Feeding Nursing Ewes

Nursing ewes represent the most nutritionally demanding animals in your entire flock, and getting their feed right during lactation makes the difference between lambs that thrive and lambs that struggle. A ewe producing milk for twins or triplets is working harder metabolically than almost any other livestock animal on your farm, and her body will pull from her own reserves if you do not provide adequate nutrition through feed. The first eight weeks of lactation place extraordinary demands on the ewe, with peak milk production occurring around weeks three and four when lambs are growing fastest and depending entirely on their mother for sustenance.

Understanding what happens inside a nursing ewe helps explain why her nutritional needs spike so dramatically after lambing. She is essentially converting feed into milk at remarkable efficiency, but that conversion requires specific nutrients in specific amounts. Energy becomes the primary limiting factor for most nursing ewes, followed closely by protein, and deficiencies in either will reduce milk production before you see any obvious signs of the ewe losing condition. By the time a nursing ewe looks thin, she has already been shortchanging her lambs for weeks, and those lambs will never fully recover the growth they lost during that period.

The consequences of underfeeding nursing ewes extend far beyond the current lambing season. Ewes that lose excessive body condition during lactation take longer to breed back, often resulting in later lambing dates the following year or failing to conceive at all. Their lambs grow more slowly, wean at lighter weights, and in the case of ewe lambs you plan to keep as replacements, may never reach their genetic potential for milk production themselves. Investing in proper nutrition for nursing ewes pays dividends not just in heavier weaning weights this year, but in the long-term productivity of your entire flock.

This guide walks through the practical aspects of feeding nursing ewes, from calculating their actual nutritional requirements to selecting appropriate feeds and managing the feeding process in ways that keep ewes healthy and lambs growing. You will learn how to adjust feeding based on the number of lambs each ewe is nursing, how to recognize signs that your nutrition program needs adjustment, and how to transition ewes through the different phases of lactation without creating digestive upsets or metabolic problems.

The energy requirements of a nursing ewe increase dramatically compared to her maintenance needs, and understanding these numbers helps you plan a feeding program that actually meets her demands. A ewe nursing twins needs roughly twice the energy she required during mid-pregnancy, and a ewe nursing triplets needs even more. This energy must come primarily from digestible feed sources because ewes simply cannot consume enough forage to meet lactation demands through roughage alone. Grain or other concentrate feeds become essential components of the nursing ewe diet, not optional supplements.

Protein requirements also spike during lactation, with nursing ewes needing feeds that provide fourteen to sixteen percent crude protein to support milk production. The protein in milk must come from somewhere, and if the diet falls short, the ewe will break down her own muscle tissue to provide amino acids for milk synthesis. Good quality grass hay typically provides only eight to ten percent protein, which means nursing ewes need additional protein sources beyond their roughage. Soybean meal, cottonseed meal, or commercial sheep feeds formulated for lactation can fill this gap, but you need to actually calculate whether your current feeding program provides adequate protein rather than assuming it does.

Calcium and phosphorus become critical minerals during lactation because milk contains substantial amounts of both. A ewe producing milk for twins secretes more calcium per day than her skeleton contains in easily mobilized reserves, making dietary calcium essential rather than optional. Grass hay typically provides adequate calcium, but legume hays like alfalfa or clover provide even more and help ensure nursing ewes meet their calcium needs. The calcium to phosphorus ratio matters as much as the absolute amounts, with a ratio between two to one and one to one being optimal for lactating sheep.

Water requirements increase substantially during lactation, and ewes will reduce milk production before they show obvious signs of dehydration if clean water is not constantly available. A nursing ewe can drink three to four gallons of water daily, especially when eating dry hay and grain rather than lush pasture. Water troughs need to be checked multiple times daily during cold weather when freezing can limit access, and during hot weather when consumption increases even further. Many shepherds underestimate how much nursing ewes drink because they are accustomed to the lower water consumption of dry ewes and growing lambs.

Feeding space becomes a management issue with nursing ewes because dominant animals will overconsume while timid ewes get pushed away and underfed. Providing adequate bunk space so all ewes can eat simultaneously prevents this sorting and ensures that every ewe in the group receives her fair share of the ration. Plan for at least sixteen to eighteen inches of feeder space per ewe, and consider separating ewes with singles from those with twins or triplets so you can feed each group according to their actual needs rather than compromising with an average ration.

