Sheep in winter

Skinny ewes have lower lamb birth weights and more lamb deaths due to exposure and starvation. It’s essential to check the body condition of your sheep by getting hands-on with them, as poor condition is easily hidden by wool.

Pregnant ewes that are too thin are more likely to suffer from metabolic diseases (milk fever, staggers, sleepy sickness) and die. Have treatments ready as you need to respond rapidly – talk to your vet about options.

Silage and hay won’t restore condition, so you will need to buy grain-based concentrates.

4 things to know about feeding supplements to sheep

■ Use troughs – make sure sheep have plenty of space, so all get a fair share, no one can gorge, and there’s no waste.

■ Start with small amounts (50g per sheep per day), spread over hay or straw to prevent gorging, and supply roughage.

■ Slowly build-up to the recommended ration over 7-10 days. Too much grain in a short time can badly affect the rumen, causing acidosis. If an animal suddenly eats a lot of grain, it causes an over-production of volatile fatty acids in the rumen. This lowers the rumen’s pH, and can cause toxic shock and death. Early symptoms include animals that stop eating within a couple of hours, restlessness, discomfort, dullness, and possibly diarrhoea – some may go lame (laminitis). As it progresses, symptoms can include dehydration, severe diarrhoea, staggering, a bloated abdomen, and blindness. The animal will lay down, look sleepy, become cast (on its side, unwilling or unable to sit or stand up), and die.

■ Nutritious winter feeds that go well with grains and have high crude protein levels include lucerne hay (17%), good quality pasture-based hay (12%), pea straw (9%), barley straw (5%), and oat straw (4%).