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Sheep: Feed & Forage

Resources for feeding sheep

Technical Note (TN694): Alternative Forages for Sheep – Fodder Beet

This technical note examines the growth of fodder beet for sheep, including its nutritional benefits and sheep management when grazing this forage crop.

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Mineral Requirements in Finishing Lambs

Mineral imbalances in finishing lambs primarily impact growth rates and therefore time to finishing and slaughter. There are several reasons why mineral problems arise in...

Read more >

Nutrition for Ewes Lambing in Spring

The success of lambing relies heavily upon ensuring the ewe’s nutritional needs are met throughout pregnancy. This is particularly important in the final six weeks...

Read more >

Building Good Financial Habits With Cash Flow Forecasting

The statistics are clear; 80% of small businesses go under due to cash flow problems, not lack of profit. Building business resilience with good financial...

Read more >

Sheep mineral supplementation

Throughout the year and production cycle, the ewe goes through different phases requiring varying nutritional requirements. Part of these are minerals which are vital for...

Read more >

Minimising Dry Matter Losses in Clamped Silage

Dry matter (nutrient) losses from clamped silage can be on average 25%, representing a significant amount of feed value disappearing between cutting the grass and...

Read more >

How to reduce silage nutrient loss in the heat

The silage season is well underway with many farms having already successfully harvested a first cut and some even cutting or considering further cuts. However,...

Read more >

Minimising Dry Matter Losses in Clamped Silage

Making silage is an expensive operation on any livestock farm but it is still one of the most cost-effective feeds after grass. Maximising the production...

Read more >

Indoor Lambing Management

As lambing time approaches, we tackle key challenges in this timely video, where we address colostrum, hygiene, iodine supply and reducing antibiotics at lambing time....

Read more >

Silage Clinic – Key Messages

Making quality silage – what are the key influencing factors? Tips for making quality silage and minimising nutritional losses were discussed at a recent FAS...

Read more >

Protein Feed Prices Rising

While cereal prices have eased slightly, protein prices have risen, mainly due to the increase in soya but also due to limited short-term availability of...

Read more >

Maintaining Performance of Sheep in Adverse Winter Weather

With the last covering of snow now subsiding and more forecast as we approach the end of the year, it is worth considering the adverse...

Read more >

New Entrants – Getting Started with Rotational Grazing

Rotational grazing increases the grass ultilisation on farm and leads to greater production of meat, milk, and wool per hectare, while also reducing feed and...

Read more >

November Silage Update

The SAC lab continues to receive more silages for analysis. Table 1 shows the average nutrient values of 1st and 2nd cut beef and sheep...

Read more >

Sheep Abortions – What you need to know

In this video, Megan Fergusson, Veterinary Investigation Officer at SRUC talks about the main causes of sheep abortions – Toxoplasmosis and Enzootic Abortion (EAE) and...

Read more >

Reduce Risk Of Scald In Lambs This Season

Scald is caused by bacteria (Dichelobacter nodosus) in the grass and leads to damage to the soft tissue between the toes of lambs. It can...

Read more >

Grazing Principles for Productive Flocks

In this webinar recorded 26th May, Poppy Frater and Daniel Stout of SAC’s GrazeUp discuss the core principles of effective grazing management to optimise pasture...

Read more >

Improving Silage To Reduce Costs

Improving silage quality provides an alternative resource of nutrients to livestock that may have otherwise been supplied in concentrate feed. Ruminants have evolved to eat...

Read more >

Forage Crop Ground Preparation

Good ground preparation of forage crops is a large contributor to their yield potential, with a fine, firm seedbed, with the correct pH and nutrients...

Read more >

Ensiling Potatoes And Grass Silage

The recent cold weather and lack of grass growth has meant some farms will either have silage fields that are being grazed or simply not...

Read more >

Improving Baled Silage Quality: What’s it Worth?

When buying or selling silage bales, nutritional value is rarely taken into account, but the variation in quality can be huge.  Having an analysis to...

Read more >

Sustainable Sheep Systems – “Ewe are what ewe eat” (video)

Ewe nutrition in the 8 weeks pre-lambing is essential to ensure the ewe receives sufficient energy and protein to support the growth of the unborn...

Read more >

The Importance Of Vitamins – Vitamin D

Vitamin D is critical for normal development and growth.  The primary function of vitamin D is to increase blood plasma calcium and phosphorous to a...

Read more >

Using The Scan Results For Better Nutrition

As triplets require greater feeding in the lead up to lambing than those with fewer lambs and singles are at risk of oversized lambs if...

Read more >

Managing and Reducing Straw Wastage

With straw looking to be relatively scarce coupled with price variance across the regions this guide will help farmers better manage straw supplies and help...

