The Effect of Feeding Concentrates to Range Ewes on Lamb and Wool Productivity

Abstract

Range breeding ewes were fed a supplement of beet pulp pellets for all possible combinations of the following periods: pre-breeding, breeding, early pregnancy and late pregnancy. The effects of feeding were evaluated in terms of body wt. gains, fleece wt., date of lambing, and fertility of the ewes, and for the lambs in terms of birth wt., weaning wt. and survival to weaning time. There were 462 ewes started on the expt. The treatments were arranged in a 25 factorial design with supplement vs. no supplement in 4 periods and good vs. poor condition providing the basic treatments. This arrangement permitted the flock to be handled as a unit except at feeding time. Ewe gains reflected the influence of feeding in the breeding and early pregnancy periods. In the pre-breeding and breeding periods the thin ewes showed greater response to feeding supplement than the good condition ewes. During the early pregnancy period the good condition ewes gained the most. Also feeding supplement in this period produced 0.37 lb. more fleece. No important effects on birth or weaning wts. were observed from the feeding treatments. Flock fertility was increased by 10 and 9% by feeding supplement in the pre-breeding and breeding periods, respectively. Good condition ewes produced 11% more lambs at birth and at weaning than the thin ewes.