This document provides information on nutrient requirements for sheep and goats at different stages of production. It discusses the key nutrients required including energy, protein, fats, vitamins and minerals. Recommended intakes are provided for ewes, does, lambs and kids at different stages such as dry period, breeding, gestation and lactation. Body condition scoring is also covered as an important assessment tool. The document emphasizes matching nutrient intake to requirements at each stage of production for optimal health and performance.

1. SUSAN SCHOENIAN (Shāy-nē-ŭn)
Sheep & Goat Specialist
Western Maryland Research & Education Center
sschoen@umd.edu - www.sheepandgoat.com

2.  Species
 Genetic type
 Size (weight)
 Age
 Sex
 Stage of production
 Level of production
 Body condition
 Environment

3. 1. Water
2. Energy
3. Protein
4. Fats
5. Vitamins
6. Minerals
 Fiber

4.  Pounds, kilograms,
grams, or calories.
 Energy (TDN, ME, NE)
 Protein (CP)
 Grams (g)
 Macro minerals
 Parts per million (ppm)
 Micro minerals
 International units (IU)
 Vitamins

5.  It is assumed that livestock 132 lb. ewe lamb (early gestation, single lamb)
will eat (or be fed) a certain Requires 0.34 lbs. of CP per day
percentage of their body 5 lbs. of hay 4 lbs. of hay 3 lbs. of hay
weight in dry matter. 7.7% 9.7% 12.9%
 Recommended dietary
percentages are based on
dry matter intake.
 The new NRC (2007)
requirements no longer give
percentage requirements of
nutrients.
 The most useful use of
percentages is to compare
nutritive value of feedstuffs.

6.  Ewes and does
 Dry period
 Breeding
 Gestation
 Lactation
 Weaning
 Lambs and kids
 Newborn
 Pre-weaning
 Post-weaning
▪ Slaughter stock
▪ Replacements
 Bucks and rams
 Maintenance
 Breeding

7. DRY PERIOD
Maintenance
WEANING
Drying off BREEDING
Flushing
LACTATION GESTATION
Early vs. late Early/mid vs. late

8.  Female is recovering from
lactation and preparing to  Forage (pasture, browse, or
get rebred. harvested forage) is all that’s
 Rebuild body condition and reserves. usually needed to maintain
NOT TOO FAT dry, non-pregnant ruminants.
Type Weight DMI TDN CP
2.97 1.65 0.19
Dairy doe 132 lbs.
2.25% 55.6% 6.4%
2.50 1.32 0.17
Doe 132 lbs.
1.90% 52.8% 6.8%
2.86 1.51 0.21
Ewe 176 lbs.
1.63% 53.1% 7.2%
 Length of dry period depends Divide DMI by % DM to get As Fed.
upon birthing interval and 2.86 0.88 = 3.25 lbs. of hay
length of lactation. 2.86 0.24 = 11.9 lbs. of pasture

9.  Feed a diet so that females NRC energy requirements (TDN)
will be gaining weight as they are 10% above maintenance.
enter the breeding season.
 Supplement females with 0.5
lb. of grain per head per day
or move females to a lush
pasture that has been saved
for flushing.
 Start 2 weeks before breeding
 Continue 3 to 4 weeks into
breeding season
 Females in average or better
body condition usually do not
respond to flushing.

10.  What’s occurring?
 Embryos implant in uterus (d 20-24)
 Mammary gland development (d 30-90)
 Placenta development (d 30-90)
 Wool follicles forming (d 35-100)
 NRC Energy requirements (TDN)
above maintenance vary by
Type
(twin-bearing)
Weight DMI TDN CP species, genetic type, and
weight.
3.60 1.91 0.31 ▪ 16-43% for females in table.
Dairy doe 132 lbs.
2.73% 53.1 % 8.6%
3.15 1.67 0.29  Quantity of nutrients is more
Doe 132 lbs.
2.38% 53.0% 9.2% important than quality of
4.05 2.16 0.33
nutrients.
Ewe 176 lbs.
2.30% 53.3% 8.1%
 Don’t allow females to get fat!
 Females should be gaining minimal
Divide DMI by % DM to get As Fed. amount of weight.
3.15 0.88 = 3.6 lbs. of hay ▪ Ewe: ~0.10 lb. per day.
3.15 0.24 =

