Sheep and Goat Feeding Management

Feeding different age groups of sheep

A. Feeding ewes in different stages

1. Feeding consideratins for breeding ewes

i. Reducing over fattening of ewes

Over-fattening will result in excessive fat deposition resulting in reduced fertility
A good shepherd should watch for over-fattening at least one and a half to two months before the onset of breeding season.
The over-fat ewes may be gradually brought down to the desirable lean condition, by reducing the ration and by exercising.
The farmer should constantly check and keep the ewes in condition for flushing by mild reduction in feed and providing exercise.

ii. Flushing ewes

About 2 to 3 weeks before the onset of the breeding season, nutrition of ewes should be stepped up to promote their body weight.
This practice will bring ewes into heat earlier in the season thereby giving early lambs.
It also has the effect of bringing the ewes into heat a more nearly the same time, resulting in a more uniform lamb crop.
Besides, flushing also increases the lambing rate and incidence of multiple births in the flock.
This period is usually during the latter half of May in India.
Different flushing rations are furnished below and any one method can be followed depending upon the availability of feed resources.

Suggested flushing rations

A good mixed pasture of legumes and grasses.
A grass pasture plus 150 g of wheat bran per head per day.
Grass pasture plus 250 g of grains and 450 g of oil cakes.
Legume hay full fed plus 100 g of wheat bran and 150 to 200 g of grain and
Green fodder at the rate of 10 per cent of body weight and 150-200 g of concentrate per head per day.

2. Feeding ewes during early and mid-pregnancy

Subabul

Neem

Agathi

Glyricidia

Kodukapuli

Vagai

Arasu

Karuvel

Velvel

Seemai Karuvel

Good feeding during gestation is the keystone for a healthy strong lamb crop
If feeding is inadequate or defective, weak or dead lambs will result.
It increase the number of strong healthy live lambs born,
It prolongs the productive life of the ewes,
It increases milk yield by the ewes resulting in healthier weanlings,
It also improves the wool productivity,
It lessens the incidence of lambing paralysis, and
It decreases the probability of ewes disowning their lambs as a result of exhaustion and weakness.

Suggested rations for ewes during this period

Grazing: On a good pasture.
Sorghum silage: One to two kg. Sorghum silage plus legume hay half to one kilogram per head per day.
Ad libitum supply of maize or sorghum fodder plus 50g of oil cakes like groundnut cake, per head per day.
Grazing on stubbles and harvested fields supplemented with 100 g of oil cakes per head per day.

Concentrate feed ingredients for sheep and goats

Sorghum

Maize

Broken rice

Jowar

Soya bean cake

Groundnut cake

Reducing over fattening of ewes

Over-fattening will result in excessive fat deposition resulting in reduced fertility.
A good shepherd should watch for over-fattening at least one and a half to two months before the onset of breeding season.
The over-fat ewes may be gradually brought down to the desirable lean condition, by reducing the ration and by exercising.
The farmer should constantly check and keep the ewes in condition for flushing by mild reduction in feed and providing exercise.

Flushing ewes

About 2 to 3 weeks before the onset of the breeding season, nutrition of ewes should be stepped up to promote their body weight.
This practice will bring ewes into heat earlier in the season thereby giving early lambs.
It also has the effect of bringing the ewes into heat a more nearly the same time, resulting in a more uniform lamb crop.
Besides, flushing also increases the lambing rate and incidence of multiple births in the flock.
This period is usually during the latter half of May in India.
Different flushing rations are furnished below and any one method can be followed depending upon the availability of feed resources.

Suggested flushing rations

A good mixed pasture of legumes and grasses,
A grass pasture plus 150 g of wheat bran per head per day,
Grass pasture plus 250 g of grains and 450 g of oil cakes,
Legume hay full fed plus 100 g of wheat bran and 150 to 200 g of grain and
Green fodder at the rate of 10 per cent of body weight and 150-200 g of concentrate per head per day.

