| There is a moveable feast of bugs in the rumen of sheep and getting the right balance of nutrients there at peak stress times such as pregnancy can have a major impact on animal productivity into the future.
Traprock and south-east Queensland region wool producers learned about the interplay of nutrients in the stomach, which basically is a fermentation factory for bugs in a symbiotic relationship with the sheep.
Likening the rumen to a home brew kit, veterinarian Stuart Halliday said the combination of feed and supplements in the form of protein, fibre and starch drives rumen fermentation which then delivers the energy, protein and other compounds that maximise wool and meat production.
The nutrition forum was held at Terrica woolshed on July 14 as a Leading Sheep initiative in partnership with Elders Livestock Management Solutions and sparked a lot of questions from producers hungry for details about how to get the best out of their animals.
Leading Sheep is an initiative of Australian Wool Innovation Limited (AWI) in partnership with the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries and supported by AgForce that is establishing regional networks of Queensland wool growers to work together on current local issues and opportunities.
Mr Halliday, a vet with the national Livestock Central group, said the feed given to pregnant ewes in the two weeks prior to lambing enables them to maximise colostrum and milk production and boost lamb survival rates. This effectively sets up the lambs for life because they have good immunity and better feed conversion efficiency.
He said pregnant ewes require half a kilogram of feed for the developing fetus, on top of the ewe's own requirements. After birth, the ability of the ewe to produce milk requires a high concentration of calcium and large amounts of energy.
Sheep absorb nutrients through the papillae in the rumen, and if lambs suffer malnutrition early then poor ruminal development will lead to animals failing to thrive.
This is evident in the extreme with drought lambs that don't get enough milk and colostrum, and haven't been able to grow because the rumen hasn't developed as it should.
"Sheep will have greater feed conversion efficiency throughout their lives if you get their nutrition right in the first 12-14 weeks and especially at weaning time," Mr Halliday said.
"Energy rich diets will do the best job for pregnant ewes but if you feed cereal grain then you will need to add buffers to manage the pH in the rumen."
He said understanding and controlling the effects of stress and its impact on changing nutrient requirements at each stage of the production cycle helps boost productivity and reproductive potential.
In summary, the keys to maximising lambing percentage and lamb growth include:
Optimising calcium availability
Maximising appetite and feed conversion efficiency
Maximising colostrum quality and quantity
Supporting a higher and earlier peak in milk production
Mr Halliday said good lambing management begins 30 days prior to lambing and finishes 30 days post-partum. The industry's best system suggests the need to: manipulate calcium responses, manage magnesium, Vitamin D and pH, supplement Vitamin A and B group and zinc, copper, selenium and starch.
He said sheep are fussy about what supplements they eat, so it is useful to teach or imprint the lambs while they are still on the ewes prior to weaning.
For more information on the Leading Sheep producer groups, please phone Geoff Knights DPI&F principal project officer on 07 4620 8121 or visit the AWI website at www.wool.com.au/leadingsheep | 
