Sheep Industry News September 2023

Sheep Nutrition CLAY ELLIOTT, PH.D., PURINA ANIMAL NUTRITION

Managing Mineral Intake Is An Easy Fix

I f there’s one thing sheep should never go without, it’s min eral. Mineral is the foundation of a healthy, productive and profitable flock. I feed mineral year-round to my own flock and recommend it to all my customers. However, one of the common challenges I hear from flock owners is that their sheep consume more than the recommend ed amount of a mineral product. The good news is balancing mineral intake is an easy fix. Let’s take a look at why sheep might be eating too much and how to manage mineral con sumption to maintain balanced intake year-round: GIVE EWES TIME A common occurrence I see when producers offer mineral to ewes that haven’t had regular access to mineral is higher than average intake levels. A bag of mineral that should last three weeks only lasts six days, and producers pull the product to avoid over-consumption or to cut costs. But beware of jumping the gun. Sheep without regular access to mineral are likely mineral deficient and need time to catch up. It can take 10 days to two weeks for sheep to reverse their mineral deficiency and level out their intake. During those first two weeks, lean into it and keep mineral available at all times, even if they’re eating above intake recom mendations. Let ewes eat as much as they need to catch up, and, as long as ewes aren’t undernourished, intake should level out to recommended and expected intake rates after (or even before) two weeks. PROVIDE CONSISTENT ACCESS Once sheep mineral intake has leveled out, consistency is key. Many producers only offer mineral during key times of the year, like the lead-up to breeding season. However, this ap proach can cause an unproductive and costly cycle with ewes trying to catch up on their mineral needs by over-consuming every time mineral is offered. Providing mineral access year-round helps prevent animals from becoming mineral deficient and can be more cost-efficient than seasonal feeding.

ROLL WITH THE UPS & DOWNS It’s important to remember that the recommended intake amount on the feed tag is an average during a year’s time. If ewes have access to mineral year-round, there will be times when they consume more and times when they consume less. For example, ewes’ nutrition needs increase during gestation and lactation, and they should consume more per head per day during these times. Mineral is essential to the development of the fetuses as well as maintaining the ewe’s performance. Weather and forage availability can also affect how much mineral ewes consume. If ewes don’t have access to ample forages from grass or hay, they will increase mineral intake because they’re hungry and looking to eat whatever they can get. Consider supplying supplemental forages in the fall to keep mineral intake under control when forage quality and quantity decline or during drought conditions. Mineral intake can increase during times of significant rain fall when grass has high water content. Weatherized mineral can be helpful in these situations to avoid clumping, which can discourage mineral consumption and cause deficiency. In spring and early summer months – when grass is good and ewes are in maintenance mode – intake levels may drop. Lower intake during these times is normal and can help offset the higher intake at other times of the year. MANAGE FEEDER LOCATION Mineral feeder placement can also help you balance mineral intake. If ewes are under-consuming mineral, place feeders in high-traffic areas where sheep spend most of their time. If they’re over-consuming, shift mineral location away from loafing areas or other heavily trafficked areas such as shade or water. Mineral is a crucial component of productive, profitable animals. Making small changes can help you ensure sheep have balanced intake year-round. Visit PurinaMills.com/sheep-feed to learn more. Clay Elliott, Ph.D., is a small ruminant technical specialist with Purina Ani mal Nutrition. Contact him at CElliott@landolakes.com.

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