3. Feeding ewes during late pregnancy

During this period ewes may be allowed to graze on crop aftermaths (crop stubbles), wild grasses and weeds
Their ration must be supplemented with available green fodder fed at the rate of 5 kg per head per day.
During the last one month of pregnancy the foetus grows rapidly in the uterus.
Lack of enough energy in the feed can cause pregnancy toxaemia in ewes.
Molasses or grains (barley, maize, oats, etc.) may be fed at the rate of 225 g per head per day.
Further, ewes should also receive available green fodder at the rate of 7 kg per head per day or
600 g of quality legume hay or 300 g of concentrate with 12 to 14 % DCP and 65 to 70% TDN during last 45 days of pregnancy.

4. Feeding ewes at lambing time

As lambing time approaches or immediately after lambing, the grain allowance should be materially reduced but good quality dry roughage should be fed free choice.
After parturition the ration of the ewe may be gradually increased so that she receives the full ration in divided doses six to seven times in a day.
In general, bulky and laxative feedstuffs may be included in the ration during the first few days.
A mixture of wheat bran and barely or oats or maize at 1: 1 proportion is excellent.
Soon after lambing, the ewe must be given just enough of slightly warm water.
As soon as first lamb is born, formulate the creep feeders with lamb 'starter' ration.
An ideal starter ration can be 16 parts groundnut cake and 84 parts barely or maize grain and available green or dry fodder.

5. Feeding lactating ewes

Ration for lactating ewes must be supplemented to maintain adequate milk production, which is necessary for rapid growth of lambs.
If they are provided good pasture, the requirements are more or less met. When supplementary feeding is necessary, the amount of additional feed may be calculated as follows:
An average ewe's daily pasture requirements can be replaced by 50 per cent by 450 g of good hay, 1.4 kg silage or 250 g of grain.
If they are fed cultivated green fodder, 10 kg per head is sufficient or 400 g of concentrate mixture or 800 g of quality legume hay per day for 75 days after lambing in addition to 8 hours of grazing.

6. Feeding of ewes from the time lambs are weaned until flushing time

This is the least critical period with respect to nutrient requirements
Ewes may be maintained entirely on pasture.
Poor quality pastures and other roughages of low quality can be advantageously utilized during this period.

B. Feeding rams for breeding

Rams in normal condition require some additional nutrients during the breeding season.
An over-fat ram on the other hand needs thinning before the commencement of the breeding season.
This may be gradually done by a combination of feed reduction and vigorous exercise.
The common practice is to allow the rams to graze with the ewes, which will allow the rams to get the same ration as the ewes.
If separate feeding is practiced for the ram, it may be given 300-500 g of concentrate mixture consisting of three parts oats or barely, one part maize and one part wheat per day.

C. Feeding lambs

1. Feeding suckling lambs

This is the early part of a lamb's life in which it is dependent on its mother's milk to a considerable degree for its nutrition.
At one month of age the young ones should be provided with the concentrate mixture (Creep feed).

i. Colostrum feeding of lambs

The lamb should be allowed to suck its dam for the first three or four days so that they can get good amount of colostrum to disowning by the mother.
Colostrum feeding is a main factor in limiting kid losses.
Cow colostrum is also efficient for lambs.
Colostrum is given at the rate of 100 ml per kg live weight.
Colostrum can be preserved with 1-1.5% (vol/wt) propionic acid or 0.1% formaldehyde. Propionic acid is preferred for preservation as it keeps the pH value low.
The chemically treated colostrum is kept at cool place to ensure better quality

ii. Creep feeding for lambs

This creep feed may be started from one month of age and up to 2-3 months of age.
The main purpose of creep feeding is to give more nutrients for their rapid growth.
The general quantity to be given to the lambs is 50 – 100 gm/animal/day.
This should contain 22 per cent protein
Antibiotics like oxytetracycline or chlortetracycline may be mixed at the rate of 15 to 25 mg/kg of feed.

iii. Composition of ideal creep feed

Maize - 40%
Ground nut cake -30 %
Wheat bran – 10 %
Deoiled rice bran- 13 %
Molasses – 5%
Mineral mixture- 2%
Salt – 1% fortified with vitamins A, B2 and D3 and antibiotic feed supplements

iv. Feeding schedule for a kid/lamb from birth to 90 days:

