Ewe nutrition post weaning

Preparation for joining begins at weaning, where the BCS of ewes should be assessed and those with a BCS of 2.5 and below should be preferentially fed to pick up their condition. Often ewes that have raised twins will lose a significant amount of condition through lactation and require support to adequately prepare them for the next joining.  Maiden ewes should aim to be mated at around 75-80% of their mature body weight. Confinement feeding low condition or maiden ewes is a commonly used method to ensure stock are prepared for joining.
 

Ideally, ewes should be in a BCS of 3-3.5, with maidens aiming for 3.5. Maintaining a high plane of nutrition throughout lactation and weaning will not only promote good conception rates at joining but avoids lulls in wool production or weak points.
 

By maintaining an ideal BCS and meeting nutritional requirements leading up to and throughout the joining period, stock are better prepared for pregnancy. The energy and protein requirements increase substantially during pregnancy and lactation, often ewes are unable to eat enough to fufill these requirements with shrinking rumen space, and so require an adequate store of fat to mobalise if required.
 

During pregnancy ewes are predisposed to vitamin and mineral related issues as requirements are so high, specifically hypocalcemia due to low calcium, low magnesium (Hypomagnesaemia) and pregnancy toxemia as a consequence of low glucose and energy. Such deficiencies can also be exaggerated when grazing ewes on cereal crops. It is important to ensure vitamin, mineral and energy concentrations are maintained adequately during pregnancy and lactation, which means supplying supplements, starting from joining.