Top tips for successful surplus lamb rearing
Maximising the number of lambs sold per ewe put to the ram is one of the key benchmarks for a successful sheep enterprise. With lamb prices forecast to remain firm during 2023, it will undoubtedly pay to make every lamb count.
“Neonatal lamb mortality continues to be a challenging issue for the sheep industry but improving colostrum management and feeding practices could make a significant difference on many farms,” says Alan Smith, Lamlac Business Manager
“Once surplus lambs have received enough of the essential colostrum first feed during the first 24 hours of life – they can then move onto a performance-formulated ewe milk replace such as Lamlac to make the most of their significant early life growth potential.
“Following an adequate colostrum intake, feeding a surplus lamb enough of a proven high quality ewe milk replacer is the key to healthy, profitable growth – and will help you make a decent financial return on any lamb reared off the ewe.”
Lamlac can be mixed cold easily and is designed to be a complete diet providing the lamb with all the energy and nutrients it needs.
“Feeding enough is the key to healthy, profitable growth. A single lamb reared artificially to weaning (at an average of 35 days of age) will require a minimum of 9.5kg of powder (equating to 47.5 litres of reconstituted ewe milk replacer).”
Bottle feeding rearing system:
To make a litre of milk, mix 200g of Lamlac with 800ml of water.
| Age of lamb (days)
|
Volume of Lamlac to be fed per day |
| 1-3 | 1 litre (split into 4-5 separate feeds) |
| 4-7 | 1 litre (spilt into 4 separate feeds) |
| 8-35 (weaning) | 1.5 litres (split into 4 separate feeds initially; reducing to 2 separate feeds until weaning) |
Ad-lib feeding of surplus lambs
When using a labour saving, ad lib feeding system (warm milk bucket feeding or computerised machine feeding), Alan explains that lambs will drink more (albeit on a little and often basis, which reduces the risk of digestive upsets) but also grow faster.
“These bucket feeders are thermostatically controlled. We recommend that newborn lambs be started on milk at 30°C, but once they are trained and drinking well the temperature can be reduced to 18-20°C. The amount of milk replacer used is approximately 11-12kg per lamb. It’s best if the bucket feeder used is able to sit outside of the lamb rearing pen ensuring optimum safety and avoiding wasteful spillages.”
He suggests starting lambs on restricted warm milk until trained (1 litre spilt into four or five 200-250ml feeds per day). “Training normally takes 1-3 days, after which time you can allow your lambs ad lib access to milk.”
Husbandry tips
Whatever the rearing system adopted, lambs should have access to fresh water, roughage and a good quality creep feed to encourage rumen development.
“Lambs reared artificially will also need constant access to fresh, clean water at all times. Top quality creep feed should also be readily available to lambs and be offered fresh at least once a day, with refusals being fed to older stock (e.g. ewes).
“Lambs will begin to nibble on creep feed at 7-10 days of age. Consumption will be low to begin with and offering small amounts and keeping the creep feed refreshed at least once a day will encourage intake.”
Alan adds that you should also introduce clean, dry straw – preferably barley into racks.
“Don’t feed ad-lib high quality roughage for example, hay, during milk feeding as this can depress concentrate intake and delay weaning.
‘For optimum rearing results, don’t keep more than 25 lambs in a pen and keep similar ages and sizes together. Lambs must also have access to a clean, dry straw-bedded lying area which is well ventilated but draught-free. Check your lambs at least twice a day.
“Finally, maintain scrupulous hygiene protocols. For example, all feeding equipment should be thoroughly cleaned each day and disinfected twice weekly.”
Follow these steps with your surplus lambs and you will optimise early life growth potential and ensure these valuable extra offspring will be ready for weaning as quickly as possible.
Weaning advice
When it comes to weaning surplus lambs effectively, they should be:
- A minimum of 2.5 times their birthweight (9-10kg)
- A minimum of 35 days old
- Eating 250g of solid feed per day for 10 days
Abrupt weaning is recommended because it reduces the risk of digestive upsets associated with gradual weaning.