Read more >

Alternative Bedding For Lambing

Straw traditionally is the choice bedding for lambing sheds and pens however straw shortages mean you may need to be prepared to find an alternative....

Read more >

Livestock Grazing Beet: Feat. Dr Jim Gibbs

The third and final podcast in our fodder beet for livestock series. This podcast focuses on the health of livestock grazing beet and we are...

Read more >

Ruminant Nutrition

Ever wondered what your animal requires and when?  The best way to feed them?  What minerals they need?  If so then this webinar is for...

Read more >

Forages and Feeds: Assessing Your Forage – Part 1

This video is the second in our winter feed planning series covering assessing your forage stocks and their quality, as well as what to do...

Read more >

Rotational Grazing: A Discussion

This year, four farmers from across Scotland have been documenting their experience using rotational grazing methods on video. You can follow the whole series on...

Read more >

Alternative Bedding

Bedding livestock on straw is common place on most farms in Scotland but straw is not the only option. 

Read more >

Wet Straw

Recent wet weather in some parts has seen straw in field stacks soaked by rainwater, bales immersed in water and even straw bales washed away...

Read more >

Cause And Prevention Of Mites In Feedstuffs

Grain/feed mites can occasionally cause issues in grain they are not often easy to spot until they are in large numbers and where populations are...

Read more >

Rotational Grazing Vlog: Weaning Lambs at 90day

  These lambs have grown at 325g/day from birth, an exceptional growth rate for twins. Jamie has shown us the leader-follower system in previous videos...

Read more >

Lamb Finishing Options

There are a wide range of options for finishing lambs in Scotland. The choice of system will largely depend on the weight and type of...

Read more >

Keeping Lambs Growing

As lambs get bigger, they get less efficient at growing – an increasing amount of feed is needed solely for their maintenance.  The contribution of energy dense...

Read more >

Rotational Grazing Vlog: Permanent pasture responding well to Leader-follower rotation

    Cows and Calves follow behind the ewes and lambs at Scholland Farm on Shetland. Increase kg/ha 40%. A top tip for temporary electric...

Read more >

Rotational Grazing Vlog: Adapting grazing in cooler May conditions on Shetland

    Grass growth on Scholland Farm has been slow due to cool may conditions. Therefore, the ewe and lamb grazing has been adapted and...

Read more >

Handling And Stacking Silage Bales

When making silage bales it worth taking extra care around handling, wrapping and stacking of bales to avoid costly nutrient losses and some harmful moulds...

Read more >

More in FAS Problem Solver

Select by an area of interest

Mineral Requirements in Finishing Lambs

Mineral imbalances in finishing lambs primarily impact growth rates and therefore time to finishing and slaughter. There are several reasons why mineral problems arise in...

Read more >

Nutrition for Ewes Lambing in Spring

The success of lambing relies heavily upon ensuring the ewe’s nutritional needs are met throughout pregnancy. This is particularly important in the final six weeks...

Read more >

Building Good Financial Habits With Cash Flow Forecasting

The statistics are clear; 80% of small businesses go under due to cash flow problems, not lack of profit. Building business resilience with good financial...

Read more >

Sheep mineral supplementation

Throughout the year and production cycle, the ewe goes through different phases requiring varying nutritional requirements. Part of these are minerals which are vital for...

Read more >

Minimising Dry Matter Losses in Clamped Silage

Dry matter (nutrient) losses from clamped silage can be on average 25%, representing a significant amount of feed value disappearing between cutting the grass and...

Read more >

How to reduce silage nutrient loss in the heat

The silage season is well underway with many farms having already successfully harvested a first cut and some even cutting or considering further cuts. However,...

Read more >

Minimising Dry Matter Losses in Clamped Silage

Making silage is an expensive operation on any livestock farm but it is still one of the most cost-effective feeds after grass. Maximising the production...

Read more >

Indoor Lambing Management

As lambing time approaches, we tackle key challenges in this timely video, where we address colostrum, hygiene, iodine supply and reducing antibiotics at lambing time....

Read more >

Silage Clinic – Key Messages

Making quality silage – what are the key influencing factors? Tips for making quality silage and minimising nutritional losses were discussed at a recent FAS...

Read more >

Protein Feed Prices Rising

While cereal prices have eased slightly, protein prices have risen, mainly due to the increase in soya but also due to limited short-term availability of...

Read more >

Maintaining Performance of Sheep in Adverse Winter Weather

With the last covering of snow now subsiding and more forecast as we approach the end of the year, it is worth considering the adverse...

Read more >

New Entrants – Getting Started with Rotational Grazing

Rotational grazing increases the grass ultilisation on farm and leads to greater production of meat, milk, and wool per hectare, while also reducing feed and...

