Appetite help

[Bosephus]

What do people do to help with appetite I have a few kids feeding honor feed and the lambs won't eat more than 1.5 pounds at a feeding we would like to see them at 2 pounds but they just won't eat that mutch they only get a handful of hay about the size of a softball

[Bigiron59]

add another feeding at noon. Just feed a lb to them at noon. No Extra  hay. Cuy the hay in half of what you are feeding.

[Bosephus]

I will have them try that thanks

[EmsoffLambs]

How much do these lambs weigh? Your profile says southern Oregon, so I am assuming that heat is not too much of an issue (feeders in say Texas often have a hard time getting lambs to eat as much as we do in northern California). I personally have different experience that Bigiron. I have found that lambs will often eat more feed when the hay is increased. Lambs with a poor appetite are often suffering from mild chronic acidosis and increasing the hay for a short while can help get the rumen back on track. We feed two good size fistfuls of hay per day and have no problems getting our lambs to eat four pounds of feed per day. This is just what works for us and something you may try if adding a noon feeding doesn't work.

[MizLiz]

I put probiotics and vitamin B in their water which seems to really help their appetite. None of my lambs went off feed in the heat wave we had a week or so ago. I also am feeding 8 lambs about 2 flakes of hay/day total

[Bosephus]

They were feeding 1/2 flake of hay a day and I had them cut that back because they would only eat 1 pound twice a day they weigh  104 and 108 2 different kids and lambs but the lambs are acting very simular as far as eating they look fine stool is solid getting fresh water daily and them has been 88-98 degrees so not terrible

[Bigiron59]

feeding is different  in many parts of the country.  Here many counties have .5 to .75 daily  gain requirments  from validation date in late april or early May and show day, which will begin next week for some as late as early august.
Meaning some counties have lambs that have to gain 75 or more to qualify .
Feeding a "half flake" of hay and 2 pounds  of feed , will get you the gate with a white ribbon.
Heat indexs of over 100 for last 3 weeks have "sorted" feeders and novices here.
Hay takes up rumen space and produces more internal heat to digest.
It also takes different  microbes (bacteria) than grain.
I only share what has been proven to work for many midwest feeders.
But if 100 pound lamb is not eating at least 4 pounds of feed or more here, your gonna be looking at a white ribbon.
And most 100 pounders will eat 5 or 6 if given a choice. They need a handfull  of hay the size of a broom handle. And that can be every 3rd day. Enough work has been done on that by many different sheep nutritionists.
Wet feeding will also help.

[Don Drewry]

Lambs are also unique.  My kids would have a lamb every other year or so that was a social eater.  They would not eat in the individual pens.  We'd give up on the lamb, throw it back in the feed lot and after a few weeks it was gaining again.  Lambs can be very particular.  We had one ewe lamb that refused everything but the 37% protein supplement pellets we used to mix with corn for the feed lot lambs.  Some lambs would eat their supplements only top dressed, others would have to have them mixed in.  Yes, some lambs follow the standard book but some don't.  I don't think that amount of hay is causing them to not eat more.

Some thoughts
- Do they take away the pan or is the feed in front of them all day long (take away the pan after 15 minutes)
- Skipping a feeding is also a way to get them to better.  There is a actual practice of not feeding them one night a week, (and it's not just an excuse to not have to feed them Saturday night.)
- a modest run helps stimulate the appetite as does vitamin B, (see horse section they usually sell a vitamin B supplement)
- If none of the above work, if feeding individually try feeding together
- some times top dressing a little shelled corn would make them eat better
- If that doesn't work try a ordinary feedlot ration of shelled corn + oats + sheep balancer

[ARLambs]

Are you feeding any supplement for appetite?  We started using one a few years ago and the lambs pretty much act like they are starving all the time and will eat what ever and what ever you put in front of them, wet or dry.  We have used both Fast Track and Sure Champ.  Others I know have had success with Gut Candy

[ARLambs]

Just as a reference point we have a 130# wether getting 4oz of Sure Champ, a hand full of alfalfa hay, and 1 1/4 # of Honor text feed twice a day, that has been gaining a # per day, despite treadmilling 3 days a week.  I think appetite and performance are directly tied to rumen function.  Figure he is gaining like that without even consuming 3 % of body weight in feed.  But he has gotten Sure Champ every day since weaning in April.

[EmsoffLambs]

A half a flake is too much hay. It's a balance. They need enough hay to keep the rumen healthy but too much will fill them up so they don't have room enough for more feed. As I said, a large handful per feeding has worked well for us. Some feeders do well with a handful per day. ARLambs seems to be doing pretty well in the feeding game. I know a lot of people are liking what Gut Candy can do so that might be something to try.

[Bigiron59]

You are right Cindy. The feed that most of my local feeders use, has a very high amino acid profile, cleated minerals, yeast, extremly high vit leval. .
The company  build rations from a biological  rumen function.  Most lower end feeds are bare bines and least cost. This feed as well as honor  is a locked formula.
I would have thought Honor  would have all the goodies in it,but if you are seeing a response,  it must be working.
Dons suggestions also may work.
I have seen lambs refuse to eat corn if used  to a texturized  feed. And some sort.
Lots of ways to increase intake, but need to start sooner than later, and the fussy eaters, will be much easier  to mess up.

[ARLambs]

Yes , we used to struggle with fussy eaters especially in the heat of summer, since Sure Champ, they all clean up what ever we let them have in under 30min, even those March lambs that we are really pushing for October shows.  Honor says they add Amaferm, but obviously not at the same levels as the Sure Champ.  We use the the Vitaferm Concept Aid mineral in our ewe flock as well in the past year, best conception  rate ever and ewes require less grain to maintain condition.  So, I guess they have me hooked, which is why I haven't tried Gut Candy.  As they say, if it ain't broke. ..

[Bosephus]

Thank you everyone for your help I am putting some of it in action as for vita germ concept aid we lai our ewes so you peaked my interest which one and how mutch do you feed per ewe

[ARLambs]

Concept Aid mineral is made by Biozyme, the same company that makes the Sure Champ.  They have a Concept Aid mineral formulated for each species with Amaferm added.  So it covers their mineral needs with a daily feed through rumen stimulant (Amaferm)  to get the best feed efficiency.  Feed according to the directions at 1-1.5oz per head daily, we just top dress it in the grain the ewes get fed.