AS lambing season approaches, whether or not sheep producers nutrition management plans were effective will be evident.
According to Virbec Australia's livestock nutrition specialist Dr Jerry Liu, altering ewe nutrition throughout all stages of pregnancy is vital to maximising lamb survival rates and lowering the effects of exposure.
Dr Liu said the impacts on productivity and profitability can be too great to ignore, saying ewe nutrition is more than grazing management.
Des and Ben Campbell, Avoka stud, Gulgong, put their ewe nutrition management plan as number one priority for their commercial enterprise.
The Campbell’s have high hopes all 400 ewes will be in lamb this season to produce for the prime lamb enterprise.
After fourth generations, the commercial operation has had continual success with a tailored ewe nutrition plan, with Ben Campbell saying splitting ewes into smaller flocks allows closer monitoring of nutritional needs.
"You have to focus on your ewe nutrition because they’re the main source of your income, you have to look after her to produce a lamb, if she isn't doing well and being fed accordingly, the lamb is behind the eight ball before you start," Mr Campbell said.
"Our main income is prime lambs and the flock rams we breed from the studs, they all come from the ewe so if they are not in good condition, we jeopardise the back bone of our enterprise.”
Following a weekly to twice a week feeding plan, vital time with the ewes is used to monitor weight gain and changes in appetite.
Ben Campbell said lambing and survival rate percentages have increased with more time allocated to being with the flock.
“By far we have seen an increase in the quality of lambs; we look at feeding and time with the ewes as 90 percent of the product,” Mr Campbell said.
Culling their flock by focusing on carcass capacity, 200 ewes are bred by crossing the Avoka stud excess Border Leicester ewes with the a Poll Dorset ram.
The remaining ewes are bred by a Border Leicester ram over a Merino ewe, to breed the traditional first cross ewe, then crossed with a Poll Dorset ram.
“Our business focuses on meat production rather than wool; the flock is aimed at lamb trade weight sold through the yards,” he said.
The ewes were joined in November and will be split into wet and dry flocks, to tailor feed requirements for ewes in lamb.
“It’s about a quality lamb to start with or there’s no point.”