Effect of different levels of the supplements lupin grain, lucerne, wheat, and wheat with urea and sulphur fed during mating in February to Border Leicester x Merino ewes in north-east Victoria

Abstract

The use of supplements for four weeks beginning one week before joining from February 7 to April 1 was examined in an attempt to increase lambing rates. Four supplements (lupin grain, freshly cut lucerne, wheat, and wheat with 3% urea and sulphur) were fed at four rates (0, 0.1 7, 0.34, and 0.51 kg day-1/ewe) to a flock of 1200 maiden Border Leicester x Merino ewes grazing annual pasture at the Rutherglen Research Station in north-eastern Victoria. For every 0.2 kg of lupin fed per day the liveweights, ovulation rate and lambing rate of ewes increased by 1 kg, 0.06 and 0.03 per ewe joined, respectively. The mean increase in wool growth for ewes fed lupins, wheat, and wheat with urea and sulphur was 39, 26 and 37%, respectively. Feeding of lucerne did not affect any attributes measured. The intake of supplement by ewes fed wheat based supplements at the higher rates appeared to be more variable between ewes than the intake of the ewes on other treatments. This was indicated by the greater variability in liveweight gain of the ewes fed wheat at the higher rates. Results show that of the supplements used, lupins was the only one which if fed at mating in February, could be expected to substantially improve reproduction.