This Factsheet discusses winter feeding set-up for the sheep flock and why a feeding set-up with flexibility is important.
Flexibility in a feeding system is critical because:
-Feed is the single largest cost centre in the lamb production operation. Managing this cost requires that the system has flexibility in accommodating various ingredients for cost-effective rations.
-Infrastructure is a major long-term expenditure that is often larger than livestock investment and may approach land costs. Infrastructure that serves as an investment or asset should be adaptable to multiple uses, otherwise it becomes an expense that requires further investment (renovation expenses) to remain current.
-Labour is another major cost on sheep operations. The need for labour varies by animal group, time of year and rations used on farm. The feed delivery system must be flexible enough to match the available labour. When farm operators spend too much time feeding their sheep or regularly declare themselves “too busy,” labour cost is too high, whether the farmers pay themselves or not. Unpaid labour has an important time cost (opportunity or personal cost), if not a cash cost.
Read more about Low Labour Feeding Systems and Bunk Design for Sheep
