Feeding for late pregnancy

Getting the feeding regime right in late pregnancy has a big impact on a successful lambing and flock performance and on this week’s OviCast episode, Ciarán Lynch discusses the various aspects of this with Michael Gottstein Head of Sheep in Teagasc. They discuss using forage analyses, scan results and expected lambing date to determine the amount of supplementation required as well as how to manage thin ewes in late pregnancy. Michael offers advice for farms with low feed value silages. He discusses the pros and cons of pelleted versus coarse rations, how to introduce supplementation and minimise the risks of acidosis. He also explains the type of ingredients he would like to see in a ration for late pregnancy feeding. Delving into this a bit more he outlines the key energy requirements, protein source and mineral requirements. For more episodes from OviCast, visit the show page at: https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/sheep/ovicast-sheep-podcast/