As stronger farmgate prices raise farmer positivity, there is a returning focus on improving performance rather than cost reduction required for business survival.
Now ewes have been scanned, you can begin predicting lambing percentage. This hinges on the current Body Condition Score (BCS) of the ewes and feed management in the last month of pregnancy and early lactation. Luckily, sheep are less susceptible than cattle to the severe impacts of metabolic disorders in late pregnancy, but they can impact ewe behaviour, colostrum production, and lamb vigour to decrease lamb survivability. Sudden changes of diet, yarding, or even only a few hours without being able to graze can result in the ewe having to mobilise energy reserves or upset the metabolic equilibrium. With higher scanning percentages, there are more ewes with multiple foetuses and more ewes requiring careful management. Historically, if lamb survival has been lower than you expect, reviewing ewe management in this critical period could uncover management changes that may reward you with more lambs at weaning.
If the number of ewes with vaginal prolapse (bearing) concerns you, a focus on growing ewe hoggets to become a more even line of two-tooths can be worthwhile. When the mating weight on the two-tooths is at least 90 percent of the four-tooths, and there is little variability, the BCS of the ewes is more easily managed. When ewe weights can vary by up to 20 kg, managing them as a mob to meet all their nutritional needs can be problematic. A focus on ewe lamb weight gains, from their first autumn through the winter, can make the management of the ewe flock much easier as time goes on.
Winter cattle growth rates, either on crops or grass-based systems, are a good indicator of the success of feeding animals to achieve targets. Monitoring is important, both fast and slow finishing systems, to ensure animals are on track and allowing time for remedial action. The most common cause of lower-than-anticipated growth rates is animals not eating the expected amount of feed. This may be due to inaccuracies of assessing feed availability or, more commonly, lower utilisation of the feed as can be seen in wet conditions. If these are not concerns, then an unbalanced diet commonly with insufficient fibre or protein could be responsible. Examining the cattle’s faeces gives insight into rumen health and the efficiency of extracting the nutrients in the feed, into a form the animal can use. The next step is to consider feed testing the components of the winter diet, both crop/pasture and fibre, to determine where improved outcomes can be made.
