Türkiye is an important small livestock country in the world with 37 million sheep and 12 million goats. The majority of these animals are raised in extensive or semi-intensive systems based on pasture. Although pasture is the most economical feed source, it may not be sufficient alone due to seasonal quality changes. Research shows that strategic supplementary feeding can increase lamb/kid yield by 20-30% and significantly reduce maternal mortality rates (Notter, 2012). In this guide, we will cover the basics of pasture-based nutrition, seasonal strategies and economical supplementary feeding approaches.
1. Basics of Pasture-Based Nutrition
1.1 Grazing Behavior of Sheep and Goats
Sheep and goats exhibit different grazing behaviors:
| feature | sheep | goat |
|---|---|---|
| grazing type | Grazer (grazer) | Browser (leaf eater) |
| preference | Short grasses, clover | Bushes, leaves, tall grasses |
| selectivity | medium | high |
| grazing height | Close to the ground (2-5 cm) | High (eye level and above) |
| Daily grazing time | 8-10 hours | 6-8 hours |
| water need | 2-4 L/day | 1-3 L/day (less) |
1.2 Pasture Types and Characteristics
| Pasture Type | Features | Suitable Animal | Carrying Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| natural pasture | Mixed herbs, low yield | sheep, goat | 2-5 heads/ha |
| artificial pasture | Cultivated, high yield | sheep | 10-20 head/ha |
| maquis | shrub, shrub | goat | 3-8 heads/ha |
| under forest | shady, leaf | goat | 2-5 heads/ha |
| stubble | post harvest | sheep, goat | temporary |
1.3 Pasture Nutritional Value
The nutritional value of pasture grass varies greatly depending on plant type, maturity and season:
| Pasture Status | Crude Protein (%) | ME (MJ/kg KM) | NDF (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Young grass (spring) | 18-25 | 10-12 | 35-45 |
| ripe grass (summer) | 8-12 | 7-9 | 55-65 |
| Dried grass (autumn) | 4-8 | 5-7 | 65-75 |
| winter pasture | 3-6 | 4-6 | 70-80 |
2. Seasonal Pasture Quality and Management
2.1 Spring (March-May)
Pasture Status:
- Highest nutritional value (HP 18-25%)
- rapid plant growth
- High water content (75-85%)
- Excess protein may be energy deficiency
Things to Consider:
- Risk of swelling (tympani): High in legume-based pastures
- Gradual transition: Switch from winter ration to pasture in 7-10 days
- Morning grazing: Avoid grazing on dew (risk of swelling)
- Dry herb support: Give hay in the first weeks (rumen balance)
Additional Feeding: Generally not necessary, only energy support in late pregnancy/early lactation
2.2 Summer (June-August)
Pasture Status:
- Fast ripening and drying
- Protein drop (HP 8-12%)
- Increased fiber, decreased digestibility
- Heat stress effect
Management Strategies:
- Early morning/evening grazing: Avoid hot hours
- Canopy: Provide shelter for animals
- Water: Clean, fresh water must be constantly available
- Rotational grazing: Let the pasture rest
Additional Feeding:
- Protein supplement for lactating dams (100-200 g/day)
- Concentrate on growing lambs (creep feeding)
- Mineral-vitamin supplements are important
2.3 Autumn (September-November)
Pasture Status:
- Greening again with the rains (autumn shoot)
- Quality improvement but quantity limited
- Possibility of evaluating stubble
Critical Period - Overshoot Season:
- Flushing: Increased energy 2-3 weeks before vaccination
- 200-400 g of concentrated feed per day
- Increase body condition to 3.0-3.5
- Increases multiple birth rate
Additional Feeding:
- Concentrate for flushing (barley, corn)
- Conditioning preparation for winter
- Growth support for yearlings and heifers
2.4 Winter (December-February)
Pasture Status:
- Pasture productivity is minimal or absent
- Snow cover may inhibit grazing
- The remaining herbs are of low quality
Nutrition Strategy:
- Roughage: Dry grass, straw primary source
- Concentrate: According to pregnancy status
- Silage: Valuable resource if any
Supplementary Feeding According to Pregnancy Period:
