As the golden hues of summer start to gradually give way to the crisp embrace of autumn, farmers and smallholders' thoughts start turning to tupping season.

In our guest blog, Crystalyx Technical Director, Dr Cliff Lister, explains the importance of thinking about lambing early and the benefits of using Crystalyx Extra High Energy to maintain your flock’s body condition score (BCS).

Crystalyx Technical Director, Dr Cliff Lister shares...

No matter what kind of land your flock runs on or what market you target, the critical factor affecting income from your sheep enterprise is the number of lambs reared.  Empty sheep simply do not pay the bills.

Having ewes at the correct body condition score (BCS) throughout the year reduces variation in the flock and makes feeding simpler, ewes with the correct BCS have better fertility and have superior lamb performance. 

Having ewes in the right condition at tupping is key but it takes 6 to 8 weeks to move up one BCS point and it is hard to change BCS during pregnancy without affecting lamb development.  Putting on body condition between weaning and tupping will allow for maintenance during mid pregnancy.

Ewes in better BCS at tupping and through mid-pregnancy will milk better, rear heavier lambs and be in better condition at the next weaning.

A post lambing look back is a good thing – what went well and what did not.  According to a UK report, 28% of lambs less than one week old submitted for post mortem were associated with insufficient colostrum.  Lambs need 50ml/Kg liveweight of colostrum asap after birth (within 6 hours) and approx. 210ml/Kg live weight within 18hours, after 24hours the lamb’s ability to absorb immunoglobulins in colostrum ends.

Crystalyx Extra High Energy is suitable for all grazing situations, its controlled intake levels as a result of the cooking process provide increased digestibility of forage, Ewes with a higher BCS at lambing rear heavier lambs.

Independent university studies have clearly shown that ewes fed Crystalyx Extra High Energy at grass throughout the flushing and tupping period:

  • Gain condition and liveweight faster than on good grass alone (+2kg extra liveweight in 6 weeks)
  • Ovulate more eggs to increase lamb numbers at scanning (+11-20% in UK studies)
  • Conceive faster to the ram, significantly shortening the lambing period (22 vs 49 days in the Aberystwyth study)
  • Typical Crystalyx intakes are 40-60g/ewe/day (4-7p ewe/day)

Continued access to Crystalyx has also been shown to help maintain better ewe body condition in mid-pregnancy by improving nutrient intake when forage availability and quality declines.

With two stores located in Longborough and Thame, we are renowned for our extensive stocks of sheep and lamb essentials. Our dedicated team are extremely proud to offer FREE delivery (within 50 miles) to all customers. Check your postcode here to find out if you qualify for free delivery.

For more information about our tupping essentials or to learn more about StowAg’s products, contact our team at 01451 830 400 (Longborough) & 01844 463 400 (Thame).