ton
Up to 100K IU per ton/new NRC
Do not count on E in mineral
Concentration is too low.
Grazing growing plants no problem
No injections
DGM:ISU:2012

Selenium Deficiency
Reproductive failure
Embryonic mortality (wks 3-4)
White muscle disease
Poor suckling reflex
Indirectly hypothermia/ goiter
Deiodinase enzyme
I4 to I3 which is the biologically active form
BAT activity
Reduced growth
Reduced disease resistance

FDA controlled
.3 PPM is maximum in the ration
.69 mg/ head per day is maximum intak
90 PPM TM salt = ounce intake
15 PPM mineral = 1.5 ounce intake
very costly
Crosses placenta
High Se intake late gestation, doubles
newborn status
DGM:ISU:2012

BMP Selenium
Read mineral tag
Monitor mineral intake
Add to grain mix and force feed
Eliminates animal to animal variation
Needed year round
Pre-caution, some is good more may
not be better. Toxic
DDGS/ S decrease Se absorption
DGM:ISU:2012

Critical Nutrient, I odine
BMR/ hypothermia
Goiter
Fetal development
Still births
Weak lambs
Close to ocean no biggie
DGM:ISU:2012

Critical Nutrient, I odine
NRC, 2007 increased requirement
to .5 to .8 mg/ kg
Requirement goes up in cold

1-2 mg supplemental intake daily
TM salt at 150 to 200 PPM
Sheep mineral at 40-50 PPM
DGM:ISU:2012

Southern I A Forages (PPM)
Se Zn Co Mn Cu Mo I
Alfalfa .30 19 .26 51 7.4 1.4 .18

Brome .15 14 .17 68 5.7 1.8
Fescue .06 18 .22 122 6.2 1.0
Bermuda .20 22 .22 125 8.5 .9
Def. * * *
DGM:ISU:2012

Sheep Mineral, Kansas
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS

Calcium 7%
Phos. 5%
Salt 45%
Sulfur 1%
Magnesium 1%
Zinc 150 PPM short
Iodine 125 PPM okay
Cobalt 150 PPM okay
Selenium 10 PPM super, super short


Better mineral
Calcium not needed with
Phosphorous not need with
High salt equals lower intake
levels ++

DGM:ISU:2012

DGM:ISU:2012

T.M. SALT w/ Selenium

GUARANTEED ANALYSIS
Salt, min 94.00%
Salt, max 95.00%
Zinc, min 0.60% 6000 PPM
Magnesium, min 0.52% 5200 PPM
Manganese, min 0.25% 2500 PPM
Iron, min 0.25% 2500 PPM
Iodine, min 0.01% 100 PPM short
Cobalt, min 0.003% 30 PPM
Selenium 90 PPM .009% max.

PPM = mg/ kg
Lactation Diets
Protein, MP
Energy
Monitor Condition score
Components make big difference
DGM:ISU:2012
Example, 4 pounds
5.5% MF and 4.6%MP
Ration
Alfalfa hay, eb 4*
Corn 1.0
TM salt .02
Vitamin E .01

Short on MP

Sheep Brands Software
*limit hay to limit waste
Results
Intake 63%
Body wt change -.17

%CP 15.9
%TDN 65.5
% Ca 1.15
% P .31
eNDF 39%
DACB 36
DGM:ISU:2012
Example, 4 pounds
5.5% MF and 4.6%MP
Ration
Alfalfa hay, eb 4
Corn .5
DDGS .5
TM salt .02
Vitamin E .01


Sheep Brands Software
Results
Intake 63%
Body wt change -.01

%CP 18.2
%TDN 65.5
% Ca 1.17
% P .36
eNDF 38%
DACB 36
DGM:ISU:2012
Example, 3 pounds
8.7% MF and 6.3%MP
Ration
Alfalfa hay, eb 4
Corn 1.0
DDGS 1.0
TM salt .02
Vitamin E .01
Sodium bicarb .02


Sheep Brands Software
Results
Intake 69%
Body wt change -.01

%CP 18.3
%TDN 68.0
% Ca .95
% P .40
eNDF 32.8%
DACB 34 or 29
DGM:ISU:2012
Example, 6 pounds
5.5% MF and 4.6%MP
Ration
Alfalfa hay, eb 5
Corn .5
DDGS 2.0
TM salt .02
Vitamin E .01


Sheep Brands Software

Results
Intake 92%
Body wt change .03

%CP 20.7
%TDN 68.
% Ca .98
% P .45
eNDF 32.9%
DACB 29
DGM:ISU:2012
Example, 6 pounds
5.5% MF and 4.6%MP
Ration
Alfalfa hay, eb 5
Corn 1.0
Roasted SB 1.5
TM salt .02
Vitamin E .01


Sheep Brands Software

Results
Intake 92%
Body wt change .04

%CP 21.6
%TDN 69.2
% Ca .99
% P .38
eNDF 33.6%
DACB 36
DGM:ISU:2012
MP sources
Soyplus
Expeller SBM
Corn gluten Meal
Fish meal
Blood meal
DDGS
Feed more energy

DGM:ISU:2012
Pasture Feeding
High quality and quantity
MP supplement

DGM:ISU:2012

Feed Waste and big bales
DGM:ISU:2012
Summary
Read feed tags
Control feed waste
Test hays
Monitor body condition
Common sense
Micro elements for immunity/health
Gradual ration changes
Buy Brands
DGM:ISU:2012
DGM:ISU:2007
Questions