1. Feeding
The feeding and management of lambs before weaning play a crucial role in the success of the weaning process. Lambs that are introduced to solid feed early, given fine concentrates, and allowed to graze before weaning tend to adapt more easily. It is recommended to divide their meals into 2–3 servings of easily digestible feed with a crude protein content of 16% to 18%, depending on grazing conditions. The concentrate should be given in amounts of 100–200 grams per day, ensuring no changes in feces. High-quality grass or hay should be available at night for free grazing. Water and pasture should not be restricted, and the grazing area should be limited to prevent overgrazing. Ideally, lambs should graze on artificial pastures around the farm, consisting of a mix of legumes and grasses. Toxic feeds such as rapeseed cake or cottonseed cake should be avoided. If soybean meal is used, it should be cooked or replaced with roasted soybeans.The weaning lamb's diet should include: 30% roasted soybeans, 10% fryable bran, 46% corn, 5% alfalfa meal, 5% crushed barley, 0.5% milk powder, 0.5% brown sugar, 1% bone meal, 1% salt, and 1% trace element additives containing selenium. This balanced formulation supports growth and health during the critical weaning period.
2. Management
In current farming practices in our country, lambs can typically be weaned at 60 days of age. However, if supplementary feeding conditions are favorable, they may be weaned as early as 42 days. During this time, the focus should be on preventing stress-related deaths and diseases. Starting from the planned weaning date, the number of nursing sessions should gradually decrease from 2–3 times a day to once a day. After 1–2 weeks of adaptation, the lambs can be fully weaned. Post-weaning, lambs should be grouped separately and allowed to graze together in small groups. Upon returning from grazing, they should receive 100–200 grams of mixed concentrate at night, along with free access to high-quality green hay. For those being fed, the diet should start with crisp and nutritious forages like alfalfa and oats, gradually increasing the amount of concentrate. It’s important to maintain consistent fecal output and feed them 2–3 times daily. (Han Fengtao)Yinchuan Erxin Technology Co., LTD , https://www.exmedmodel.com