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dpi note

Livestock nutrition
Drought management plan for sheep

Dave Jordan, DPI&F

Key points

Major droughts in Queensland generally develop following failure of spring and summer rains, in which instance a drought plan needs to be prepared and costed. Important factors to consider are:

  • the expected duration of the drought

  • the expected water and feed availability for the expected duration of the drought

  • the composition and condition of the flock

  • the financial resources available.

Expected duration of the drought

Even though rain often occurs during winter, the drought may not break until well into the next summer. Winter rain does not generally break a drought, however it may give some temporary relief, especially for sheep. If cold weather follows winter rain, plants usually will not germinate. Winter rain and frosts will cause rapid deterioration in dry pasture quality.

Feed and water availability

If there is a body of dry, low quality feed, lambing ewes will require energy for ewe survival, or energy and protein for ewe and lamb survival; dry sheep will require little or no protein and maybe energy if necessary. If little or no feed is available, all sheep will require energy and protein. Continued fodder availability is necessary.

Composition and condition of the flock

Mustering pregnant ewes prior to shearing or crutching usually causes the onset of pregnancy toxaemia, with serious losses. Signs are proppy staggering blind ewes with muscle tremors and often drooling from the mouth or nose.

More sheep die when a drought breaks than during a drought. Keep sheep in good condition and they will be able to handle end of drought problems.

Floods or cold stress kill weakened sheep that stop feeding or that cannot be fed when the rain starts. Sheep must also alter the type of rumen bugs to be able to handle forage again.

Financial resources and recovery

High drought feeding costs could jeapodise economic survival or finance could be stopped. Other strategies may minimise economic damage. Discuss options and budgets with your bank manager.

For example:

  • Sell some sheep to reduce pressure on pasture, help the rest survive and pay for some feed.
  • Sell the class of sheep that will return the most money.

It may take one or two years to get your money back after feeding lambs and weaners. Money may be better put into feeding or buying older sheep that have reasonable fleece values.

General management recommendations

  • Reduce numbers early and investigate cheaper strategies to reduce the cost.

  • Start feeding early, before sheep get too poor. It is easier to feed to hold condition than feed to gain condition.

  • Once committed, feeding rates cannot be reduced. Generally, the ration must be increased as the drought continues.

  • Control worms and lice as poor sheep are more susceptible to parasites. Worms build up at concentrated feeding points, especially when hand feeding.

  • Ensure adequate clean and bog-proof watering points. Many sheep are lost through bogging.

  • Develop a routine of handling and feeding and stick to it.

  • Eliminate any competitors such as wild pigs that eat the sheep supplements.

  • Suggested rations are a guide and feeding rates should be adjusted to the condition of the stock. Keep them in high Score 2 condition. Start with small amounts and build up slowly so the sheep can adjust the type of rumen bugs to handle the new feed.

Full hand feeding

If feeding more than 75 per cent of the full hand feeding rate, it is best to lock sheep up at a rate of 360-400 sheep per acre and fully hand-feed. This saves sheep walking-off energy around the paddock and enables feeding at the break of the drought to maximise sheep survival. The full hand feeding rate is only maintenance and does not allow for paddock walking.

Control worms, lice, blowfly strike and vaccinate for clostridial diseases (eg pulpy kidney, which has killed lambs in previous droughts). Lambs may be weaned early (minimum 10 kg weight) and lot-fed to keep them alive and reduce/save feeding ewes.

Ewes with dirty teats from which no white milk can be squirted are most probably not suckling a lamb and can be removed from the mob. Thus only ewes suckling lambs (and their lambs) can be fed. This can be done once all lambs are big enough to muster.

End of drought

Heavy losses can occur at the end of a drought when rain falls on weak sheep. Sheep won't feed during rain and will leave their rations to chase the subsequent green pick. To minimise these losses, keep them in a Score 3 condition. If they are locked up and fed a full ration, continue feeding until sufficient grass is available. Grass growth is usually slow after a long drought.

Feeding after the drought breaks necessitates stock piling of fodder (feed being fed plus hay) at the feeding point so that boggy roads do not disrupt feeding. Sheep need to breed up sufficient rumen bugs to handle a roughage diet; necessary for return to normal conditions.

Further information

For further information contact DPI&F on Telephone 132523 between 8 am and 6 pm weekdays, or e-mail callweb@dpi.qld.gov.au.

This DPI&F Note is also published on the PrimeNotes CD-ROM.

Information contained in this publication is provided as general advice only. For application to specific circumstances, professional advice should be sought. The Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries Queensland has taken all reasonable steps to ensure the information in this publication is accurate at the time of publication. Readers should ensure that they make appropriate inquiries to determine whether new information is available on the particular subject matter.
File No: SW0109 .  Created December 1997  . Revised: November 2007