Feeding nursing ewes works best when you establish a consistent routine that ewes can anticipate and depend on. Splitting the daily grain ration into two feedings rather than dumping it all at once reduces the risk of digestive upset and ensures more even nutrient availability throughout the day. Most shepherds feed grain in the morning and evening, with hay available continuously between feedings. This pattern mimics natural grazing behavior where sheep eat in bouts throughout the day rather than consuming large meals at irregular intervals.

Observing ewes during feeding time tells you more about your nutrition program than any calculation on paper. Ewes that finish their grain quickly and then stand watching other ewes eat may need larger portions. Ewes that walk away from grain with feed still in the trough may be experiencing digestive discomfort or illness that requires investigation. Lambs that constantly nurse and seem unsatisfied after their mothers push them away often indicate insufficient milk production related to inadequate ewe nutrition. Training yourself to really watch during feeding time catches problems before they become crises.

Adjusting feed amounts as lactation progresses keeps ewes in appropriate body condition without wasting expensive feed. Peak milk production occurs around three to four weeks after lambing, so feed intake should be highest during this period. As lambs begin consuming solid feed around four to six weeks of age, their demand on the ewe decreases, and her feed can be gradually reduced. By weaning time, ewes should be back close to maintenance levels, having transitioned smoothly rather than experiencing abrupt feed changes that stress their digestive systems.

Body condition scoring provides objective feedback about whether your feeding program is working. Run your hands over the ewe's spine and loin area regularly, feeling for the amount of fat cover over the bones. Nursing ewes should maintain condition scores between 2.5 and 3.5 on a five-point scale, losing no more than half a condition score during the entire lactation period. Ewes losing condition faster than this need more feed regardless of what your ration calculations suggest, because the proof is in how the animals respond rather than in the math.

Milk fever, known technically as hypocalcemia, strikes nursing ewes when their calcium intake fails to keep pace with the calcium demands of milk production. Affected ewes become weak, uncoordinated, and unable to stand, progressing to coma and death if untreated. Milk fever occurs most commonly in older ewes nursing multiples during the first few weeks of lactation when milk production is highest. Prevention through adequate dietary calcium is far more effective than treatment, though affected ewes do respond to calcium injections if caught early enough.

Pregnancy toxemia can carry over into early lactation in ewes that were underfed during late pregnancy and then face the additional energy demands of milk production. These ewes become weak, separate from the flock, and stop eating, with a characteristic sweet smell to their breath from the ketones their bodies produce when breaking down fat reserves. Prevention starts before lambing with adequate nutrition during late pregnancy, but ewes showing early signs during lactation need immediate energy supplementation through propylene glycol or other rapidly available energy sources.

Mastitis affects nursing ewes when bacteria enter the udder through the teat, causing infection that can range from mild inflammation to gangrenous tissue death. Ewes with mastitis produce less milk from affected halves, lambs nursing affected teats often develop diarrhea from the abnormal milk, and severe cases can kill ewes rapidly. Checking udders regularly during lactation catches early mastitis when treatment is most effective. Prevention involves keeping lambing and housing areas clean, ensuring lambs nurse from both sides to prevent milk accumulation, and culling ewes with chronic udder problems.

Internal parasites compound nutritional stress during lactation because nursing ewes experience a natural dip in immunity that allows parasite burdens to increase. This phenomenon, called the periparturient relaxation of immunity, means that ewes need closer monitoring for parasite loads during lactation than at other times. Fecal egg counts help guide deworming decisions, and targeted treatment of ewes showing anemia or poor condition makes more sense than blanket treatment of all ewes. Rotating pastures to reduce parasite exposure becomes especially valuable during the lambing and nursing period when ewes are most vulnerable.

Dairy sheep breeds like East Friesian and Lacaune have been selected for high milk production and consequently have nutritional requirements at the upper end of the range for nursing ewes. These breeds can produce two to three times as much milk as meat breeds, which means their energy and protein requirements scale accordingly. Feeding dairy sheep during lactation more closely resembles feeding dairy goats or cattle than feeding traditional wool or meat sheep, with total mixed rations and carefully calculated nutrient profiles becoming necessary rather than optional.

