Drought and flushing

Box09

I've had no rain worth mentioning on the east coast since 3rd week of June. Grass is all but gone except for some to try and stretch with meal on the lambs. The ewes are not in great shape, the rams normally go out mid September. Would you think it would be worthwhile introducing some nuts to help flush them? I'm thinking 0.3 kilo a day for a few weeks. It doesn't really make financial sense but I think I'll have a poor scan otherwise.

wrangler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058259577/drought-and-flushing

I'd feed them if they're in poor condition, I'd also give them .5 kg/day , because

1.} it's imposible to build them up in condition in the winter because of poor grass quality then and

2.) Lambing percentage is determined in the first month of pregnancy, It won't be great if they're in bad condition

The ordinary intensive lamb ration would do them,

It'd only cost €5 or €6/ewe, I'd even feed more than .5kg if they were really thin but you'd have to split in two feeds.

Also give them minerals......... that's what i'd do any way

Jonnyc135

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119496949#Comment_119496949

Quick one for you wrangler, in the North West and no shortage of rain here grass in good conditions, but have 25 hoggets for breeding med September, they are in mighty shape but in terms of flushing I'd hardly think it would be wise too put them on a tight paddock for a few weeks then straight to fresh grass for flushing prior to ram. I'm not sure on this as its hard enough get them in great shape for to purposely hinder them just to flush them. ..thoughts welcome

wrangler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119497451#Comment_119497451

I only put them on a bare paddock for a week after weaning, after that they're grazing off paddocks after the lambs and thriving all the time.

A ewe after rearing two lambs needs every bit of that time to get fit for service. I never bother with flushing but they'd be always on a good plane of nutrition here after weaning.....but there'd be no 6 inches of grass for them

Isaw a neighbour here starving ewes for three weeks after weaning last year and they never made it up, He had a few cases of mastitis the year before and thought he overfed the ewes. Once ewes dry offf, they won't star producing milk again if you over feed them. he had a poor scan after

Jonnyc135

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119497493#Comment_119497493

Thanks for that I leave them be so.

paddysdream

Done that here (feeding meal to ewes pre tupping ) as had very little grass some years ago .Considering it again this year as grass growth stopped in June for me due to dry weather and unlikely to grow much between now and tupping .

Most of the ewes are ok ish but not really where I would like them considering the grass outlook .

As regards the bare ground stuff find it a waste of time .Ewes more than 3 months lambed will go dry in a couple of days once you take the lambs off them .Like Wrangler I just put them on a bare field for a couple of days .In my case its usually for handiness as all my land is in one block so just pick a field furthest away from the lambs to reduce chance of stress and noise (for me as well as the sheep as a few times one persistant lamb will lead another 100 back to mammy in a flash if the chance arises .)

Never had an issue with mastitis after weaning .Its a bigger problem in a hash dry April /early May .