Miles Williamson – Another success story on Tafeni Farms together with De Heus sheep products
During the last lambing season Miles fed De Heus RumiLick Ewe Booster for a month before lambing started, at 200 g/day, then increased this to 300 g/day after lambing and continued with this until the lambs were weaned. The lambs were fed creep feed from an early age. During the past breeding season, he achieved a conception rate of 98% in his ewes. As he scanned the ewes a little late he was unable to establish the number of multiple births he would be getting.
Lambs are born in late March and April with the ewes running on pastures. He starts weaning when the oldest lambs are 2 months old and weighing about 30 kg. All hamels and cull ewe lambs are put into the feedlot at weaning. They are all dosed with Lacticon S on entering the feedlot. The lambs are fed a ration of 80% maize and 20% De Heus RumiComplete® FLC 200. Eragrostis hay is available at all times. As the lambs have been on a creep feed most of their lives they readily take to the feedlot ration. By the time the lambs are 5 months old they have all been sold. The lambs weigh about 45 kg when sent to slaughter and are all grade A2’s or A3’s. Dressing percentage is around 48%.
Miles chooses to feedlot his lambs straight off their mothers because then he has a good strong animal to start with. As the ewes run on pastures during and after lambing, losses to jackal are kept to a minimum. He also gets the lambs off their mothers and the farm early. This means a quick return on his investment and it enables him to return the ewes to an inexpensive feeding system sooner. The price for fat lambs is very good at this time of the year.
At the 2016 Swartberg Farmers’ Association Fat-stock Show Miles won the ‘Best Lamb on Show’, the ‘Champion’ and ‘Reserve Champion Lamb’ on show as well as ‘The best pen of 4 lambs’. All having been fed on De Heus RumiComplete® FLC 200 and maize.
“I am very pleased with the results I get in the feedlot feeding RumiComplete® FLC 200 and Maize. There is virtually no wastage of feed with this ration. It also mixes very easily in my vertical mixer“ says Miles.
The ewes are in very good condition now after being fed De Heus RumiLick® Ewe Booster during the last lambing season. The intensification of this sheep enterprise using De Heus products has paid very good dividends.
