LAMBING PROBLEMS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 June 1938, Page 3

LAMBING PROBLEMS

FEEDING THE EWE FLOCK. ROUGHAGE ESSENTIAL., “What amount of chaff, grain, or ensilage should be fed to ewes before and after lambing?” The answer to this question was given by the chief agricultural adviser of the South Australian Department of Agriculture as. follows: Although in-lamb ewes have to produce wool and also develop the foetus, the requirements for additional nutrients is not great until the time arrives actively to stimulate milk flow. The total amount of dry matter that a 1001 b sheep will consume is about 211 b per day, and although a concentrated food may be fed, she should always be able to obtain sufficient roughage to fill •her stomach. With good quality chaff, approximately IJlb per day is sufficient to maintain a ewe in strong healthy condition, but about 14 days before the lamb in due the ration should be increased to 21b per day. This quantity would be continued* after the lamb is born.

There is little to choose between the feeding value of the different cereal grains. Wheat and barley are about equal, with oats a little better for the production of milk. With wheat at, say 4s per bushel, on a food value basis, Pryor barley is estimated to be worth 3s 2d and oats 2s 2d per bushel. A fair grain ration with roughage is 11b per head per day, but in late pregnancy this should reach 141 b per day per head. A maintenance ensilage ration is about 41b per head per day, increasing to 51b later on or supplementing the original ration with Jib bran or oats.