Meat breeds with strong maternal instincts, including Suffolk, Hampshire, and Dorset, have been selected to raise fast-growing lambs and generally produce adequate milk without extreme nutritional interventions. These breeds do well on good quality hay supplemented with moderate grain during peak lactation, assuming they maintained appropriate body condition going into lambing. Their lambs grow quickly partly because of the breed genetics and partly because generations of selection have optimized the ewes' ability to convert feed into lamb growth rather than just milk volume.

Hair sheep breeds including Katahdin, Dorper, and St. Croix evolved in conditions where nutrition varied seasonally, and they tend to be more metabolically efficient than wool breeds while producing somewhat less milk. These breeds often nurse lambs successfully on feeding programs that would leave wool breeds thin and underproducing. However, their metabolic efficiency also means they gain weight easily when overfed, so monitoring body condition remains important even though the risk lies more toward overcondition than thin ewes.

First-time mothers across all breeds deserve special nutritional attention because they are still growing themselves while also producing milk for lambs. Yearling ewes nursing their first lambs should receive the same nutrition as mature ewes with twins even if they are only nursing a single lamb, because they need nutrients for their own body development in addition to milk production. Many shepherds keep first-time mothers in a separate group where they receive more intensive nutrition and closer observation without having to compete with larger, dominant mature ewes.

The most common mistake shepherds make with nursing ewes is underfeeding during peak lactation because the ewes do not look thin yet. Body condition changes slowly, so by the time you can see ribs or feel spine prominently, the ewe has been underfed for weeks and her lambs have already suffered reduced growth. The damage from underfeeding accumulates before it becomes visible, making prevention through adequate nutrition far more effective than correction after problems become obvious. Feed nursing ewes based on calculated requirements and lamb performance rather than waiting to see physical decline in the ewes themselves.

Overfeeding grain creates its own set of problems, including acidosis from too much starch hitting the rumen at once and obesity that can cause lambing difficulties in the next breeding cycle. The goal is meeting nutritional requirements efficiently, not maximizing intake regardless of consequences. Some shepherds push grain to the point where ewes become overconditioned while their lambs grow no faster than they would on more moderate rations, essentially wasting expensive feed and creating future health problems. Finding the balance between adequate nutrition and excess requires ongoing attention to both ewe condition and lamb growth rates.

Changing feeds abruptly disrupts the rumen microbial population that nursing ewes depend on for digesting their diet. Switching from one grain source to another, changing hay types, or dramatically increasing feed amounts should happen gradually over seven to ten days to allow rumen microbes to adjust. Ewes experiencing sudden feed changes often go off feed entirely, develop diarrhea, or produce less milk as their digestive systems struggle to adapt. The stress of adjustment itself burns calories and reduces productivity even when the new diet would theoretically provide better nutrition than the old one.

Neglecting water availability during cold weather causes more problems than many shepherds realize because dehydration reduces milk production before ewes show obvious signs of thirst. Ice on water troughs, dirty water that ewes avoid drinking, or troughs positioned where nursing ewes cannot easily access them all limit intake below what lactation demands. Checking water multiple times daily during winter becomes essential, and heated waterers pay for themselves quickly in maintained milk production and lamb growth during cold periods.

Treating all nursing ewes identically regardless of the number of lambs they are nursing wastes feed on some ewes while shortchanging others. A ewe nursing a single lamb needs substantially less nutrition than a ewe nursing triplets, yet many shepherds feed the same ration to both. Sorting ewes into groups based on litter size allows targeted feeding that meets each animal's actual requirements without the waste of overfeeding singles or the production loss of underfeeding multiples. The labor involved in sorting and separate feeding pays dividends in both feed efficiency and lamb performance.

Ignoring lambs' solid feed consumption as they approach weaning leads to continuing high-cost feeding of ewes longer than necessary. Once lambs are actively consuming grain and quality forage, their nutritional demand on the ewe decreases correspondingly, and her ration can be reduced. Shepherds who maintain peak lactation feeding rates until weaning day waste significant amounts of expensive feed while potentially overcondditioning ewes. Monitoring lamb feed consumption and gradually reducing ewe rations as lambs become less dependent creates a smooth transition that benefits both ewes and the feed budget.