Supplementary Feeding of Range Sheep

Abstract

Droughts significantly reduce the production from range sheep and in severe cases affect survival. In order to avoid losses in times of feed shortage, pastoralists must either supplement sheep at pasture or implement total hand-feeding strategies. To employ either practice necessitates familiarity with the principles of supplementary feeding, many of which are summarized in this paper. In addition to discussing the nutrient requirements of grazing sheep, the expected responses to supplementary feeding for different classes of sheep and production activities are reviewed. The question of when to commence feeding is discussed and information is provided on the formulation of diets with respect to the physical form and the nutritive value of the ingredients. Finally, research highlighting the importance of feeding frequency is reviewed.