Sheep Husbandry: Feed Intake and Nutrient Excretion Guidelines Adjusted
Photo: Christian Gazzarin,
Agroscope
Standard values for livestock feed intake and excretion are essential for proper farm fertilisation planning and assessment of the farm’s nutrient balance. Agroscope adjusted the standard values for sheep with the aim of improving nutrient-flow assessment.
Reliable standard values for livestock feed intake and nutrient excretion are essential for proper fertilisation planning and the creation of a realistic farm nutrient balance. In Switzerland, the drawing up of a nutrient balance for nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) has been compulsory since 1998. This is done with the assistance of the ‘Suisse-Bilanz’ enforcement tool.
Standard values with correction factors for herd management and production performance
Previously, the standard values for feed intake and nutrient excretion of dairy sheep and ewes were each stated in a separate category representing a standardised herd population consisting of predefined percentages of adult female sheep, rams, hoggets and lambs and expressed per adult female sheep and year.
However, Swiss sheep production is a varied sector, with differing herd management approaches and production performances. Farms increasingly specialise in one form of production such as dairy or meat, and some engage in seasonal lambing or different forms of fattening.
Standard values for feed intake and nutrient excretion according to sheep category as per the Animal Movement Database were recently determined: dairy sheep, ewes, hoggets from 180 and up to 365 days old, and lambs up to 180 days old. The aim is for the standard values to be adaptable to farm-specific circumstances through the use of correction factors for herd management and production performance.
Conclusions
- The higher the annual milk yield of dairy sheep and the weight of the adult sheep, the higher the feed intake and nutrient excretion. Standard values were lowest for seasonal lambing in autumn with a silage-based winter diet.
- Reducing phosphorus supplementation for dairy sheep and ewes would clearly be possible. This could reduce phosphorus excretion by up to 16%. However, reducing the amount of concentrates would scarcely have an effect on nitrogen excretion.
- For lambs, feed intake and nutrient excretion both increase along with rising age at slaughter.
Bibliographical reference
Richtwerte für Futterverzehr und Nährstoffausscheidungen von Schafen.