Read more >

November Silage Update

The SAC lab continues to receive more silages for analysis. Table 1 shows the average nutrient values of 1st and 2nd cut beef and sheep...

Read more >

Sheep Abortions – What you need to know

In this video, Megan Fergusson, Veterinary Investigation Officer at SRUC talks about the main causes of sheep abortions – Toxoplasmosis and Enzootic Abortion (EAE) and...

Read more >

Reduce Risk Of Scald In Lambs This Season

Scald is caused by bacteria (Dichelobacter nodosus) in the grass and leads to damage to the soft tissue between the toes of lambs. It can...

Read more >

Grazing Principles for Productive Flocks

In this webinar recorded 26th May, Poppy Frater and Daniel Stout of SAC’s GrazeUp discuss the core principles of effective grazing management to optimise pasture...

Read more >

Improving Silage To Reduce Costs

Improving silage quality provides an alternative resource of nutrients to livestock that may have otherwise been supplied in concentrate feed. Ruminants have evolved to eat...

Read more >

Forage Crop Ground Preparation

Good ground preparation of forage crops is a large contributor to their yield potential, with a fine, firm seedbed, with the correct pH and nutrients...

Read more >

Ensiling Potatoes And Grass Silage

The recent cold weather and lack of grass growth has meant some farms will either have silage fields that are being grazed or simply not...

Read more >

Improving Baled Silage Quality: What’s it Worth?

When buying or selling silage bales, nutritional value is rarely taken into account, but the variation in quality can be huge.  Having an analysis to...

Read more >

Sustainable Sheep Systems – “Ewe are what ewe eat” (video)

Ewe nutrition in the 8 weeks pre-lambing is essential to ensure the ewe receives sufficient energy and protein to support the growth of the unborn...

Read more >

The Importance Of Vitamins – Vitamin D

Vitamin D is critical for normal development and growth.  The primary function of vitamin D is to increase blood plasma calcium and phosphorous to a...

Read more >

Using The Scan Results For Better Nutrition

As triplets require greater feeding in the lead up to lambing than those with fewer lambs and singles are at risk of oversized lambs if...

Read more >

Managing and Reducing Straw Wastage

With straw looking to be relatively scarce coupled with price variance across the regions this guide will help farmers better manage straw supplies and help...

Read more >

Alternative Bedding For Lambing

Straw traditionally is the choice bedding for lambing sheds and pens however straw shortages mean you may need to be prepared to find an alternative....

Read more >

Livestock Grazing Beet: Feat. Dr Jim Gibbs

The third and final podcast in our fodder beet for livestock series. This podcast focuses on the health of livestock grazing beet and we are...

Read more >

Ruminant Nutrition

Ever wondered what your animal requires and when?  The best way to feed them?  What minerals they need?  If so then this webinar is for...

Read more >

Forages and Feeds: Assessing Your Forage – Part 1

This video is the second in our winter feed planning series covering assessing your forage stocks and their quality, as well as what to do...

Read more >

Rotational Grazing: A Discussion

This year, four farmers from across Scotland have been documenting their experience using rotational grazing methods on video. You can follow the whole series on...

Read more >

Alternative Bedding

Bedding livestock on straw is common place on most farms in Scotland but straw is not the only option. 

Read more >

Wet Straw

Recent wet weather in some parts has seen straw in field stacks soaked by rainwater, bales immersed in water and even straw bales washed away...

Read more >

Cause And Prevention Of Mites In Feedstuffs

Grain/feed mites can occasionally cause issues in grain they are not often easy to spot until they are in large numbers and where populations are...

Read more >

Rotational Grazing Vlog: Weaning Lambs at 90day

  These lambs have grown at 325g/day from birth, an exceptional growth rate for twins. Jamie has shown us the leader-follower system in previous videos...

Read more >

Lamb Finishing Options

There are a wide range of options for finishing lambs in Scotland. The choice of system will largely depend on the weight and type of...

Read more >

Keeping Lambs Growing

As lambs get bigger, they get less efficient at growing – an increasing amount of feed is needed solely for their maintenance.  The contribution of energy dense...

Read more >

Rotational Grazing Vlog: Permanent pasture responding well to Leader-follower rotation

    Cows and Calves follow behind the ewes and lambs at Scholland Farm on Shetland. Increase kg/ha 40%. A top tip for temporary electric...

Read more >

Rotational Grazing Vlog: Adapting grazing in cooler May conditions on Shetland

    Grass growth on Scholland Farm has been slow due to cool may conditions. Therefore, the ewe and lamb grazing has been adapted and...

Read more >

Handling And Stacking Silage Bales

When making silage bales it worth taking extra care around handling, wrapping and stacking of bales to avoid costly nutrient losses and some harmful moulds...

Read more >

Something else on your mind?