Keeping costs to a minimum is essential with the tight margins in lot feeding lambs. Feeding the hay and grain components of the ration separately is cheaper than and as effective as the more expensive pelleted or total mixed rations.

 

The Sheep CRC has found that lambs fed hay and grain separately had similar growth rates, carcase weights and carcase traits to those fed pellets and better carcase weights to those fed a total mixed ration.

 

Figure 1. Sheep eating from a hay feeder.

 

Safe and effective introduction to grain rations can be achieved in a number of ways.  But the key appears to be feeding good quality roughage prior to and during introduction of the grain ration. The quality of the hay can be subsequently reduced in the final diet. Other steps include:

The nutrient content of grain and hay can vary considerably and hence the energy, protein and major mineral values of all major feed ingredients should be measured.  The ration can then be formulated to meet the specific nutritional requirements of the class, weight and growth target of the sheep to be fed.  Mineral and additional protein supplements may be required.

 

Figure 2. Grain supplied in a separate trough

 

If the hay is fed separately, significant wastage can occur with some feeders.  The Cowra Bale Feeder, developed with funding from the Sheep CRC, has proven to significantly reduce hay wastage. Details of the Cowra Bale Feeder are at www.sheepcrc.org.au/balefeeder .

 

The cost of feed and the equipment and labour required to mix and feed out rations can be significant. Feeding hay and grain separately is a cheap option requiring less equipment. As such, it is especially relevant in temporary low-cost feedlots, in droughts or when seasonal conditions are a little tight, to increase weights of light lambs so as to achieve critical carcase weights for improved marked returns. 

 

The Sheep CRC web site contains a wealth of information to make your decision to feedlot lambs easier and better informed.  The Feedlot Calculator is especially useful.  It is available free at the Sheep CRC web site at www.sheepcrc.org.au/feedlotcalc .

 

The Final Experiment Report (Project 1.5.1 Simple and profitable grain feeding systems for lambs) which looks at the effect of different systems of introducing lambs to grain feeding on subsequent production characteristics contains details of the results reported in this note. Ian McConnel from the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries can provide further information on (07) 46584425 or ian.mcconnel@dpi.qld.gov.au .

 

Figure 3. A Cowra Bale Feeder.

 

 

The contribution of Dr. Maree Bowen of the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Queensland and Matthew Ryan and Brian McIntyre of the Department of Agriculture and Food, WA to this work is gratefully acknowledged.

 

This is another in a series of Practical Wisdom notes available from the Sheep CRC aimed at improving the quality of Australian sheepmeat. Other titles discuss a wide range of innovations and improvements that industry can profitably adopt, and can be found at www.sheepcrc.org.au/pw.

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