A Guide to Rearing & Feeding Sheep

Start your feeding plan with the grass, hay or silage your sheep actually eat. The right bag of feed depends on what the forage supplies and what each group needs. A ewe carrying twins, a growing lamb and a ram at maintenance can need very different rations even when they share a field.

Start with forage, water and body condition

Keep clean drinking water available and check that every animal can reach forage and feed. Handle adult sheep regularly to assess body condition through the fleece. If forage quality is uncertain, especially ahead of lambing, get a representative sample analysed before deciding which concentrate to buy. See AHDB’s ewe nutrition guidance.

Choose a feed for the stock you’re feeding

Newborn and growing lambs

Newborn lambs need colostrum promptly, followed by milk. Where a creep ration is needed, introduce an age-appropriate lamb feed gradually while lambs are still suckling. Base any move to a grower or finisher on the lambs’ intake, growth and forage. For a pelleted follow-on to creep, see Masham Complete Lamb Pellets.

Ewes before and after lambing

Use scanning results, body condition and forage quality to decide whether to split ewes into feeding groups. Where a concentrate is needed, agree the type and rate with your nutrition adviser. When feed is put out, watch quieter ewes to see whether they can get to it. Compare Duffields Flock Care Ewe 18 Pencils and Heygates Flockmaster 18 Nuts.

For help checking access to the trough, see our winter feeder-space check.

Adult sheep at maintenance

Good forage can meet the needs of many adult sheep at maintenance. When it falls short, choose a complementary feed for the group and introduce it gradually. A feed labelled for ewes, rams and lambs from five weeks is Allen & Page Smallholder Range Sheep Mix.

Check minerals before adding a supplement

Count what is already in the forage, compound feed and licks. Use products labelled for sheep because sheep can be sensitive to excess copper. If you suspect a deficiency, ask your vet or nutrition adviser about testing before adding supplements. See the sheep welfare code.

Keep a simple flock routine

Check feed and water daily, clean troughs regularly and keep pens dry and well ventilated. Plan quarantine for incoming stock and agree parasite monitoring with your vet, including when to use faecal egg counts. See SCOPS guidance on faecal egg counts.

Looking for the discontinued Allen & Page organic pencils? See what to check before changing organic ewe or lamb feed. Browse available sheep feed and accessories.