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The effect of feeding supplements in the autumn on the reproductive performance of grazing ewes 1. Feeding fixed amounts of supplement before and during mating

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

R. G. Gunn ,
J. A. Milne ,
A. J. Senior  and
A. M. Sibbald
R. G. Gunn
Affiliation:
Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB9 2QJ
J. A. Milne
Affiliation:
Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB9 2QJ
A. J. Senior
Affiliation:
Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB9 2QJ
A. M. Sibbald
Affiliation:
Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB9 2QJ
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Abstract

The effects on reproductive performance offeeding supplements to ewes grazing predominantly perennial ryegrass swards before and during mating which started in mid November were examined with approximately 200 Scottish Blackface ewes in each of three experiments. In two experiments, ewes were offered no supplement (C), 600 g barley (S(B)) or 500 g barley + 100 g white-fish meal (S(B + FM)) per head per day from 3 weeks before until 3 weeks after the start of the mating period. Ewes in experiment 1 were grazed on different areas and in experiment 2 were rotated around these areas on a 12-day cycle. Initial herbage allowance in both experiments was 40 to 50 kg organic matter per ewe and stocking rates ranged from 10 to 14 ewes per ha. Ewes in experiment 3 were rotated around the same areas on a 10-day cycle at a stocking rate of 18 ewes per ha and offered either no supplement (C) or 600 g barley (S(B)) per head per day when live weight started to decrease or sward height declined to 3·5 cm, whichever occurred first. Both of these occurred shortly after the start of mating. Sward height fell from mid October and throughout November and was between 3 and 4 cm at the start of mating in all experiments.

There were no differences in response to the (S(B)) and (S(B + FM)) treatments in live weight, body condition or reproductive performance in experiments 1 and 2 and the effects of supplementation were examined with these treatments pooled.

Supplementation had very little effect on live weight, resulting in higher values only in experiment 1 but did produce higher body condition in all experiments. This occurred by the start of mating in experiment 1 but not until mid December in experiment 3 and early January in experiment 2.

A significant increase in the number of lambs born per ewe lambing was obtained from supplementation when the data from experiments 1 and 2 were combined (P < 0·05). There was no response in reproductive performance to supplementation in experiment 3. It was concluded that supplementation in the pre-mating period can improve reproductive performance when sward height declines from 6 to 3·5 cm but that supplementation in the post-mating period may not, even when the sward height is below 3·5 cm.

Keywords

grazing intensityreproductive performancesheepsupplements
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 54 , Issue 2 , April 1992 , pp. 243 - 248
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1992

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