(1) Refer to the feeding standards, feed composition and nutritional value table, and select various forage feeds to scientifically formulate the feed, ensuring the balance of various nutrients and meeting the requirements.
(2) When changing the feeding method and feed type, it should be gradually transitioned. For example, from grazing to semi-confinement or full confinement, from eating green grass to eating green hay, or increasing concentrate feed and feeding silage, all should be gradually carried out, allowing the sheep and rumen microorganisms to have an adaptation process. Otherwise, it will cause digestive disorders, loss of appetite, and even death.
(3) Feed in the order of first coarse then fine, add small amounts frequently, and feed the concentrate and coarse feed in several portions (concentrate generally divided into 2 portions). Where conditions permit, it can be made into pellet feed.
(4) Cut the roughage short for feeding to reduce waste; or ammoniaize the straw before feeding. When the quality of roughage is poor, it is necessary to supplement concentrate (such as grains, seeds, cake meal type feed) and necessary minerals and vitamin supplements according to the physiological state and production purpose of the sheep.
(5) Pay attention to the hygiene of feed and drinking water, and strictly prohibit feeding moldy and deteriorated feed and providing drinking water that does not meet hygiene standards.
(6) Establish a reasonable feeding system to ensure regular, quantitative, and quality feeding, so that sheep can form a good conditioned reflex to improve the digestion and utilization efficiency of feed.
2. Management principles for breeding sheep
In addition to ensuring the hygiene of feed and drinking water, the sheep shed and the surrounding environment should also be kept clean and hygienic. The sheep shed should be ventilated, dry, and disinfected regularly; the sheep shed and the surrounding environment should be quiet to avoid stress reactions caused by fright, affecting feeding and digestion; prevent parasitic infections, regularly bathe and deworm, inject relevant vaccines to prevent the occurrence of infectious diseases; different physiological stages and weak sheep should be grouped for breeding; formulate a production and supply plan for forage and feed to ensure sufficient forage and feed in winter and spring; have thermal protection measures and equipment to reduce maintenance consumption; pay attention to the exercise and sunbathing of sheep, and drive the breeding male sheep for exercise every day, provide the female sheep with an adequate area for exercise, allowing them to move freely.
3. Breeding and management of male sheep
The breeding male sheep should maintain good health throughout the year, have a breeding body condition, be energetic, have a strong sexual desire, and have excellent semen quality. For male sheep during non-breeding period and breeding period, different breeding management should be given. One month before the start of the breeding period, gradually transition to feeding breeding period feed. There are many types of forage and feed available for preparing male sheep feed, and it is necessary to choose feed with good palatability and easy digestion. The feed for breeding male sheep should also meet nutritional needs, pay attention to the balance of various nutrients, and appropriately adjust the energy level for thin male sheep and overweight male sheep. Ensure the breeding male sheep's demand for protein quantity and quality, and the feed should contain some rumen-inhibiting proteins, such as high-quality fish meal, soybean meal (processed), to increase the breeding male sheep's ejaculation volume and sperm total number. Pay attention to the calcium and phosphorus ratio of the feed. Grain feed, especially cake meal type feed, has a high phosphorus content. If calcium is insufficient, it may cause urinary calculi. The calcium content in hay is high, and it is easy to mix in soil and sand during the preparation process, affecting the effectiveness of calcium.
Ensure that the breeding male sheep has sufficient exercise time every day, prevent the stimulation of some stress factors, establish scientific breeding management procedures, and allow the breeding male sheep to form a firm conditioned reflex. The number of sperm collection during the breeding period should be moderate, and it should not be too frequent.
Taking the feed and nutrient intake of a 100kg breeding male sheep per day as an example, the breeding period feed should consist of 0.80kg of grass-type green hay, 0.80kg of alfalfa green hay, and 1.07kg of mixed concentrate, containing 2.40kg of dry matter, 24.23MJ of metabolic energy, 425g of crude protein, 24.8g of calcium, and 9.1g of phosphorus; The non-breeding period diet consists of 1.71 kg of grass-type hay and 0.69 kg of mixed concentrate, containing 2.20 kg of dry matter, 20.21 MJ of metabolic energy, 285g of crude protein, 21.5g of calcium, and 7.8g of phosphorus.
4. Breeding Sheep Management
During the gestation period and the pre-lactation stage, which occur during the dry grass season, proper feeding and management are necessary to meet the nutritional needs of the breeding sheep.
4.1 Gestation Period Feeding Management
During the gestation period, the sheep should gain 7.5 to 12 kg in weight. They should be fed a nutritious and balanced diet. The diet must meet the requirements for energy, protein, calcium, phosphorus, and salt; the amount of other minerals should be determined based on the content in local feed and forage. If the quality of the forage is poor, vitamin A or feed rich in carotene should be supplemented. In actual feeding, the feeding amount should be increased by 5% to ensure the needs of the sheep with a larger feed intake. Under the premise of mainly using roughage, the ratio of concentrate to roughage can be adjusted according to the quality of the roughage; the proportion of concentrate in the diet of the sheep during the early pregnancy period is 15% to 30%, and in the later pregnancy period it is 20% to 40%. Generally, they are fed twice a day, and during each feeding, the sheep should be given sufficient time to consume roughage. For ewes with twin lambs during the late pregnancy period, the nutritional level should be increased by 15%. It is prohibited to feed pregnant sheep moldy, deteriorated, or frozen feed to prevent miscarriage. Pay attention to keeping warm, allowing the sheep to exercise and bask in the sun appropriately every day, and prevent overcrowding. The ewes that have given birth should be housed separately from those that have not.
4.2 Management of Lactating Sheep
The nutritional requirements of lactating ewes are higher than those during the gestation period, especially during the early lactation stage. High-quality forage and feed should be selected, and the feed should be formulated according to their nutritional needs. The nutrient supply for ewes with twins should be increased by 15%. If the nutritional needs of lactating ewes cannot be met, it will affect their milk production and milk quality, thereby hindering the growth and development of the lambs and reducing the yield and quality of their wool. In the late lactation stage, it is the grass-growing season, and some grass can be fed. When there is nearby pasture, appropriate grazing can be carried out. After the ewe gives birth, it should mainly be fed with high-quality green hay, and the amount of concentrated feed should not be excessive. After 4-5 days of pregnancy, the amount of concentrated feed should be gradually increased to reach the nutritional level of the early lactation stage. Sheep farms with silage feed can add silage to the feed to promote lactation.
