LET STOCK ADJUST TO SUPPLEMENTS GRADUALLY

If you're going to need to feed grain or other supplements to your livestock, feed out hay first, and start the changeover gradually and slowly.

It's very important to watch your sheep while they feed and check if any are reluctant or too enthusiastic. The odd sheep will gorge, which will put them at risk of bloat or acidosis, while others won't have much interest. If one or other is a problem, feed those animals separately.

For a group of 10 sheep which have access to dry, meagre amounts of pasture, a daily ration on Day 1 would be 450g of grain (45g each) plus 9kg of good hay (about one-third of a small bale). The goal over the next nine days is to gradually increase the grain ration to 1.3kg (130g each) while halving the amount of hay. In late pregnancy the grain ration can be increased to 4kg plus 7kg of hay.

Always make sure animals have an adequate supply of fresh water if you are feeding out concentrates.