Feeding weaners adds up in dry times

But she says these lambs need to be 15 kilograms or more, with the risk of mortality significantly higher below this weight.

“From 10 weeks onwards it can be a lot more economical to feed the lamb rather than via the ewe because they (at this stage) they are only getting about 30 per cent of their energy from milk,” she said.

“Some are taking the top group off of weaner lambs off and coming back in a couple of weeks and taking them bottoms but it is really important we don’t go below that 15kg.”

Ms Scammell, who is based at Sevenhill, said a good strategy was to train lambs onto feeders using the ewes prior to weaning to minimise stress at weaning.

During last week’s Sheep Connect SA webinar- Seasonal Strategies-  she said even with barley at $320 a tonne it could be cost-effective to feed weaners, giving an example of a feed ration for a 20 kilogram weaner which equated to 16 cents a head a day.

This was based on a daily ration of 350g of barley, 200g of peas and 250g of hay to provide 700g of dry matter a day with the feed having the 4MJ of energy and 14 per cent protein needed for a growing animal.

But she urged all producers to do their own feed budgets and discuss their selling options with their stock agent.

“Work out a value now at 20kg, the value at 35kg and the value at 50kg and make some decisions on-farm about how you can feed and what you have available,” she said.

With hay and grain becoming increasingly hard to source Ms Scammell says many producers have turned to feeding by-products but she urged them to work out the cost on a dry matter, energy, protein and fibre basis, not just looking at the dollar a tonne price.

“Grains are generally 88 to 90pc dry matter but things like citrus pulp can be a good feed but are only 14.3pc,” she said.

“It is a tricky situation – rather than feeds that we should be accessing it is the feeds we can access.”

Weaners, along with reproductive stock, were most suspectible to moulds and mycotoxins in feeds so it was important to give them the best quality available.

At weaning Ms Scammell said it was critical vaccinations were up to date and worms were managed, with worm burdens high in some flocks on short, green feed.

Monitoring the weight gains of a portion of the weaners in the mob was also critical.

“You can write a number on their backs it doesn’t have to be electronic tags,” she said.

“When you weigh them we want a minimum of 30g/head per day, ideally you would be closer to 150-200g/head day.”