Higher growth rates on Ewe-reka
cuts weaning age by two weeks

Rearing triplet and orphan lambs on a milk replacer manufactured from ewes’ milk has reduced weaning age by two weeks in a South Warwickshire flock.

Richard, Andrew and John Walters run a flock of 600 North Country x Suffolk ewes which they lamb from the end of February.

Since introducing Ewe-reka to rear their orphan and triplet lambs, they have seen a significant reduction in morbidity and, with higher growth rates, age of weaning has reduced by two weeks, to between five and six weeks old when lambs are approximately 14-16kg. Issues with bloat seen before the switch to Ewe-reka have now been eliminated too.

The Walters system involves buying in replacements from sheep sales and, to prevent disease spread, isolating them from the main flock until scanning. Their flock achieves an average scanning rate ranging from 210% to 225%, and in 2022, the lambs sold rate was 188%. Lambing is indoors with triplets wet-adopted onto singles. Every lamb is given powdered colostrum to ensure they get the best start in life.

The lamb nursery features two pens, each with a capacity to house up to 50 lambs – a smaller pen for the young lambs and a
larger one for the older animals. The pens are designed with horseshoe-shaped corners and each has four feeding stations. Small bales are also provided for the lambs to climb onto or to lay alongside to keep warm. This set-up has reduced bullying and trampling within the groups.

Ad-lib fresh water, changed daily, and an 18% protein creep feed with added Deccox are provided. All lambs are checked twice a day to ensure they have suckled from the feeder. The Walters use a Heatwave adlib feeding system with Ewe-Reka ewe milk replacer to rear an average of 80 cade lambs a year. For accuracy, the powder is measured on scales and mixed at a concentration of 20% dry matter (DM) – 200g to one litre of cold water – using a Wydale mixer feeder attached to the Heatwave. When the lambs suckle, the milk is heated as it passes through the machine, which means it is always warm.

The machine is checked regularly, at least twice a day, to ensure that there is a constant milk supply. This consistency reduces
the risk of lambs gorging on milk and chewing the teats. The Walters are scrupulous with hygiene, recognising that it is an
important factor in successful lamb rearing. The feeding system is disinfected and cleaned daily and they have two sets of teats
and milk lines which are swapped every day and soaked in disinfectant for 24 hours.

They first made the change to Ewe-reka milk replacer more than four years ago as they were keen to feed a product that contained ewes’ milk. Lambs are weaned abruptly when they are 35-42 days old, guided by the birth date marked on their coats. Feed intakes are also a factor in determining weaning age – lambs are only weaned when they are eating 200g of 18% protein creep consecutively for three days.

Once weaned, lambs are turned out to pasture to provide a cleaner environment. Creep is still provided but after a few weeks a reduced protein feed is introduced, to make lambs “grow up and out’, says Richard. They sell all their lambs fat to Farmers Fresh from the end of May, when they are 12 weeks old, at an average deadweight of 19.5-20kg.