How to improve the feed intake of house-fed sheep with weak body weight

Compared with grazing sheep, long-term house-fed sheep tend to have less feed intake, poorer body condition, weaker physique, smaller body size and lower production performance. Therefore, the following measures can be taken to increase the feed intake of house-fed sheep.

Feeding sheep in house

Reasonable matching of concentrate feed and forage grass:

The appetite of house-fed sheep is generally poor, so the feed with good palatability, diversification and digestibility should be selected and prepared in production to ensure comprehensive and balanced nutrition to meet the needs of growth, reproduction and weight gain of sheep. The diet of sheep should have a higher nutrient concentration. Because sheep are ruminants, the roughage in the diet should account for 2% of the total diet, and the concentrate should account for 1% of the total diet. In order to improve the nutritional concentration of sheep diet, roughage can be mixed with concentrate fodder after crushing, softening or fermentation, which can be made into pellets under certain conditions, so as to create conditions for roughage to be eaten and utilized.

First roughing and then fine feeding:

If there are no conditions or there is no need to crush and granulate the roughage, the coarse fodder such as grass, crop straw and hay should be cut short to 1-2 cm long before feeding to the sheep, and then fed to the concentrate fodder after eating the roughage. This will encourage sheep to feed more.

The feeding principle is to feed less frequently. When feeding fodder to the sheep, the appetite of the sheep is generally more exuberant, less frequent feeding can always make the sheep feel inadequate and not tired of being picky. The adult sheep can be fed 3 times a day, and the time can be about 6 o'clock, 12:00 and 18:00 respectively, the lambs can be increased by 1 or 2 times, and the time can be adjusted in summer. In winter and spring, because the days are short and the nights are long, one more time can be fed at night. In addition, supply sheep with a certain amount of hay and let sheep eat freely to make up for the phenomenon that some sheep do not have enough to eat. Try not to use ground feeding, and set up light grass racks made of wire welding or wood in the sheep house, which saves grass, time, labor and hygiene. This kind of feeding method is close to the habit of natural grazing, which is beneficial to the growth and development of sheep and reduce the incidence of disease. Less frequent feeding can also prevent sheep nostril jet and change the taste of the feed. At the same time, the feeding situation of sheep can be observed constantly, and the phenomena of grazing, stopping feeding, insufficient or leftover forage can be found at any time, so that corresponding measures can be taken in time.

Gradual transition should be made when changing forage:

Sheep have a certain period of adaptation to forage and fodder. the sudden change of forage will disrupt the feeding habits of sheep. if it is light, the sheep will be restless, the intake will be reduced, and the digestive function will be disturbed, causing constipation or diarrhea, or even death. Therefore, the replacement of forage in production should be gradually transitional and should not be changed suddenly.

Proper feeding of green succulent feed:

Natural forage, artificially cultivated forage, green fodder crops, twigs and tender leaves, root tubers, melons and other green succulent feed have high water content, low dry matter content, high crude protein content, many kinds and high content of vitamins. Inorganic salt content is rich and appropriate, carbohydrate content is more, palatability is good, sheep only like to eat, it is a good health feed for sheep. Regular feeding can expand the volume of sheep's stomach and improve sheep's appetite.

Let the sheep drink enough water:

The rumen of sheep is a large fermentor with a water content of 84-94%. The forage and feed eaten by sheep can be fully mixed with anaerobic ciliates, bacteria and fungi in the rumen and digested only when soaked in enough water. If the drinking water is insufficient, it will directly affect the digestion of forage feed by rumen microorganisms, thus reducing the feed intake of sheep in feedback. In order to promote sheep to drink more water, you can use corn flour or mixed concentrate feed, salt, etc. to flush into a paste with boiling water, and then put on cold water. The water temperature should be higher in winter and lower in summer. Sheep need about 3-4 kg of water for every 1 kg of dry matter consumed every day.

Strengthen the sheep movement:

The amount of exercise of sheep in house feeding was less than that in grazing. The lack of exercise of sheep will not only reduce the feed intake of sheep, but also make the physique of sheep weak, easy to suffer from respiratory system and limb and hoof diseases. In order to promote the movement of sheep under the condition of house feeding, a large enough sports ground should be set up. The playground can be set as a ring, in addition to allowing sheep to move freely, sheep should be driven regularly and quantitatively every day in order to force them to exercise.

Add food enhancers:

Sheep use their sense of smell to find food is one of the most basic biological function, olfactory chemosensors are excited by aroma, and excited in the digestive organs to cause sheep appetite. Therefore, spicy agents and spicy agents such as Cyperus officinalis, Zanthoxylum bungeanum, pepper, cinnamon, ginger, garlic, onions, cumin, coriander, Angelica dahurica, moxa leaves can be added to the feed, which can drive away wind and cold, strengthen the stomach and eliminate food, and long-term addition can promote the feed intake of sheep.