Insert appropriate picture here Managing Ewe Nutrition to Drive Lamb Growth Rates BestWool/BestLamb Conference Bendigo 26 July 2013 Peter Bailey: Project Manager Red Meat Value Chain & Lamb Specialist

Aspirational Targets • Targeting 400 gLWG / day birth to weaning • Ewe nutrition & lactation is key • Maternal Ewes – lamb weaning weight (> 40kgLW)!!

– ewe efficiency (> 80%) ?

– ewe kgLW / ha (> 600) ?

– lamb CW / ha (> 400) ?

• Merino Ewes – what are their desired targets?

Benefits of 400 gLWG / day • Increased lamb vigour and survival • More lambs sold off mum (earlier less days on feed) • Higher dressing out % • Less animal health • Meet (spring) market premium • Improved feed utilisation • Align feed supply and demand profile • Lower (more efficient) cost of production • Free up feed for (more) ewes or other livestock enterprises

Ewe Condition 3.0 (+ kgLW) • Why condition score & liveweight?

• CS: 2.5 – 3.5

• LW: 50 – 80kgLW • Foetus: 0 – 4 lambs • Changes energy (feed) demand!

Foetus and Mammary development

Ewe Nutrition Mating to Lactation • Grazing strategies are key • r otation vs. set stocking

Early – Mid Pregnancy Management • Time of mob stocking – allocate ram ratio to ewe mob size – no physical pressure • Nutrition – pasture cover not to drop below 1,200 kgDM pasture cover – underfeeding in first third of pregnancy reduces cotyledon numbers – lowers lamb birth weight – flush with a green pick and rising plane of nutrition – marginal decrease in CS 3.0 > 2.8 day 40 to 80?

– animal health – vaccinations, drench

Mid-Pregnancy Ewe Shearing?

• An option worth considering?

• Mid winter shearing between day 50 – 100 – pre-scanning – increase birth weights by up to 0.7 kgLW / lamb (up to 1.0 kgLW) – increased vigour, stored energy as fat reserves – Increased lamb survival & decreases lamb mortality by up to 3 % – easier lambing with less wool • Extra feed required 10 – 15 days • Positive affect on wool yield and quality • Must fit your enterprise mix

Mid – Late Pregnancy Management • Time to change from rotation to set stocking – set stock 1 week pre-lambing – lower weaning weight of lamb when ewes set stocked 4 weeks prior to lambing (c/w 1 week) • Nutrition – gradual rising plane of nutrition – weaning weight increase 2 kg / 100 kgDM pasture cover increase (target > 1,200 kgDM / ha) – milk production peak and total – animal health pre – lamb vaccinations

Understanding Ewe Milk Production • Understanding Ewe milk production – rising plane of nutrition from mid pregnancy (post scan) to lambing    1.0 – 1.5 – 2.0 x maintenance ewes lamb at CS 3.0+ enhances lamb energy reserves (fat and glycogen) and vigour – over lambing pasture cover required > 1,300 kgDM/ha   minimum allowance offered 6 – 8 kgDM/day eat 2.5 – 3.5 kgDM/day (3x maintenance) – health and mineral status  mastitis, milk fever

Ewe Lactation Curve

Pasture Allowance During Lactation

Ewe Lactation • • • • Daily milk production peaks at 2 – 3 weeks and produce – 2.5 kg milk/day (single lamb) – 3.5 kg milk/day (twin lambs) 40 – 50 % milk produced in first 4 weeks of lactation After which it declines by 19.0 – 26.0 g milk/day By day 100 milk production is down to 0.0 – 0.5 kg milk/day – by then the ewe is competing for feed with lambs !

Ewe Lactation • • • • Ewes with twins produce 30 – 50 % more milk / lactation than singles Each twin lamb receives only 60 % as much milk as a single lamb Twin lambs forced to eat pasture at an earlier age Total milk produced is influenced by management – genetics / breed – ewe condition / age – nutrition

Ewe Milk energy Vs lamb Energy

Lamb Nutritional Requirements • Understanding lamb nutritional requirements for 400 gm / day growth to weaning. As a guide: – milk consumed by lambs most important in first 6 weeks  transition from milk to pasture begins at 3 – 5 weeks of age – ME requirements  6 weeks > 20 kgLW requires > 10.0 MJME/day  8 weeks > 25 kgLW requires > 20.0 MJME/day  12 weeks > 35 kgLW requires > 28.0 MJME/day

Milk to Pasture Transition: Singles

Milk to Pasture Transition: Twins

Pre – Post Weaning Lamb Growth • Competition for feed between ewes and lambs begins 30 to 40 days after lambing commenced • Ewe lactation ends around day 80 – 100!

• Why wean later than day 100 days?

– short of feed – wean earlier < 1,000kgDM/ha ?

– surplus of feed – wean later >1,400kgDM/ha ?

• Compromise lamb growth: 50g – 350g/day!

Summary • Understand the management requirements of the ewe and lamb from mating to weaning • Optimise ewe lactation through genetic selection and culling • Nutrition, feed quality, match feed supply and demand • Achieve 400 g/day lamb growth • Timeframe 100 days • Improved lamb survival and next years conception