Reducing Mismothering at Lambing

Using Advantage Feeders to supplement lambing ewes reduces the disruption that trail feeding creates. Content ewes wean more lambs and increase your production.

Compare feeding ewes through lambing (trail fed) to providing no additional supplement.

Ewes Per Feeder(Required)

When there is some feed on offer in the paddock, the maximum number of ewes per feeder is 200.

Period of Feeding (days)(Required)

Supplementing ewes can frequently be 120 days per year.

Increase in Weaning Rate (%)(Required)

Advantage Feeders case studies have showed increases in lambs weaned by 10%.

Value of Lamb Weaned/Head ($)(Required)

Enter the value you expect your stock will be worth at weaning.

Investment in a Feeder ($)(Required)

Current pricing on feeders can be found on our Product Directory.

Lifespan of the Product (years)(Required)

Please enter a number from 1 to 30.

How long the product is expected to last. Maximum input is 30.

Depreciation Cost ($/year)

Straight line depreciation over two-thirds the lifespan of the product with a $0 residual. Assumes the feeder is only used for this period each year.

Additional Lamb Production ($)

Additional Profit ($)

Additional profit gained through this feeding period. Assumes the same amount of feed is fed to a mob with an Advantage Feeder compared with a mob that is trail fed.

Payback Period (months)

Number of months for the additional profit to exceed the investment in the product.

Email Address(Required)

Enter your email address to have a copy of these results sent to you.

Trail Feeding vs. Advantage Feeders

When supplements are provided via trail feeding, ewes must leave their lambs to access the feed. In the rush, they often do not return promptly to their lambs, which can lead to mismothering.

Using Advantage Feeders during lambing allows ewes to access supplements at any time. Ewes can remain at their birthing site for several days, giving lambs time to grow strong enough to follow their mothers. Feeders also eliminate the need for ewes to rush, helping maintain ewe-lamb bonding. Research has shown that using Advantage Feeders compared to trail feeding increases marking rates by 10%.

Additional Considerations Reducing Mismothering at Lambing

Farming operations are complex, and the following factors are not included in this calculator:

Labour savings: Advantage Feeders can reduce labour by up to 40% compared to trail feeding three times per week.
Time-critical tasks: Reducing labour during seeding allows farmers to prioritise planting while ensuring livestock management is not neglected.
Feeder availability: It’s important to provide enough feeders during lambing, as ewes on the verge of lambing may attempt to steal lambs from recently lambed ewes if feeders are limited.
Creep feeding training: Lambs that are later creep-fed are often easier to train, as their mothers help them become accustomed to feeders.
Parasite risk: Feeding supplements on the ground increases the chance of lambs ingesting worms from faeces, raising parasite management costs.
Multi-purpose use: Feeders are often reused for other purposes throughout the year, reducing depreciation costs and improving return on investment.
Crop contamination: Trail feeding can leave grain that germinates in future crops, potentially contaminating and downgrading crop value.

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