cover

Contents

Acknowledgments

Abbreviations

Introduction

Principles of nutrition

The sheep’s digestive system

Digestibility of different feeds

Understanding fermentation of different feed constituents andits impact on the ruminant

Planning and budgeting

Planning requirements

Budget

Purchasing feeder lambs

Which market to target and its suitability for lot feeding lambs

Trade lambs ‘Supermarket lambs’

Heavy trade lambs

Food service

Export

Forward contracts and estimating returns

Feedlot design

Feedlot site

Water supply

Feedlot size

Environmental enrichment

Feeding equipment

Self-feeders

Open troughs

Rations

Cereal grain

Grain legumes

Meals

Urea

Salt and limestone

Sodium bentonite and sodium bicarbonate

Roughage

Silage

Pellets

Preparing the ration

Ration formulation

Starter ration

Selection and preparation of lambs

Factors to consider in selection of lambs for the feedlot

Genetics

Preparation of lambs

Vaccination

Parasites

Shearing

Monitoring of lambs

Weighing and fat-scoring lambs

Shy feeders

Animal health

Grain poisoning (acidosis

Pulpy kidney (enterotoxaemia)

Pink eye (contagious ophthalmia or conjunctivo-keratitis)

Scabby mouth (Orf)

Vitamin A deficiency

Pneumonia

Coccidiosis

Case study

Rutherglen Research Institute Lamb Feedlot

Introduction

Lambs

Feedlot site

Feeding equipment

Rations

Mixing

Trial length

Results

Discussion

Conclusions

Appendix 1

What is LAMBPLAN?

How does the LAMBPLAN system work?

What can LAMBPLAN offer to producers?

Key benefits

What EBVs are applicable to the lot feeding of lambs?

Weight

Fat

Muscle

Reproduction

Example

Appendix 2

Dressing percentage

Factors that affect dressing percentage

Appendix 3

Websites of interest