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Practical advices on Artificial feeding in new-born lambs
Solution name:Practical advices on Artificial feeding in new-born lambs
Aim: Proper implementation of artificial feeding, so that the farmers get the best results both in the development of lambs and on milk production of ewes.
Description:
- Artificial feeding is an alternative to natural suckling and is clearly cheaper than suckling. Cost per lamb (from birth to weaning) with Artificial feeding is 30-40 euros versus 60-80 euros with Natural suckling.
- Artificial feeding can be applied either with a feeding machine (from the 3rd day after delivery), or with special buckets (from the 2nd day after delivery).
- Colostrum feeding and choosing the right milk powder are important for the health of newborns and for the success of artificial feeding.
Topic: Nutrition/management
Production: Dairy
Animal Category: Lamb
Issue: Artificial rearing
Level of Solution: Knowledge, Practical
Country: Greece
How to implement it
Simplified artificial feeding scheme
- 1st day: 4 meals of colostrum (quantity: 10% of the total body weight in the 1st 24 hours)
- 2nd day: 3-4 meals with half colostrum and half powdered milk
- 3rd -14th day: 3 milk meals
- 3rd – 6th week: 2 meals milk + good quality alfalfa hay + weaning mixture + straw + clean drinking water
- 7th week: 1 meal of milk + good quality alfalfa hay + weaning mixture + straw + clean drinking water
- 8th week: weaning
Expected benefits
- Sheep’s milk is sold from the 5th day after birth
- Less mastitis, because milking completely empties the udder
- Possibility of implementing the Maedi Visna control program (use of cow’s colostrum etc).
Prerequisites and/or limits
For the successful implementation of artificial feeding, it is important:
- to precede the grouping of lambing and of new-borns
- to have specialized equipment (feeding machine or suitable buckets – depending on the number of lambs we want to feed artificially)
- to have a properly designed area (with adequate ventilation, lighting and relatively constant temperature)
- to train staff on the administration of colostrum to new-borns, in lamb training and preparation for artificial feeding, in the observance of hygienic conditions (cleaning and disinfection of space and equipment used)
- to select the appropriate milk powder with the help of a veterinarian or a specialist in animal nutrition.
Information Source / Usefull links
- Εκτροφή προβάτων και αιγών: Τι πρέπει να ξέρω; ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟΣ ΓΕΩΡΓΙΚΟΣ ΟΡΓΑΝΙΣΜΟΣ – ΔΗΜΗΤΡΑ, Ινστιτούτο Κτηνιατρικών Ερευνών, Θεσσαλονίκη 2017 ISBN: 978-960-98079-2-0
- Tsiligianni, E. Ntovolou and G. S. Amiridis. Synchronization of lambing with low doses of dexamethasone. Acta Veterinaria Hungarica 56(3):393-397 (2008).
- Tsiligianni, E. Dovolou, G.S. Amiridis. Efficacy of feeding cow colostrum to newborn lambs. Livestock Science 149:305–309 (2012).
- Θ. Τσιλιγιάννη. Διαχείριση νεογέννητων αρνιών. Τι είναι σημαντικό να γνωρίζει ο προβατοτρόφος; (2017) τεύχος 18:12-17.
- https://issuu.com/grafeiotypou.elgo
- https://www.elgo.gr/images/ioanna/periodiko/teyxos_18/%CF%83%CE%B5%CE%BB._12.pdf
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