Age of lambs	Ewe’s milk or cow milk (ml)	Creep feed (grams)	Forage, green/day (gm)
1-3 days	Colostrum-300 ml, 3 feedings
4-14days	350 ml, 3 feedings
15-30 days	350 ml, 3 feedings	A little	A little
31-60 days	400 ml, 2 feedings	100-150	Free choice
61-90 days	200 ml, 2 feedings	200-250	Free choice

2. Feeding early-weaned and orphan lambs

Lambs are usually weaned at three months of age. Similarly, some lambs may be orphaned due to the death of ewe or due to disowning by the mother
Young suckling lambs on creep feeding, early-weaners and orphan lambs must be well fed.
Up to six weeks age, grains should be cracked before feeding to lambs
After this, grains can be fed as such except in the case of hard grains, which may be cracked, crimped or rolled
These infant lambs should get good pasture or high quality legume hay preferably in the Pelleted form in addition to the grains.
If legume hay or good quality pasture is not available and if only poor roughage is fed their grain ration should be supplemented with a protein cum vitamin supplement with approximately 12 per cent digestible crude protein.
Complete Pelleted ration consisting of roughage and concentrate, both mixed and made into pellets has been found to be advantageous.
Lambs had been found to consume more and grow faster
The pellets are self-fed and the nutrient intake is controlled by varying the composition of the pellets as the capacity of consuming bulk is more or less fixed.
To start with, the pellets will have 65 to 70 per cent roughages but decreased gradually to 50 per cent by ten to twelve weeks age.

A few recommended rations for the creep feeders and early weaners

Maize 40 per cent, oats 30 per cent, barley 30 per cent plus lucerne hay fed ad libitum.
Oats 20 per cent, maize 40 per cent, barley 20 per cent ground-nut cake 20 per cent plus vitamin supplementation.
Maize 25 per cent, oats 40 per cent, wheat bran 20 per cent, groundnut cake 15 per cent plus vitamins supplements.

3. Feeding from weaning to market

The types of feeds used and the methods of feeding will vary with economic and climatic conditions and the feeds available.
In developing countries, the policy should be to utilize grazing lands, waste lands and aftermath of grain crops as far as possible and supplement whatever is deficient, with harvested good quality fodder, hay or concentrates.
An average lamb may be fed 225 to 450g of concentrate mixture listed below depending on the grazing conditions.
If there is plenty of grazing 225g is sufficient.
In over-grazed grasslands they may be given 450g of the concentrate mixture plus half to two kilogram of good green fodder.

Feeding Allowance

Rate of feeding concentrate per day

Body weight(kg)	When legume fodder is available(g)	When legume fodder is not available(g)
Upto 12	25-50	200-300
12-15	50	300
15-25	100	400
25-35	150	600

Feeding management of goats

A. Feeding does in different stages

1. Feeding of breeding does

If the availability of pasture is good there is no need to supplement concentrate mixture.
In poor grazing condition animals may be supplemented with concentrate mixture @150 – 350 g of concentrate / animal/day depending up on the age
The digestible crude protein level of concentrate mixture used in the adult feed is 12 per cent.

2. Feeding does during the first four months of pregnancy:

Pregnant animals should be allowed in good quality pasture 4-5 hours per day.
Their ration must be supplemented with available green fodder at the rate of 5 kg per head per day.

3. Feeding does during the last one month of pregnancy:

In this period fetal growth increases 60 – 80 per cent until parturition and lack of enough energy in the feed can cause pregnancy toxaemia in does. So during this period animals should be allowed in very good quality pasture 4-5 hours per day.
In addition to grazing, animals should be fed with concentrate mixture @ 250 –350 g/animal/day.
Their ration should be supplemented with available green fodder at the rate of 7 kg per head per day.

4. Feeding does at kidding time

As kidding time approaches or immediately after kidding the grain allowance should be reduced but good quality dry roughage is fed free choice.
It is usually preferable to feed lightly on the day of parturition, but allow plenty of clean, cool water.
Soon after kidding the doe must be given just enough of slightly warm water.
After parturition the ration of the doe may be gradually increased so that she receives the full ration in divided doses six to seven times in a day.
Bulky and laxative feedstuffs may be included in the ration during the first few days.
A mixture of wheat bran and barely or oats or maize at 1: 1 proportion is excellent.

