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Know How / Sheep / Feed and nutrition

Careful feed and nutrition management in the flock is essential to control a ewe’s body condition score and ensure she produces adequate colostrum for her lambs. See the latest in grazing management and advice on rations formulated from a balance of protein, energy and supplements.

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AHDB resource

Download the feed budget planner spreadsheet

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FEED AND NUTRITION

Video: Beet and grass mix gives 57p/day winter for grazier

There are many benefits to outwintering cattle and sheep on a diet of forage grass and beet. We speak to sheep and beef farmer James Drummond in Alnwick and farmer…

MAIZE

How maize undersown with grass provides two-fold benefit

For the past six years, David Pursey has undersown maize with Italian ryegrass to protect against soil erosion and provide a post-lambing spring bite for ewes and lambs. “We decided…

SHEEP

What to consider when growing lucerne to graze sheep

David Cross set up an Innovative Farmers field lab to look at the practicalities of grazing his sheep on lucerne on his north Norfolk farm. He wanted to see if…

BREEDING AND FERTILITY

How a farmer improved shearling ewe management

Managing shearlings as a separate group has improved scanning percentage by 10% at a Wiltshire sheep farm. Rob and Anna Hawke had run their Romney and Romney cross Highlander shearling…

SHEEP

How lambing out at grass can save on labour

When David Mactaggart got his first flock of sheep 30 years ago, he had little experience and no means to employ a full-time shepherd. He needed a "one-man-and-his-dog" system, so…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Weighing and herbal ley helps farm solve poor lamb growth

Weighing lambs more frequently and trialling a herbal ley has helped a farm identify a shortfall in iodine. Richard and Laila Carruthers of Rawfoot Farm, Shap, Cumbria, were disappointed by…

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FEED AND NUTRITION

How to grow better fodder beet - 5 expert tips

Fodder beet is a high-energy forage crop, consistently providing metabolisable energy (ME) of 12 MJ/kg dry matter (DM),  improved livestock performance and outyielding alternative options. What’s more, it offers farmers…

FEED AND NUTRITION

How to establish brassicas for best yields and weed control

The benefits of including brassicas in a rotation are many, from reducing reliance on bought-in concentrates to extending the grazing season. Once brassicas have established, there are few opportunities for…

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

How to budget and allocate rotational grazing for ewes

Preparing a grazing budget and assigning pasture on a rotational basis can significantly boost grass growth and a farm’s overall productivity. When managing a flock of ewes, these tools offer…

LIVESTOCK

Video: How to take an integrated approach to rodent control

The best way to deal with rat infestations is not to have them in the first place. Waiting until you see rats running around the farm is too late. Every…

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

Farmer learnings on grazing sheep on multispecies swards

Using multispecies swards that contain two or more species can reduce days to slaughter, improve ewe condition and reduce the reliance on anthelmintics, an Irish study has shown.   Researchers…

FEED AND NUTRITION

How to avoid costly silage losses from damaged wrap

Birds are a major source of damage to baled silage, but tears can occur at the baling and gathering stages, too. If a hole is not patched, air will seep…

Insights

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GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

Winter grazing crop outperforms brassicas in sheep trial

A winter grazing crop of Italian ryegrass, berseem clover and forage rape can finish more than twice as many lambs as an equivalent acreage of brassicas, a farm trial has…

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

Multispecies leys show seasonal advantage in Welsh uplands

Multispecies leys can perform as well as traditional ryegrass in upland regions, a three-year study by the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) Wales has found. Seed mixes incorporating meadow fescue, Timothy…

LIVESTOCK

Better silage allows for soya strategy at lambing

Producing an 11ME silage can allow ewes to be fed a sixth of the amount of feed three weeks pre-lambing through supplementing rumen-protected soya, saving £3-£12 a ewe. This is…

Alternative ewe protein offers cost-effective solution

Sheep farmers looking to top up protein in late-pregnancy ewe diets can use alternatives to soya without affecting animal performance. According to a project funded by Eblex, HCC, Adas and…

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