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Protein Requirement for Ewes in Late Pregnancy

Protein Requirement for Ewes in Late Pregnancy

A shortage of protein in a ewe’s diet in late pregnancy is a recipie for disaster. Ewes will have little or no colostrum. Lambs will be lost as a result. They will produce less milk as mammary tissues for milk production do not develop fully. The result – slow growing lambs.

It is the last three weeks of pregnancy that protein becomes crucial. When questioned about protein; most farmers refer to the percentage in the ration e.g. 16% or 18%. But this is only part of the story. To get the full story you should know the answer to five questions

What is protein % of your ration?
How much meal are you feeding?
What is protein % of your hay/silage?
How much are they eating?
What type protein are you feeding?

Knowing these tells how much protein the ewe is eating – this is the real measure.

200 grammes/day

In the last three weeks of pregnancy a ewe requires 200 grammes each day, in mid pregnancy only 100 grammes/day is needed. All feeds that the ewe eats contributes to this daily requirement.

For example, one kg of a purchased ration (18%CP) will supply 180 grammes of protein, therefore feeding a ewe 0.8 kg get about 140 grammes. This ewe will eat about 4kg of fresh silage (0.8kg Dry Matter, 14% CP), which supplies about 110 grammes.

Total protein intake is 250 grammes. This is adequate but it assumes that silage is 14%, if it was 10% then the ewe would have barley enough. Similarly, if less meal was fed there could be problems.
It highlights the importance of knowing what type roughage you are feeding.
Table1 outlines typical protein levels in common feeds. There is considerable variation between roughages, but farm analysis also show that there is a large gap within each roughage.

Protein Type

There are two types of protein. Most protein is broken down in the rumen by microbes. It is then utilised by ewes as microbial protein. These microbes require energy (i.e. feed) to carry out this process. This protein is called Rumen Degradable Protein (RDP).

Microbes do not break down the second type. Instead it bypasses the rumen and enters the small intestine. Here it is absorbed directly by the ewe without undergoing any change. The ewe requires no energy to utilise this protein, as the microbes are not involved. It is called Undegradable Protein (UDP) or bypass protein.

It is desirable to have some of this UDP protein in late pregnancy. Fishmeal was a good source in the past. Soya is the best currently available. Any good sheep ration will have soya as the main protein source. Some farms feed 0.1-0.2 kg soya in late pregnancy in addition to their ration – it is like insurance cover especially if you have doubts about your silage or ration.

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