11. What’s occurring?
 Rapid fetal growth.
 Limited rumen capacity.
 Mammary development.
 Usually necessary to supplement
high moisture feeds and dry
forages with concentrate feeds to
Type
Weight DMI TDN CP meet nutrient requirements,
(twin-bearing) especially for females carrying
Dairy doe 132 lbs.
3.72 2.46 0.45 multiple births.
2.82% 66.1 % 12.1%  Energy (TDN) is most likely
3.34 2.22 0.43 to be deficient in diet.
Doe 132 lbs.
2.54% 66.5% 13.0%  Calcium requirements increase
4.38 2.90 0.44
Ewe 176 lbs.
2.48% 53.3% 10.0%  Do not feed low quality or
nutrient-dilute feeds during late
Divide DMI by % DM to get As Fed. gestation.
4.38 0.88 = 5.0 lbs. Ewe would have to eat 5
lbs. of hay to meet her TDN requirements.  Do not overfeed!

12. OVERFEEDING UNDERFEEDING
 Dystocia   Energy  ketosis
 $$$$ (pregnancy toxemia)
  Calcium  milk fever
 Weaker lambs and kids
 Higher neonatal mortality
 Quantity and quality of
colostrum (first milk)
 Less milk production
 Poorer performance
of lambs and kids.
 Fewer secondary follicles in
offspring  fiber production

13.  Highest nutrient
requirements ($$$)
 Energy + protein
 Save highest quality forage
for lactation diet.
Nutrient requirements
▪ Young > mature
▪ Twins > singles
▪ Triplets > twins
▪ Accelerated > annual
▪ Dairy > non-dairy
▪ Parlor milked >

14. Type (twin-bearing) Weight DMI TDN CP
Dairy doe (avg. producer) 132 lbs. 6.6 ( 5.0%) 5.25 (80.0 %) 1.39 (21.0%)
Doe 132 lbs. 3.85 (2.91%) 1.98 (51.4%) 0.54 (14.2%)
Ewe 176 lbs. 4.73 (2.69%) 3.3 (69.8%) 0.89 (18.8%)
Dairy ewe 176 lbs. 7.15 (3.80%) 4.42 (61.8%) 1.10 (15.3%)
 General rule of thumb is  Feed meat goat does 1
to feed 1 lb. of grain for lb. of a 16% CP ration per
each lamb a ewe is day.
nursing.
 Feed 1 lb. of concentrate
 1 lb. of grain per day to for each 3 lbs. of milk
ewes nursing lambs on produced.
pasture.

15. SLAUGHTER
ANIMALS
NEWBORN
PRE-WEANING POST-WEANING
NEONATAL
REPLACEMENTS

16.  Colostrum – first milk
first 12-24 hours
▪ Energy, fat, and protein
▪ Vitamin A
▪ Antibodies
[Large protein molecules]
▪ Immunoglobulins (IgG)
▪ Laxative
 Lambs and kids should
consume colostrum within
30 minutes of the birth
(ideally) and 10% of the
body weight in their first
24 hours of life.

17. SUPPLY BEHAVIOR
 Females vary in the quality  Lambs and kids vary in their
and quantity of colostrum suckling ability and intake of
colostrum.
they produce.  Ewe bonding behavior affects
 Older ewes > younger ewes colostrum intake.
 Grain-fed > no grain fed
Cull females with poor bonding
behavior and those that produce
insufficient or thick colostrum.
Do not keep lambs or kids that
require tube or bottle feeding.

