Rapidly growing lambs do best on a diet of around 16% protein and 12 MJ ME/kg DM of energy. That level of nutrition is common on actively growing winter pastures such as ryegrass and phalaris during the cooler months.
As winter-dominant pastures go to head and mature, though, their nutritional value declines. To keep lambs moving forward at a good rate, it may be time to think about grazing summer crops or lot feeding.
Making the most of lucerne
Warmer and longer days could be enough for lucerne to kick into action and really freshen up, which would be perfect timing for near-perfect summer feed. Lucerne’s high protein makes it ideal for growing lambs, especially in summer when good protein sources are scarce.
Lucerne does have its limits. At around 10 MJ ME/kg DM, it is quite low in energy, and with crude protein around 28%, it can also be too rich in protein. Lambs then spend energy excreting the excess protein, which puts further downward pressure on the energy left over for growth.
Offering barley at around 500 g/head/day balances the energy shortfall and the high protein. Paired with StockMins-Lamb Finisher, this approach has given producers reported liveweight gains in lambs of around 350–400 g/head/day.
Lambs grazing lucerne should also have free access to roughage such as palatable straw or low-value cereal hay. Roughage stimulates cud chewing, promotes optimal rumen function and reduces the risk of ‘red gut’. Many believe that feeding roughage on lucerne reduces production, but it can increase it. Roughage slows the passage rate of feed, so the animal extracts more nutrients from what it eats.
Boost liveweight gain with StockMins-Lamb Finisher
Over summer, StockMins-Lamb Finisher is the ideal green feed supplement for grain-assisted grazing. Its balanced combination of essential minerals, vitamins, trace elements and Bovatec® supports the development of rapidly growing lambs and helps to reduce the risk of coccidiosis. It also contains long-, mid- and short-acting acid buffers to support mid-level grain supplementation on pasture.
