printStock Journal Technical Article: July 2026
Author: Deb Scammell, Talking Livestock
As we’re coming into weaning this year, for many it’s a relief to have green feed. There are still some important points to remember to ensure we achieve maximum performance this season.
Even with green feed available and ewes generally in better condition, timely weaning is still valuable. The lamb starts its life as a monogastric (single stomach), after a couple of weeks, the rumen starts to develop, and the lamb begins consuming pasture. By twelve weeks of age, a lamb is only getting around 20% of its daily energy from milk, with the remainder coming from pasture.
By weaning on time (14 weeks from the start of lambing or earlier) ewes get maximum recovery time - 17 weeks for the following year’s joining. The best paddocks can also be allocated to weaners, allowing them access to the highest value feed. If worms are a problem, separating lambs from ewes allows worm burdens to be controlled and weaners can be moved to clean paddocks.
Ideally weaners will be 45% of the mature weight of the ewes (standard reference weight) at weaning which minimises the risk of post-weaning mortality. Post-weaning growth rates should be a minimum of 50 g/day for the first twelve months also to reduce weaner ill thrift. Growth rate targets for terminal lambs post-weaning should be substantially higher than this.
Even with high quality pasture, imprinting lambs is still critical. This can be done by providing three to four grain feeds prior to weaning and during the week or more post-weaning. This can assist with rumen development and allow any breeder replacements or feedlot lambs to transition back to grain easily later in life. It’s important to introduce lambs to the feeding method they will encounter later in life i.e. self-feeder, trail feeding or a total mixed ration. This reduces neophobia(fear or dislike of anything unfamiliar), with research showing lambs adapt much more readily to familiar feeding systems later in life. Creep feeding can also work well this season with ewes, in most cases, not requiring the additional supplement.
Reducing stress over weaning is critical, this can be achieved by yard weaning or in a paddock if the lambs are used to the pasture and water set up. In some cases, introducing a small number of older worm-free sheep can be useful to reduce stress. Providing a high magnesium supplement can also assist with stress reduction.
It’s critical to ensure all nutrition requirements are met to ensure high post-weaning growth rates. High-quality pasture of at least 1500kg DM/ha or more is ideal. It’s important to ensure the protein and energy in the pasture or supplement is balanced. If there are macro or micromineral deficiencies these should also be addressed.
Although this season has delivered much better pasture conditions than recent years, it's important not to forget the lessons learnt during the tougher seasons. Practices such as timely weaning, grain imprinting and strategic supplementary feeding can still deliver significant benefits, even when feed is abundant. Combining these management practices with high-quality pasture will help maximise lamb growth, improve ewe recovery and set both ewes and lambs up for strong performance over the coming 12 months.