By Calum Littlejohn, ECV Nutritionist
With tupping in full swing on many hill farms and lowland flocks getting ready for lambing, farmers are now starting to supplement their ewes to boost their nutrition. As with all feed inputs, mineral and feed supplements have increased considerably in cost on the year. It is now more important than ever to really look into what you are buying and whether it fits your purpose in a cost-efficient manner. Just because you have always used a certain product doesn’t necessarily mean that it is the most suitable supplementation for your system.
Buckets and blocks have been around for many years and farmers have had a lot of success with them in many different situations. One of the main benefits of blocks and buckets can be the ease of use especially on upland/hill farms where access can be an issue. East Coast Viners stocks a selection of products from Rumenco and Scotmin as well as offering a range of own brand products to suit all seasons and flocks.
Feeding molasses products can often be overlooked with many thinking that it will not fit into their current system. ECV work in partnership with ED&F Man providing molasses products to farms either in bulk or IBCs. Sheepmol is a high dry matter, high sugar blend containing cane molasses and glycerine. The unique formulation of Sheepmol helps to promote healthy lamb growth whilst also maintaining ewe health and condition. In the late stages of a ewe’s pregnancy the rumen space becomes restricted due to the growth of the foetus (Fig. 1).
In the last 6 weeks of pregnancy, 75% of lamb growth occurs. This is also when energy requirements increase dramatically. During the later stages in pregnancy, Sheepmol comes into it’s own and helps to mitigate metabolic diseases such as pregnancy toxaemia (twin lamb disease). Sheepmol is a high dry matter product (70% DM) and is also very energy dense (13.5ME). The needs of a twin or triplet bearing ewe in late pregnancy can be more easily met with the supplementation of Sheepmol in the diet. Another benefit of Sheepmol is the inclusion of Glycerine. Glycerine is a precursor for glucose which helps to support milk production along with colostrum quality and quantity. Liquid feeds are unique in having a low substitution rate. This allows the feed intake of silage, hay or compound feed to be maintained. For ewes requiring a boost, Sheepmol Plus is available. This gives all the benefits of Sheepmol with the addition of a vitamin and trace element mineral package to aid ewe health.
There are a number of ways to feed molasses and feeders are available in a range of sizes. The most popular being a 35 litre, two wheel lick feeder. These are ideally suited for groups of 40-60 ewes. For customers looking to feed larger numbers of ewes, a 95 litre, five wheel lick feeder is also available. This comes complete with pipework and attachments so that it can be connected to an IBC and filled with minimal effort and wastage (Fig. 2).
If you would like to discuss how the Sheepmol range can fit into your winter feeding plan then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with your local nutritionist or the team of advisors in the office.