18.  For the first several weeks, all a
lamb or kid needs is its mother’s
milk.
 Lamb and kids will start to
nibble on solid food soon after
birth.
 By the time they are 4 to 6
weeks of age, they could be
getting as much as 50% of their
nutrients from sources other
than milk.
 Pre-weaning diet will affect
rumen development.
 Starter grain > Hay > Pasture

19. WHO? WHY?
 Early-born lambs and kids  Ease stress at weaning.
 Improve growth rate.
 Lambs and kids born in  Enhance rumen development
accelerated lambing and kidding
programs
 Artificially reared lambs and kids
 Early-weaned lambs and kids.
 In flocks and herds, where there
are lots of multiple births and
milk could be a limiting factor.
 On farms where pasture is a
limited resource.

20.  Set up a creep area in
barn or on pasture by the
time most of the lambs
or kids are 10 days old.
 Create barrier that
allows entry of lambs or
kids, but prevents ewes
and lambs from
entering.
 Area should provide easy
access, be well-lit, and
be clean and dry.

21.  Fresh
 Palatable
 17 to 20 percent CP
Lower for older lambs, kids
 2:1 Ca:P ratio
 All-natural protein
 Highly digestible
 Small particle size
 Example rations:
1. cracked corn + soybean meal
2. Starter pellet
 Always available
 Good feeder design

22.  Set up a barrier that
allows entry of lambs or
kids, but not ewes or
does.
 Forage in creep area
must be superior to
forage in non-creep
area.
 Forage in creep area
must be high quality.

23. Market Replacements
Pasture
Weaning Market
animals
Dry lot

24. PASTURE COMBINATION HIGH CONCENTRATE
 Late born  Moderate growth  Early born
 Late weaning potential  Early wean
 Low to moderate  Zero grazing  High growth
growth potential  Free choice hay potential
 Dairy
 High quality  Limit feed grain  Zero grazing
pasture  Mixed rations  High energy
 Creep grazing (?) e.g. whole grain  Self-feed grain
 Supplemental  Pelleted ration
feeding (?)  Limit feed hay
 Maximum gain

25.  Separate from market animals
 Grow no more than 50 to 75% of the
maximal rate of gain.
 Good forage
 Good forage + 1 lb. of grain (lambs)
 Good forage + 0.5-1% of BW of grain (kids)
Target weights
60 -70 % of mature weight for breeding
 Frame development more 75% of mature weight at 12 months
important than finish.
 Fast growth and unnecessary fat
disposition may be detrimental to
mammary development.
 Exception: full-feed dairy ewes (WI)

26.  During most of the year,
forage (hay, pasture, or
browse) will meet the
nutritional requirements
of most mature rams
and bucks.
 Supplement rams and
bucks with concentrates
if necessary to maintain
body condition.
 Free choice minerals

27.  Rams and bucks should be in
good body condition (3-4) at
the time of breeding.
 Feed grain as needed to
condition rams and bucks.
 Continue feeding grain during
Most males will lose body condition breeding season.
during the breeding season (some, a lot).
 Feed ram lambs and bucklings
through breeding season to
allow for growth and breeding
activity.
 Feed rams and bucks after
breeding season to gradually
recover body condition lost
during breeding season.

28.  Evaluate the adequacy
of previous feed
supply.
 Determining future
feed requirements.
 Accessing the health
status of individual
animals.

29.  Index of 1-5 usually for
sheep and goats
1. Emaciated
2. Thin
3. Average
4. Fat
5. Obese
 Score by feeling for
fat and/or muscle
over the backbone,
ribs, spine, and loin.

30.  Ewes and does
 Always, 2-4
 Never, 1 or 5
 Breeding, 3
 Late gestation, 3
 Lambing, 3+
 Weaning, 2
 Rams and bucks
 Pre-breeding, 3-4

31. Protein (CP)
Meat balls
Vitamins
Cheese topping
Energy (TDN) Minerals
Pasta Sauce

32. Next webinar – Thursday, 2/2, 7:30 p.m. EST
Topic: Ration balancing w/Willie Lantz
Thank you for your
attention.
Any questions?
Susan Schoenian
sschoen@umd.edu
www.sheepandgoat.com