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A group of ewes in a field

Mid-pregnancy ewe nutrition just as important

The focus at this time of year is often on ewe health around tupping and early pregnancy but it’s important not to ignore mid-pregnancy if you want to maximise next years’ lamb profit.

Grass quality and quantity will be declining and the weather getting worse, which can lead to a loss of body condition score (BCS) and productivity.

The long, dry summer affected grass availability at a time when ewes should be gaining condition ready for tupping, which means the BCS may be down on the approach to mid-pregnancy.

Although very little growth of the lambs will occur during the mid-pregnancy period, the foetal membranes will be developing, including the placenta which is essential for providing oxygen and essential nutrients.

If nutrition is compromised during mid pregnancy, placental size can be small and a reduced supply of nutrients and oxygen will be available to the unborn lambs, often resulting in the birth of weaker, smaller lambs with higher mortality.

It was thought fit ewes could lose up to half their BCS during the mid-pregnancy period without affecting lamb development.

However, recent studies have shown an increase in lamb mortality and a detrimental effect on lamb birth weight and vigour if ewes were underfed.

And the reproductive potential of ewe lambs born to underfed ewes during mid pregnancy has reportedly fallen, as formation of the reproductive organs occurs during foetal development in utero.

Offering a free-access supplement like Rumenco’s PROMAXX or MAXX Energy during the mid-pregnancy period is an ideal solution for supporting BCS.

As well as being packed full of vitamins and minerals, molassed lick PROMAXX contains 20% protein from both natural and urea sources.

The increased protein supply to in-lamb ewes supports the digestion and intakes of poorer quality forages, especially in grazing situations. Additionally, PROMAXX can provide a good energy source (13MJ ME/kg DM) to utilise the additional protein and will also support BCS maintenance over the winter months.

If lower protein forages are not an issue, MAXX Energy contains 12% protein and high levels of energy to help support maintenance of BCS and daily liveweight gain.

The little and often mechanism of feeding also offers a rumen-friendly method of supplying sugars to increase the utilisation of protein in the available forage. MAXX Energy is suitable for feeding through to lambing for ewes needing a little more energy on the approach to lambing.

As tupping is completed and ewes are safely in lamb the focus should not just be on pre-lambing, but also winter feeding of ewes to support them through the equally important mid-pregnancy period.

Ensuring adequate supplies of energy and protein, plus minerals and vitamins is crucial to ensure ewe body condition is on target for better returns from strong healthy lambs.

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