SUSAN SCHOENIAN (Shāy-nē-ŭn)
Sheep & Goat Specialist
Western Maryland Research & Education Center
sschoen@umd.edu - www.sheepandgoat.com

 Species
 Genetic type
 Size (weight)
 Age
 Sex
 Stage of production
 Level of production
 Body condition
 Environment

1. Water
2. Energy
3. Protein
4. Fats
5. Vitamins
6. Minerals
 Fiber

 Pounds, kilograms,
grams, or calories.
 Energy (TDN, ME, NE)
 Protein (CP)
 Grams (g)
 Macro minerals
 Parts per million (ppm)
 Micro minerals
 International units (IU)
 Vitamins

 It is assumed that livestock 132 lb. ewe lamb (early gestation, single lamb)
will eat (or be fed) a certain Requires 0.34 lbs. of CP per day
percentage of their body 5 lbs. of hay 4 lbs. of hay 3 lbs. of hay
weight in dry matter. 7.7% 9.7% 12.9%
 Recommended dietary
percentages are based on
dry matter intake.
 The new NRC (2007)
requirements no longer give
percentage requirements of
nutrients.
 The most useful use of
percentages is to compare
nutritive value of feedstuffs.

 Ewes and does
 Dry period
 Breeding
 Gestation
 Lactation
 Weaning
 Lambs and kids
 Newborn
 Pre-weaning
 Post-weaning
▪ Slaughter stock
▪ Replacements
 Bucks and rams
 Maintenance
 Breeding

DRY PERIOD
Maintenance
WEANING
Drying off BREEDING
Flushing
LACTATION GESTATION
Early vs. late Early/mid vs. late

 Female is recovering from
lactation and preparing to  Forage (pasture, browse, or
get rebred. harvested forage) is all that’s
 Rebuild body condition and reserves. usually needed to maintain
NOT TOO FAT dry, non-pregnant ruminants.
Type Weight DMI TDN CP
2.97 1.65 0.19
Dairy doe 132 lbs.
2.25% 55.6% 6.4%
2.50 1.32 0.17
Doe 132 lbs.
1.90% 52.8% 6.8%
2.86 1.51 0.21
Ewe 176 lbs.
1.63% 53.1% 7.2%
 Length of dry period depends Divide DMI by % DM to get As Fed.
upon birthing interval and 2.86 0.88 = 3.25 lbs. of hay
length of lactation. 2.86 0.24 = 11.9 lbs. of pasture

 Feed a diet so that females NRC energy requirements (TDN)
will be gaining weight as they are 10% above maintenance.
enter the breeding season.
 Supplement females with 0.5
lb. of grain per head per day
or move females to a lush
pasture that has been saved
for flushing.
 Start 2 weeks before breeding
 Continue 3 to 4 weeks into
breeding season
 Females in average or better
body condition usually do not
respond to flushing.

 What’s occurring?
 Embryos implant in uterus (d 20-24)
 Mammary gland development (d 30-90)
 Placenta development (d 30-90)
 Wool follicles forming (d 35-100)
 NRC Energy requirements (TDN)
above maintenance vary by
Type
(twin-bearing)
Weight DMI TDN CP species, genetic type, and
weight.
3.60 1.91 0.31 ▪ 16-43% for females in table.
Dairy doe 132 lbs.
2.73% 53.1 % 8.6%
3.15 1.67 0.29  Quantity of nutrients is more
Doe 132 lbs.
2.38% 53.0% 9.2% important than quality of
4.05 2.16 0.33
nutrients.
Ewe 176 lbs.
2.30% 53.3% 8.1%
 Don’t allow females to get fat!
 Females should be gaining minimal
Divide DMI by % DM to get As Fed. amount of weight.
3.15 0.88 = 3.6 lbs. of hay ▪ Ewe: ~0.10 lb. per day.
3.15 0.24 =

What’s occurring?
 Rapid fetal growth.
 Limited rumen capacity.
 Mammary development.
 Usually necessary to supplement
high moisture feeds and dry
forages with concentrate feeds to
Type
Weight DMI TDN CP meet nutrient requirements,
(twin-bearing) especially for females carrying
Dairy doe 132 lbs.
3.72 2.46 0.45 multiple births.
2.82% 66.1 % 12.1%  Energy (TDN) is most likely
3.34 2.22 0.43 to be deficient in diet.
Doe 132 lbs.
2.54% 66.5% 13.0%  Calcium requirements increase
4.38 2.90 0.44
Ewe 176 lbs.
2.48% 53.3% 10.0%  Do not feed low quality or
nutrient-dilute feeds during late
Divide DMI by % DM to get As Fed. gestation.
4.38 0.88 = 5.0 lbs. Ewe would have to eat 5
lbs. of hay to meet her TDN requirements.  Do not overfeed!

OVERFEEDING UNDERFEEDING
 Dystocia   Energy  ketosis
 $$$$ (pregnancy toxemia)
  Calcium  milk fever
 Weaker lambs and kids
 Higher neonatal mortality
 Quantity and quality of
colostrum (first milk)
 Less milk production
 Poorer performance
of lambs and kids.
 Fewer secondary follicles in
offspring  fiber production

 Highest nutrient
requirements ($$$)
 Energy + protein
 Save highest quality forage
for lactation diet.
Nutrient requirements
▪ Young > mature
▪ Twins > singles
▪ Triplets > twins
▪ Accelerated > annual
▪ Dairy > non-dairy
▪ Parlor milked >

Type (twin-bearing) Weight DMI TDN CP
Dairy doe (avg. producer) 132 lbs. 6.6 ( 5.0%) 5.25 (80.0 %) 1.39 (21.0%)
Doe 132 lbs. 3.85 (2.91%) 1.98 (51.4%) 0.54 (14.2%)
Ewe 176 lbs. 4.73 (2.69%) 3.3 (69.8%) 0.89 (18.8%)
Dairy ewe 176 lbs. 7.15 (3.80%) 4.42 (61.8%) 1.10 (15.3%)
 General rule of thumb is  Feed meat goat does 1
to feed 1 lb. of grain for lb. of a 16% CP ration per
each lamb a ewe is day.
nursing.
 Feed 1 lb. of concentrate
 1 lb. of grain per day to for each 3 lbs. of milk
ewes nursing lambs on produced.
pasture.

