Late pregnancy
Late pregnancy in ewes, typically from day 90 to lambing (around day 145-150), is a critical period due to the rapid growth of the foetus(es) and the increasing demands on the ewe’s body.
During this time it is vital that the ewes receive the correct nutrition from their diet. Most foetal growth occurs in the uterus during the last six weeks of pregnancy. In this phase, overfeeding ewes can lead to oversized lambs and difficult births.
The main aims of this time is
- Target BCS at lambing to have fit ewes with good mothering ability
| Ewe Type | Lowland ewes | Hill ewes | Ewe lambs |
| Target BCS at lambing | 3.0-3.5 | 2.5 | 3.0 |
- High foetal survival rate and minimal lamb losses
- Good udder development with plentiful supply of good quality colostrum and milk
- Minimal ewe losses due to metabolic disease, prolapse or dystocia
- Good lamb birth weights and vigour. Target <10% losses from scanning to lambs being turned out
How to achieve these aims
- Plan grazing for late pregnancy and lactation
- Have forage analysed and choose appropriate feed supplements
- Formulate rations and purchase feed
- Monitor BCS and make adjustments if necessary
- Group ewes for feeding by litter size, BCS or raddle colour
- Plan changes to amounts fed as lambing approaches
- Monitor intakes against prediction for forage and adjust if required
Feeding during late pregnancy
Throughout gestation, the ewe’s nutritional needs shift from maintenance in early pregnancy to higher demands in late pregnancy due to the rapid growth of the foetus and the preparation for lactation.
- Early pregnancy: Focus on maintaining good body condition with balanced forages and minerals.
- Mid-pregnancy: Maintain moderate nutritional support
- Late pregnancy: Increase energy and protein intake significantly to support both foetal growth and the ewe’s metabolic needs.
The two tables below show the energy and protein requirements during pregnancy.
Table 1
| Ewe liveweight (kg) | Number of lambs | Weeks to lambing | |||
| 7 | 5 | 3 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 1 | 7.9 | 8.7 | 9.8 | 11.2 |
| 2 | 8.8 | 10.1 | 11.9 | 14.2 | |
| 60 | 1 | 9.1 | 10.0 | 11.2 | 12.8 |
| 2 | 10.1 | 11.6 | 13.7 | 16.3 | |
| 70 | 1 | 10.2 | 11.2 | 12.6 | 14.4 |
| 2 | 11.4 | 13.1 | 15.3 | 18.3 | |
| 3 | 12.0 | 14.0 | 16.7 | 20.3 | |
| 80 | 1 | 11.3 | 12.4 | 13.9 | 15.9 |
| 2 | 12.6 | 14.4 | 17.0 | 20.2 | |
| 3 | 13.3 | 15.5 | 18.5 | 22.5 | |
Table 2
| Ewe liveweight (kg) | Number of lambs | Weeks to lambing | |||
| 7 | 5 | 3 | 1 | ||
| 50 | 1 | 72 | 76 | 81 | 88 |
| 2 | 77 | 83 | 92 | 103 | |
| 60 | 1 | 80 | 84 | 90 | 98 |
| 2 | 85 | 92 | 102 | 115 | |
| 70 | 1 | 87 | 92 | 98 | 107 |
| 2 | 93 | 101 | 112 | 126 | |
| 3 | 96 | 106 | 119 | 136 | |
| 80 | 1 | 94 | 99 | 107 | 116 |
| 2 | 100 | 109 | 122 | 137 | |
| 3 | 104 | 115 | 129 | 148 | |
Table 1. Metabolisable energy (MJ/day) requirements of housed* pregnant ewes (based on a diet of 11 MJ/kg DM, assuming no ewe weight loss)
Table 2. Metabolisable protein (g/day) requirements of housed pregnant ewes (based on a diet of 11 MJ/kg DM, assuming no ewe weight loss*)
Example rations for pregnancy
| From two months of gestation to six weeks before lambing | Last six weeks of pregnancy | |
| Moderate quality silage or hay to appetite | Winter grass and moderate quality silage or hay (all to appetite) | Moderate quality silage or hay to appetite |
| Concentrate (16% crude protein, kg/head/day) | Concentrate (16% crude protein, kg/head/day) | Concentrate (18% crude protein, kg/head/day) |
| Singles – 0.2 | Singles – 0.2 | Singles – 0.25 |
| Twins – 0.3 | Twins – 0.3 | Twins – 0.5 |
A flat rate feeding regime involving only moderate amounts of concentrate feed is especially important in late pregnancy. This is a common system run by many sheep farmers.