Feedlotting Lambs: A Producer's Guide
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About this ebook
Lambs need high energy and protein levels and optimum conditions in which to grow rapidly. Now, with the increasing need to supply lambs all year round to meet market expectations, producers are more often turning to feedlotting lambs.
This guide offers realistic advice for producers who are considering feedlotting lambs where all nutrients are supplied, movement is restricted, and shade and water are provided. It will also be useful where supplementary feeding of grain, hay or other nutrients is used to lift the available nutrition to a level sufficient for maintenance, growth or production of the animal.
Feedlotting Lambs provides an understanding of the principles of nutrition, management issues and finishing lambs in order to meet market specifications.
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Book preview
Feedlotting Lambs - Landlinks Press
FEEDLOTTING LAMBS
A Producer’s Guide
Edited by Jenny Davis
© Department of Primary Industries 2003
Feedlotting lambs.
Includes index.
ISBN 0 643 06957 7.
1. Lambs – Feeding and feeds. 2. Feedlots.
I. Davis, Jenny, 1953–.
636.30843
Contact for further information:
Nic Linden
Department of Primary Industries
Rutherglen Research Institute
RMB 1145
Rutherglen Vic 3685
02 6030 4500
This publication may be of assistance to you but neither the publisher nor the State of Victoria and its employees guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from your relying on any information in the publication.
Published by and available from:
Landlinks Press
PO Box 1139
Collingwood Vic 3066
Australia
Cover design and text design by James Kelly
Set in 10.5/13 Minion
Printed in Australia by BPA Print Group
Front cover photograph courtesy of Jenny Davis
Contents
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
Introduction
Principles of nutrition
The sheep’s digestive system
Digestibility of different feeds
Understanding fermentation of different feed constituents and its impact on the ruminant
Planning and budgeting
Planning requirements
Budget
Purchasing feeder lambs
Which market to target and its suitability for lot feeding lambs
Trade lambs ‘Supermarket lambs’
Heavy trade lambs
Food service
Export
Forward contracts and estimating returns
Feedlot design
Feedlot site
Water supply
Feedlot size
Environmental enrichment
Feeding equipment
Self-feeders
Open troughs
Rations
Cereal grain
Grain legumes
Meals
Urea
Salt and limestone
Sodium bentonite and sodium bicarbonate
Roughage
Silage
Pellets
Preparing the ration
Ration formulation
Starter ration
Selection and preparation of lambs
Factors to consider in selection of lambs for the feedlot
Genetics
Preparation of lambs
Vaccination
Parasites
Shearing
Monitoring of lambs
Weighing and fat-scoring lambs
Shy feeders
Animal health
Grain poisoning (acidosis)
Pulpy kidney (enterotoxaemia)
Pink eye (contagious ophthalmia or conjunctivo-keratitis)
Scabby mouth (Orf)
Vitamin A deficiency
Pneumonia
Coccidiosis
Case study
Rutherglen Research Institute Lamb Feedlot
Introduction
Lambs
Feedlot site
Feeding equipment
Rations
Mixing
Trial length
Results
Discussion
Conclusions
Appendix 1
What is LAMBPLAN?
How does the LAMBPLAN system work?
What can LAMBPLAN offer to producers?
Key benefits
What EBVs are applicable to the lot feeding of lambs?
Weight
Fat
Muscle
Reproduction
Example
Appendix 2
Dressing percentage
Factors that affect dressing percentage
Appendix 3
Websites of interest
Acknowledgements
This booklet is the result of the efforts of many people in the DPI Meat program, in particular:
Jeff Cave
Shyamal Das
Martin Dunstan
Gervaise Gaunt
Nick Linden
George Miller
Duncan Rowland
Stuart Warner
Shyamal Das contributed the photographs in Chapter 3.
We especially owe a great deal to the late Mr Bill Easton and his invaluable book Opportunity Lotfeeding of Lambs which forms the basis of this new book.
In addition to DPI Meat program staff, Roger Hegarty, Geoff Duddy and Peter Holst from the NSW Department of Agriculture contributed greatly to the scope of this book from their useful information on basic nutrition and current lamb feedlots.
Abbreviations
Introduction
The industry demand for a consistent supply of lambs within set specifications has resulted in many producers having to meet forward contracts. When meeting a forward contract, or finishing lambs out of traditional seasons, grain finishing is emerging as an important management tool. Unlike the beef industry, the lamb industry has been slower to adopt feedlot practices.
One reason for not utilising feedlots has been the mixed success of finishing lambs on grain. If optimum feedlot conditions are not provided, many lamb producers find that lambs lose weight for the first few weeks on grain, and an unacceptable