SLAUGHTER
ANIMALS
NEWBORN
PRE-WEANING POST-WEANING
NEONATAL
REPLACEMENTS

 Colostrum – first milk
first 12-24 hours
▪ Energy, fat, and protein
▪ Vitamin A
▪ Antibodies
[Large protein molecules]
▪ Immunoglobulins (IgG)
▪ Laxative
 Lambs and kids should
consume colostrum within
30 minutes of the birth
(ideally) and 10% of the
body weight in their first
24 hours of life.

SUPPLY BEHAVIOR
 Females vary in the quality  Lambs and kids vary in their
and quantity of colostrum suckling ability and intake of
colostrum.
they produce.  Ewe bonding behavior affects
 Older ewes > younger ewes colostrum intake.
 Grain-fed > no grain fed
Cull females with poor bonding
behavior and those that produce
insufficient or thick colostrum.
Do not keep lambs or kids that
require tube or bottle feeding.

 For the first several weeks, all a
lamb or kid needs is its mother’s
milk.
 Lamb and kids will start to
nibble on solid food soon after
birth.
 By the time they are 4 to 6
weeks of age, they could be
getting as much as 50% of their
nutrients from sources other
than milk.
 Pre-weaning diet will affect
rumen development.
 Starter grain > Hay > Pasture

WHO? WHY?
 Early-born lambs and kids  Ease stress at weaning.
 Improve growth rate.
 Lambs and kids born in  Enhance rumen development
accelerated lambing and kidding
programs
 Artificially reared lambs and kids
 Early-weaned lambs and kids.
 In flocks and herds, where there
are lots of multiple births and
milk could be a limiting factor.
 On farms where pasture is a
limited resource.

 Set up a creep area in
barn or on pasture by the
time most of the lambs
or kids are 10 days old.
 Create barrier that
allows entry of lambs or
kids, but prevents ewes
and lambs from
entering.
 Area should provide easy
access, be well-lit, and
be clean and dry.

 Fresh
 Palatable
 17 to 20 percent CP
Lower for older lambs, kids
 2:1 Ca:P ratio
 All-natural protein
 Highly digestible
 Small particle size
 Example rations:
1. cracked corn + soybean meal
2. Starter pellet
 Always available
 Good feeder design

 Set up a barrier that
allows entry of lambs or
kids, but not ewes or
does.
 Forage in creep area
must be superior to
forage in non-creep
area.
 Forage in creep area
must be high quality.

Market Replacements
Pasture
Weaning Market
animals
Dry lot

PASTURE COMBINATION HIGH CONCENTRATE
 Late born  Moderate growth  Early born
 Late weaning potential  Early wean
 Low to moderate  Zero grazing  High growth
growth potential  Free choice hay potential
 Dairy
 High quality  Limit feed grain  Zero grazing
pasture  Mixed rations  High energy
 Creep grazing (?) e.g. whole grain  Self-feed grain
 Supplemental  Pelleted ration
feeding (?)  Limit feed hay
 Maximum gain

 Separate from market animals
 Grow no more than 50 to 75% of the
maximal rate of gain.
 Good forage
 Good forage + 1 lb. of grain (lambs)
 Good forage + 0.5-1% of BW of grain (kids)
Target weights
60 -70 % of mature weight for breeding
 Frame development more 75% of mature weight at 12 months
important than finish.
 Fast growth and unnecessary fat
disposition may be detrimental to
mammary development.
 Exception: full-feed dairy ewes (WI)

 During most of the year,
forage (hay, pasture, or
browse) will meet the
nutritional requirements
of most mature rams
and bucks.
 Supplement rams and
bucks with concentrates
if necessary to maintain
body condition.
 Free choice minerals

 Rams and bucks should be in
good body condition (3-4) at
the time of breeding.
 Feed grain as needed to
condition rams and bucks.
 Continue feeding grain during
Most males will lose body condition breeding season.
during the breeding season (some, a lot).
 Feed ram lambs and bucklings
through breeding season to
allow for growth and breeding
activity.
 Feed rams and bucks after
breeding season to gradually
recover body condition lost
during breeding season.

 Evaluate the adequacy
of previous feed
supply.
 Determining future
feed requirements.
 Accessing the health
status of individual
animals.

 Index of 1-5 usually for
sheep and goats
1. Emaciated
2. Thin
3. Average
4. Fat
5. Obese
 Score by feeling for
fat and/or muscle
over the backbone,
ribs, spine, and loin.

 Ewes and does
 Always, 2-4
 Never, 1 or 5
 Breeding, 3
 Late gestation, 3
 Lambing, 3+
 Weaning, 2
 Rams and bucks
 Pre-breeding, 3-4

Protein (CP)
Meat balls
Vitamins
Cheese topping
Energy (TDN) Minerals
Pasta Sauce

Next webinar – Thursday, 2/2, 7:30 p.m. EST
Topic: Ration balancing w/Willie Lantz
Thank you for your
attention.
Any questions?
Susan Schoenian
sschoen@umd.edu
www.sheepandgoat.com