New lower carbon solution for feeding ewes

Dr Chris Bartram, Mole Valley Farmers Head of Nutrition 

Our team at Mole Valley Feed Solutions has developed an improved range of ewe feeds for the new season. It includes a new product designed to help lower our farmers’ feed carbon footprints.

All our ewe feeds are formulated to maximise the number of viable lambs born, ensure ewes have enough colostrum for those first vital days and maintain body reserves to produce enough milk during lactation.

We successfully fed more than one million sheep last year and our latest development NSP Ewe Nuts contains no soy products and is formulated using carbon footprint values from the independent Global Feed LCA Institute (GFLI) database.

The ewe nuts also include NovaPro-protected rape and biotin as standard. They are designed for producers who prefer not to feed soy products but want to maintain high levels of performance.

The GFLI is an independent animal nutrition and food industry institute set up to develop a publicly available Animal Nutrition Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) database to help the animal nutrition and food industry assess and improve the environmental impact of feed. 

The unique features of the new total range of ewe feeds include: 

Why you should use our sheep feed:

1. Energy 
   The amount and type of energy supply is crucial. In order to maximise rumen function diets must be formulated to a specific level of fermentable carbohydrate and digestible fibre.  Overfeeding starch, particularly in late pregnancy when forage intakes are low, can lead to acidosis and potentially serious consequences on the health and performance of the ewe. 
2. Protein 
   The amount and type of protein supply is crucial. Studies have shown the importance of providing sufficient protein to ewes during late pregnancy and early lactation. 
   As a result of our detailed knowledge of individual ingredients, all Mole Valley Feed Solutions products are formulated to specific levels of digestible undegradable protein (DUP). 
   A wide range of protein sources are available including beans, rape, maize distillers and protected rape, as well as soya. The improved protein nutrition results in increases in lamb birth weights and milk protein content and ultimately, stronger and faster-growing lambs.
3. Minerals and trace elements 
   All our products have detailed mineral and trace element specifications. The levels of magnesium, phosphorus, calcium and sodium are strictly controlled to help increase feed intake and minimise the incidence of disorders like hypomagnesaemia and hypocalcaemia. 
   The levels of all trace elements, including selenium and iodine, are carefully controlled to provide amounts that are adequate but not excessive. Certain products include a copper antagonist to help manage copper supply. This may be crucial with certain breeds or where levels of concentrate feed supplementation are high and prolonged.
4. Vitamin E 
   The benefits of an adequate supply of vitamin E are widely documented but often ignored. Detailed trials show ewes fed additional vitamin E produced more vigorous lambs with faster growth rates.
5. Biotin 
   Biotin has been fed in the dairy sector for years. It is particularly effective in high-concentrate feeding systems and has consistently been shown to increase milk yield and boost foot integrity.

Similar results have now been found in sheep. In a controlled study, biotin resulted in a 15% increase in milk yield and an extra 1.2kg lamb liveweight at weaning. It is cost-effective and is included in certain products as standard. 

Our full ewe feed range is summarised below. 

Champion Ewe and Premier Ewe remain the tried, tested and trusted options for traditional systems. Prestige Ewe, with biotin and a copper antagonist as standard, together with very high levels of DUP, is the option for very high-performance systems. Product selection and exact feed rates will depend on breed, body condition, forage quality and quantity and the target level of performance. 
 
For full details on formulations and prices for the new season contact the Feed Line on 01566 780261.