5. Feeding lactating does

As kidding time approaches or immediately after kidding the grain allowance should be reduced but good quality dry roughage is fed free choice.
It is usually preferable to feed lightly on the day of parturition, but allow plenty of clean, cool water.
Soon after kidding the doe must be given just enough of slightly warm water.
After parturition the ration of the doe may be gradually increased so that she receives the full ration in divided doses six to seven times in a day.
Bulky and laxative feedstuffs may be included in the ration during the first few days.
A mixture of wheat bran and barely or oats or maize at 1: 1 proportion is excellent.

6. Feeding non pregnant does

The following rations may be recommended:
6-8 hours grazing + 10 kg cultivated green fodder/day
6-8 hours grazing + 400 g of concentrate mixture/day
6-8 hours grazing + 800 g of good quality legume hay/day

B. Feeding bucks for breeding

The common practice is allowing the bucks to graze with does.
Under such conditions the bucks will get the same ration as the does
Usually, it will meet the nutritional requirements of the buck.
Where there are facilities for separate feeding of the buck, it may be given half a kilogram of a concentrate mixture consisting of three parts oats or barley, one part maize and one part wheat per day.

C. Feeding kids

Immediately after birth feed the young ones with colostrum.
Up to 3 days of birth keep dam and young ones together for 2-3 days for frequent access of milk.
After 3 days and up to weaning feed the kids with milk at 2 to 3 times a day.
At about 2 weeks of age the young ones should be trained to eat green roughages.
At one month of age the young ones should be provided with the concentrate mixture (Creep feed).

i. Colostrum feeding of kids

The kid should be allowed to suck its dam for the first three or four days so that they can get good amount of colostrum.
Colostrum feeding is a main factor in limiting kid losses.
Cow colostrum is also efficient for kids.
Colostrum is given at the rate of 100 ml per kg live weight.
Colostrum can be preserved with 1-1.5% (vol/wt) propionic acid or 0.1% formaldehyde. Propionic acid is preferred for preservation as it keeps the pH value low.
The chemically treated colostrum is kept at cool place to ensure better quality.

ii. Creep feeding for kids

This creep feed may be started from one month of age and up to 2-3 months of age
The main purpose of creep feeding is to give more nutrients for their rapid growth.
The general quantity to be given to the kids is 50 – 100 gm/animal/day.
This should contain 22 per cent protein.
Antibiotics like oxytetracycline or chlortetracycline may be mixed at the rate of 15 to 25 mg/kg of feed.

iii. Composition of ideal creep feed

Maize - 40%
Ground nut cake -30 %
Wheat bran – 10 %
Deoiled rice bran- 13 %
Molasses – 5%
Mineral mixture- 2%
Salt – 1% fortified with vitamins A, B2 and D3 and antibiotic feed supplements.

iv. Feeding schedule for a kid from birth to 90 days:

Age of kids	Dam’smilk or cow milk (ml)	Creep feed (grams)	Forage, green/day (gm)
1-3 days	Colostrum-300 ml, 3 feedings/td>
4-14days	350 ml, 3 feedings
15-30 days	350 ml, 3 feedings	A little	A little
31-60 days	400 ml, 2 feedings	100-150	Free choice
61-90 days	200 ml, 2 feedings	200-250	Free choice

2. Feeding after three months to twelve months of age

Grazing in the pasture for about 8 hours per day.
Supplementation of concentrate mixture @ 100 – 200 g/animal/day with protein of 16-18 per cent.
Dry fodder during night in summer months and during rainy days.

Feeding Management

1. Extensive Grazing

Grazing the sheep and goat in the entire pasture and leaving them there for the whole season is the extensive system of rearing.
In this method feed cost is very much reduced.
It is not conducive to making the best use of the whole grasses. So we can preferably practice the rotational grazing method.

Rotational grazing method

Rotational grazing should be practiced under which the pasture land should be divided by temporary fences into several sections.
The animals are then moved from one section to another section. By the time the entire pasture is grazed, the first section will have sufficient grass cover to provide second grazing.
Parasitic infestations can be controlled to a great extent.
Further, it helps to provide quality fodder (immature) for most part of the year.
Under this system, it is advisable to graze the lambs first on a section and then bring in ewes to finish up the feed left by the lambs.

