Managing and feeding the pregnant ewe

Issues with nutritional management in late pregnancy can have potentially harmful effects on ewe body condition, ewe survival, ewe health, perinatal lamb mortality and lamb growth rates. Use of ultrasound scanning to determine fetal number and body condition scoring are key practical tools that can be used to feed pregnant ewes appropriately. Blood sampling for the assessment of nutritional status 3–4 weeks prior to the start of lambing can be used to rapidly identify problems, and correct them before they start to impact on flock profitability.