Nutritional Deficiencies: the Silent Killer of Production
While fat score provides some indication of overall condition in sheep, nutritional deficiencies are a silently killer of production and the performance of future progeny, with absorption difficult to measure or predict. Broomehill Stockfeeds pellets offer a well-balanced and complete feed option, to help prevent deficiencies and simplify sheep nutrition.
FAILING to provide a balanced diet to sheep, even temporarily, can prevent them from realising their genetic potential and have a devastating impact on profits both in the short and long-term.
Woodyarrup Stud and Broomehill Stockfeeds Principal Craig Dewar said while fat score provides some indication of overall condition, nutritional deficiencies are a silently killer of production and the performance of future progeny, with absorption difficult to measure or predict.
“Many farmers see supplementary feeding as an expense, but it is an investment into higher lambing percentages, better quality wool and healthier sheep,” Craig said.
“Proper nutrition during pregnancy is particularly important considering the ewe’s condition will impact her lamb’s wool quality and production for its lifetime.
“Investing in quality rams isn’t much use if the entire flock isn’t supported by good nutrition, as this guarantees those genes are put to good use.”
Lupins are often favoured as a good source of protein, with high energy content, high fibre, and low starch. However, even lupins have limitations, including low sulphur content, which put sheep at risk of deficiencies if not carefully balanced with mineral supplements.
“Sheep nutrition can be quite complicated, and we’ve always considered feeding grains too risky, as there is a lot of margin for error,”
“Sheep can get crafty when it comes to avoiding certain components in feed, so even adding a mineral supplement isn’t a foolproof solution and deficiencies may not become obvious until the losses are already felt.
“We’ve always preferred pellets because they offer a well-balanced and complete feed, but we were never overly impressed with the options on the market because most contained false protein like urea, excessive bulk roughage and the quality was inconsistent.”
Broomehill Stockfeeds pellets were developed under the guidance of sheep nutrition expert John Milton and contain only the highest quality ingredients in well-balanced rations. These include 100% true protein, buffers to optimise rumen environment for productivity and acidosis prevention, and a mix of premium vitamins and minerals.
“As farmers, we appreciate how frustrating it is when the quality is poor or inconsistent, so we use top ingredients and take great care to avoid excessive quantities of bulky roughage, which maximises the value and subsequent returns per tonne for our customers,“ Craig said.
“We’ve noticed some substantial changes to our flock since feeding Broomehill Stockfeeds pellets including more consistency in the staple profile of our wool, increased conception rates and healthier sheep overall.
“And by combining paddock and semi-confinement feeding we also get more out of our pasture paddocks and leftover cereals.
“Our customers have reported similar results including more effective ewe maintenance, faster lamb weight gains and overall healthier sheep, and find the pellets a highly convenient option as they can be fed in the paddock or in a feedlot.”
For more information about Broomehill Stockfeeds’ Premium Pellets or to order, call Craig on 0429 100 239.