Beef and Sheep Notes February 2012

Now is the time to body score pregnant ewes. Thin ewes with body scores of 2 or less should be started on concentrate with the rest starting approximately six weeks before lambing. Aim to lamb ewes down in condition score 2.5-3. Feeding meal on a flat rate basis is as effective as a stepped feeding programme. When meal feeding exceeds 0.5 KG per day, twice a day feeding is recommended.

Aim to feed a good quality concentrate ration with a ME greater than 12.5 megajoules per kilogramme dry matter and a crude protein level of 16-18 percent, depending on forage quality. Protein quality is very important and soya is the best source of protein in a ewe ration. Ideally in multiple bearing ewes daily feed intake in the last three weeks before lambing should contain around 200 g of soya increasing to 400 g after lambing.

Provide small ewes (40-60 KG) with a minimum concentrate feed space allowance of 400 mm (16 inches) and large ewes 500 mm (20 inches). With Total Mixed Ration (TMR) feeding, at least 50 percent of ewes should be able to feed at the same time. This is to ensure that ewes carrying multiples get their fair share. It also prevents bully ewes selecting an unfair share of the concentrate component in the mixed ration.

Purchase a ration based on quality rather than price. Higher quality rations will have higher cereal contents and higher levels of soya.

The following is an example of a ration where home grown cereals are available.

Allow one lambing pen per 10 ewes fitted with feed racks, water and meal containers.  Pens should be approximately 1.5 square metres (5 feet x 5 feet). Consider the use of group pens for small batches of ewes and lambs for one to two days. This greatly reduces mismothering when they go to grass.

Plan to re-stock your medicine cupboard now. It is much easier if all the necessary items are at hand before the main lambing period begins.  Items required include:

Nitrogen can be applied from 1 February when ground conditions suit. Ideally, dry south facing sheltered fields with some grass cover should be selected as they will respond best to early fertiliser.   

Organic manures are a valuable source of nutrients.  A dressing of 33,500 litres per hectare (3000 gallons per acre) of beef cattle slurry will typically provide 25 KG N per hectare, 20 KG phosphorus per hectare and 80 KG potassium per hectare.

Slurry can be applied from 1 February provided weather and ground conditions are suitable.

Carry out soil analysis before any phosphate or potash has been applied. Soil sample every four years with up to four hectares included per sample. At a cost of 62 pence per hectare per year it represents good value for money.

Soil needs a pH level of 6.0 – 6.5 for nutrients to be used efficiently. Many grassland soils are well below this. For soils analysed across the province in 2011, 65 percent were below pH 6.0 and 35 percent above pH 6. Too many soils are deficient in lime resulting in reduced grass and crop production and a poor response to fertiliser.

For potash, 42 percent of soils showed a low index of 0 or 1 and 25 percent were low in phosphate.

Soils that are low in potash will have 20 to 30 percent lower yields of grass than soils with an index of 2 – the ideal. This is a very significant loss of production and emphasises the importance of correcting potash deficiencies.

Similarly fields low in phosphate must be topped up to avoid loss in yield. Phosphate from bagged fertiliser can only be applied if there is a crop need shown from soil analysis.