| Period | roughage | concentrated |
|---|---|---|
| Early pregnancy (1-3 months) | 1.0-1.5kg | 0-100g |
| Mid pregnancy (3-4 months) | 1.2-1.5kg | 100-200g |
| Late pregnancy (last 6 weeks) | 1.5-2.0kg | 300-500g |
| lactation | 2.0-2.5kg | 400-800g |
3. Additional Feeding Strategies
3.1 When is Supplementary Feeding Necessary?
- Insufficiency of pasture: Drought, overgrazing, winter
- Late pregnancy: Last 6 weeks, fetal growth is rapid
- Lactation: Especially mothers who give birth to multiples
- Flushing: Conditioning before the race
- Growth: For target weight in yearlings and heifers
- Illness/stress: recovery period
- Lamb/kid rearing: Creep feeding
- Fattening: Rapid weight gain before slaughter
3.2 Additional Feeding Types
| Feed Type | Intended Use | Quantity (head/day) | note |
|---|---|---|---|
| barley | Energy | 200-500g | The most common, economical |
| Egypt | Energy | 200-400g | High energy, expensive |
| wheat bran | Protein + Fiber | 100-300g | good in lactation |
| sunflower meal | protein | 100-200g | protein supplement |
| cottonseed meal | protein | 100-150g | Gossypol beware |
| clover hay | Protein + Fiber | 0.5-1.0kg | Quality roughage |
| corn silage | Energy + Fiber | 1-2kg | valuable if any |
| straw | Fiber (filler) | 0.5-1.0kg | alone is insufficient |
3.3 Creep Feeding (Lamb/Kid Supplementary Feeding)
Creep feeding allows lactating lambs to have access to concentrated feed independently of their dams:
- Increases weaning weight by 15-25%
- Accelerates rumen development
- Reduces weaning stress
- Prevents mothers from losing condition
- It is of critical importance in lambs born with multiple births.
Application:
- Start from 2-3 weeks of age
- Area where only lambs can enter (creep gate)
- 18-20% HP, pellet or crushed feed
- 100-300 g per day (increasing with age)
- Clean water is always available
3.4 Flushing
Flushing increases the ovulation rate with a short-term boost of energy before ejaculation:
- Start: 2-3 weeks before vaccination
- Duration: A total of 4-6 weeks, including the first 2-3 weeks of the growing period
- Quantity: 200-400 g of concentrate (barley, corn) per day
- Target: Body condition score 3.0-3.5
- Effect: 10-20% increase in multiple birth rate
4. Nutrition According to Physiological Periods
4.1 Sheep Nutrition Requirements (60 kg Live Weight)
| Period | KM Consumption (kg) | ME (MJ/day) | HP (g/day) | Ca(g) | P(g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maintenance (dry) | 1.0-1.2 | 8-9 | 80-100 | 3 | 2 |
| Flushing | 1.3-1.5 | 10-12 | 110-130 | 4 | 3 |
| early pregnancy | 1.0-1.3 | 8-10 | 90-110 | 4 | 3 |
| Late pregnancy (singlets) | 1.3-1.5 | 11-13 | 140-160 | 6 | 4 |
| Late pregnancy (twins) | 1.4-1.6 | 13-15 | 170-200 | 8 | 5 |
| Lactation (singleton) | 1.8-2.2 | 14-17 | 180-220 | 8 | 5 |
| Lactation (twin) | 2.0-2.5 | 17-21 | 220-280 | 10 | 6 |
4.2 Goat Nutrition Requirements (50 kg Live Weight)
| Period | KM Consumption (kg) | ME (MJ/day) | HP (g/day) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintenance (dry) | 1.0-1.2 | 7-8 | 70-90 |
| late pregnancy | 1.2-1.5 | 10-13 | 130-170 |
| Lactation (2 L milk) | 1.8-2.2 | 14-17 | 180-220 |
| Lactation (4 L milk) | 2.2-2.8 | 20-25 | 280-350 |
4.3 Risk of Pregnancy Toxemia
Inadequate energy intake in late pregnancy can lead to pregnancy toxemia (ketosis), especially in multiple pregnant animals:
- Loss of appetite, separation from the herd
- depression, inactivity
- teeth grinding
- Acetone smell on breath
- blindness, head shaking
- Collapse, coma, death
Prevention:
- Increase energy intake in the last 6 weeks
- Separate multiple pregnant women and feed them extra
- Minimize stress factors
- Propylene glycol (50-100 ml/day) for risky animals
5. Pasture Management
5.1 Grazing Systems
| System | Description | Advantage | Disadvantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Continuous grazing | constantly in the same area | Simple, low labor | overgrazing, parasite |
| rotational grazing | Conversion between parcels | Pasture rest, productivity increase | Fence cost, management |
| strip grazing | Daily new strip | Maximum efficiency | labor intensive |
| postponed grazing | Don't wait until seed drop | pasture renewal | Temporary loss of capacity |
5.2 Carrying Capacity
Overgrazing is the main cause of pasture degradation:
- Rule: Do not graze more than 50% of pasture grass
- Rest: 21-35 days rest period for each parcel
- Observation: Remove before the plant height falls below 5-8 cm
5.3 Interference Control
Pasture parasites are the most important health problem of small livestock farming:
- Rotation: Breaks the parasite cycle
- Mixed grazing: Cattle + sheep reduce parasite load
- Stool examination: Regular check-up, targeted treatment
- FAMACHA: Selective treatment with anemia scoring
- Seasonal treatment: Spring and autumn are critical
6. Cost Analysis
6.1 Pasture vs. Additional Feeding Cost
| Feed Source | Cost (TL/kg KM) | Relative Cost |
|---|---|---|
| pasture (natural) | 0.5-1.5 | lowest |
| pasture (artificial) | 1.5-3.0 | low |
| straw | 3-5 | Low-Medium |
| dry grass (meadow) | 5-8 | medium |
| clover hay | 8-12 | Medium-High |
| barley | 10-14 | high |
| factory feed | 15-22 | highest |
Note: Prices are estimates based on 2024 Türkiye conditions and vary depending on region and season.
