Look after your lambers
PRODUCTION ADVICE - APRIL 2020 - ANIMAL HEALTH
By Scott Ison
District Veterinarian
P: 03 5881 9900 | M: 0427 362 003 | E: scott.ison@lls.nsw.gov.au
Lambing is a critical time for sheep producers and should not be taken for granted.
Recent work by Meat and Livestock Australia has shown that the most costly disease to the Australian red meat industry is neonatal lamb mortality. This refers to death of lambs within three days of birth and is estimated to cost the industry more than $540 million annually.
While neonatal mortality cannot be completely eliminated, it can be significantly reduced by following some basic principles around ewe nutrition and preparation of the lambing paddock. Good preparation starts at pregnancy scanning, separating bearing ewes from singles, drafting on condition score and separating maidens and merino ewes for extra care. The diet can be influenced with the aim of having twin-bearing ewes at 3.0-3.3 score at lambing and singles at 2.7-3.0.
Ewes need a high-quality diet at lambing and through lactation. A twin-bearing ewe doubles her energy requirement in the last month of gestation. Her feed intake will be drastically reduced as the gravid uterus fills the abdomen, meaning only the highest-quality pastures and grains will meet her nutrient requirements.
Sheep may take several weeks to adjust to a new diet, and results can be disastrous if a transition is made close to lambing. Moving ewes to well-prepared lambing paddocks at least one month before the lambing start date and providing a high-quality diet including calcium, magnesium and salt supplements are essential in preventing lambing sickness and milk fever. Good parasite control at lambing is also important, with ewes losing the majority of their worm resistance in late pregnancy and early lactation.
For more animal health information, call the Animal Biosecurity and Welfare team at Murray Local Land Services on 03 5881 1055 (Deniliquin) or 02 6051 2200 (Albury).