2. Semi-intensive

Semi-intensive system of goat production is an intermediate compromise between extensive and intensive system followed in some flocks having limited grazing.
It involves extensive management but usually with controlled grazing of fenced pasture.
It consists of provision of stall feeding, shelter at night under shed and 3 to 5 hour daily grazing and browsing on pasture and range.
In this method the feed cost somewhat increased.

This system has the advantage of

Meeting the nutrient requirement both from grazing and stall feeding.
Managing medium to large flock of 50 to 350 heads and above.
Utilizing cultivated forage during lean period.
Harvesting good crop of kids both for meat and milk.
Making a profitable gain due to less labour input.

3. Intensive system-zero grazing-system

It is a system in which goats are continuously kept under housing in confinement with limited access to land or otherwise so called zero grazing system of goat production in which they are stall fed.
It implies a system where goats are not left to fend for themselves with only minimum care.
Intensive operation of medium sized herd of 50 to 250 heads or more oriented towards commercial milk production goes well with this system particularly of dairy goats.
It merits exploitation of the system of feeding agro-industrial by products as on pangola grass (Digitaria Decumbens) with carrying capacity of 37 to 45 goats per hectare.
This system of management requires more labour and high cash input.
However, this has the advantage of close supervision and control over the animals.
In this method the dung is collected in one place and used as a good fertilizer.
Less space is sufficient for more number of animals.

i. This system has the advantage of

In this method, once in a year 1-2 inches of mud surface should be removed.
Application of lime powder once in a month will reduce the disease occurrence in the shed.
The shed should be constructed in elevated area to prevent water stagnation.

ii. Deep litter shedf

In this method the litter materials ground nut husk, sugarcane tops etc. are spread on the floor for a depth of ½ feet and animals are reared in it.
The urine and dung mixed with the litter materials and used as fertilizer.
The litter materials should be removed once in six months.
In heavy rain seasons, the litter materials should not be over wet to prevent ammonia gas production.

iii. Elevated floor shed

Its initial investment is high.
In the wooden floor sheds, in a distance of 3m from the floor, the animals are reared.
This requires less labour and more irrigation land for the fodder production.

The elevated sheds will be clean and urine and dung will be collected in the floor and periodical removing required once in six months.

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Feeding Management of Sheep and Goat

Feeding different age groups of sheep

A. Feeding ewes in different stages

1. Feeding consideratins for breeding ewes

i. Reducing over fattening of ewes

ii. Flushing ewes

Suggested flushing rations

2. Feeding ewes during early and mid-pregnancy

Suggested rations for ewes during this period

Concentrate feed ingredients for sheep and goats

Reducing over fattening of ewes

Flushing ewes

Suggested flushing rations

3. Feeding ewes during late pregnancy

4. Feeding ewes at lambing time

5. Feeding lactating ewes

6. Feeding of ewes from the time lambs are weaned until flushing time

B. Feeding rams for breeding

C. Feeding lambs

1. Feeding suckling lambs

i. Colostrum feeding of lambs

ii. Creep feeding for lambs

iii. Composition of ideal creep feed

iv. Feeding schedule for a kid/lamb from birth to 90 days:

2. Feeding early-weaned and orphan lambs

A few recommended rations for the creep feeders and early weaners

3. Feeding from weaning to market

Feeding Allowance

Rate of feeding concentrate per day

Feeding management of goats

A. Feeding does in different stages

1. Feeding of breeding does

2. Feeding does during the first four months of pregnancy:

3. Feeding does during the last one month of pregnancy:

4. Feeding does at kidding time

5. Feeding lactating does

6. Feeding non pregnant does

B. Feeding bucks for breeding

C. Feeding kids

i. Colostrum feeding of kids

ii. Creep feeding for kids

iii. Composition of ideal creep feed

iv. Feeding schedule for a kid from birth to 90 days:

2. Feeding after three months to twelve months of age

Feeding Management

1. Extensive Grazing

Rotational grazing method

2. Semi-intensive

This system has the advantage of

3. Intensive system-zero grazing-system

i. This system has the advantage of

ii. Deep litter shedf

iii. Elevated floor shed

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News Letter

Our Official Partner

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