6.2 Economical Supplementary Feeding Strategy
1. Strategic Baiting:
- Additional feeding during critical periods, not throughout the year
- Late pregnancy + lactation = Highest return
- Flushing = Low cost, high impact
2. Local Resources:
- Choose feed that is cheap in the region
- Stubble, beet pulp, fruit residues
- Mill by-products
3. Group Feeding:
- Group animals by need
- Minimum for dry sheep, maximum for lactating sheep.
- Separate those who are in poor condition
4. Make Your Own Feed:
- Barley, oat cultivation
- Clover, sainfoin plant
- silage making
6.3 Benefits of Supplementary Feeding
| Application | Cost (TL/head) | return | Profitability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flushing (4 weeks) | 80-120 | +15% twins | high |
| Late pregnancy support | 150-250 | Lamb death ↓, birth weight ↑ | high |
| lactation support | 200-400 | Weaning weight ↑ | Medium-High |
| Creep feeding | 100-200 | +20% lamb weight | high |
7. Mineral and Vitamin Supplement
7.1 Critical Minerals
| mineral | Deficiency Symptoms | Source |
|---|---|---|
| calcium | Milk fever, bone weakness | Limestone, bone meal |
| phosphorus | Anorexia, infertility | DCP, bone meal |
| selenium | white muscle disease | Mineral mixture, injection |
| copper | Anemia, coat discoloration | Mineral mixture (be careful with the sheep!) |
| zinc | Skin lesions, infertility | mineral mix |
| iodine | Goiter, weak lambs | iodized salt |
7.2 Use of Licking Stone
- Provide free access mineral licking stone
- Choose suitable formulation for sheep/goat
- Keep in a dry and clean place
- Monitor consumption (over or under)
8. Practical Suggestions
8.1 Seasonal Calendar
| Ay | Pasture Status | Critical Activity | Supplementary Feeding |
|---|---|---|---|
| March-April | greening | Lambing, going out to pasture | lactation support |
| May-June | peak yield | weaning | Creep feeding |
| July-August | drying | Heat stress management | protein supplement |
| September-October | autumn shoot | flushing, overflow | energy boost |
| November-December | decreasing | beginning of pregnancy | Roughage + less concentrate |
| January-February | Minimum | late pregnancy | full ration |
8.2 Body Condition Score Tracking
The most practical way to evaluate nutritional adequacy is by monitoring VKS:
| VKS | Status | Target Period |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | very weak | unacceptable |
| 2.5-3.0 | Ideal (dry period) | Dry period, early pregnancy |
| 3.0-3.5 | Ideal (production) | Overdose, late pregnancy |
| 3.5-4.0 | good condition | before winter |
| 4.5-5.0 | excessively oily | Should be avoided |
Conclusion
Pasture-based sheep farming is the most economical production system when managed correctly. However, due to seasonal quality changes, strategic supplemental feeding is critical for productivity and profitability.
Let's summarize:
- Pasture is the cheapest feed source, use it to the maximum
- Know seasonal quality changes, be prepared
- Additional feeding is required during critical periods (late pregnancy, lactation, flushing).
- Creep feeding increases lamb productivity by 20-25%
- Avoid overgrazing, apply a rotational system
- Parasite control is an integral part of pasture management
- Mineral supplements should not be neglected (watch out for copper in sheep!)
- BMI monitoring is the best indicator of nutritional adequacy
Work with your veterinarian and animal nutritionist to develop a nutrition program that suits your herd's needs.
→ Calculate Sheep Ration → Calculate Goat Ration
Bibliography
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