Feeding for the new trend and preventing Fungus

[2TLivestock]

I'm trying to get some answers for a customer of mine. Where we live moormans, purina and local co-op type feeds are available. They are using moormans...and want to start wet feeding. I wet fed textured feed growing up but there are better feeds out there I know. What is so different from the feed the southern guys are using? There are so many more supplements out there...what actually does any good? They currently feed natural fit with the feed. They use egg drench, and/or fire water and a few others when prepping for the show about a week out. Most of the lambs have medium shag when I sell them and are just nice solid lambs.....I know a lot of getting them to finish right is genetics. But I also know they/I can be feeding and fitting them better. How do keep the shag? When I younger I was told not to mess to much with the shag so you don't pull it out....but I don't think that is true? Also they have a lamb they can't get the fungus to go away on...they have an iodized salt block, have used fluid film, bleach and water, fungus cream, Sullivan's fungus fighter....that lambs keeps reinfected the others that are with her. That is all I have ever use to fight fungus and it's always worked fairly quickly. I don't know what else to get to help them.

[EmsoffLambs]

I have not used Moormans but have heard it is a good feed. I know Purina's Honor is a good, solid feed as well. As far as supplements, what are you trying to do? Some supplements are for adding finish, some are for keeping lean, some for adding fill, some for accentuating muscle definition. I personally have not gotten into feeding supplements, so I cannot really contribute much there, other than to say 1) start with good genetics, 2) feed a good show feed and 3) establish a good exercise routine first. Only after these three things are in place would it really be worth looking into supplements, IMO. If any of these three are missing, it's going to hurt more than supplements will help.

For shag, regular washing and conditioning seems to help maximize and retain shag. It is very much genetic and you should avoid pulling it out. Using a conditioning spray prior to combing helps with this. I know there are products claiming to grow more shag. I do not know if they really work but am skeptical. I suspect they just condition well and separate the fibers so the shag is retained and looks "fluffier." Still good, but not the same a growing more.

For the fungus, Fluid Film has worked best for us. I know some people will just turn out an infected lamb on pasture to let good old sunshine have it's effect. At the very least, separate the lamb from the others and keep them blanketed so they keep getting reinfected. Perhaps someone else will have a recommendation for additional treatment.

[Don Drewry]

We used Moorman's feed several years ago.  Don't recall why we switched from Moorman's but we fed ShowRite and Honor.  Most of our winning lambs were fed Honor.  We like the Honor Supplements such as Champion Drive and Fitter 35.  They have a very complete line of products and you can customize each lambs feeding.  Some claim Melatonin works well for shag.  I don't have any personal experience with it.  We had the best luck for fungus with using Lyme Dip spray for prevention and Envirosep for treatment.  We originally used Fluid Film for both and after a few years it totally stopped working.  I suspect there are different strains of fungus and some respond to one product and others don't.

[Bigiron59]

Have feeders that fed Moormans, Honor ,Kent , sunglo , coop ,nutrena, and the feed we feed.    I have fed honor before going to what I use now. 
I would consider sun glo.Those  lambs were fine. Cost same as Honor.
Moormans was a waste as far as I am concernend. Lambs were to fat. Feeder admitted he fed much harder early, as last year he "thought" the lambs did not bloom fast enough.
Last year won County ,district ,state and national with a breed. This year, won county.
Same gentices. different feed.
Lambs ate ADM fine. I thought  they were soft and fat all summer. And that was with a exersise program.
Others have done well with Moorman/Adm. Like Don, I swear by Honor topdress. I have used most out there.I always get the change  I am looking for with Honor top dress.
Nothing legal will take a lamb without good gentics , to the top.
And more people have feeding issues  , than not.
Just an observation , from an ol guy, that's  been around the ring  a few decades.
I would feed what is always fresh and available in your area. And that  may be an independent or small regional.
And may take couple of years to figure out how to feed your genetics. If buying, I would do as the breeder suggests. They will know better than anyone,how to feed thier sheep.
The internet has been a good, and mostly bad thing IMO. To many options and to many try to hodge podge a program together.  Half of what I see people post about  feeding, is doing more damage than helping.
Feeding can be fairly simple.
Good feed, clean water, and showship skills, will a take   you a long way.

[2TLivestock]

Thank you for replying! I will let them know this wonderful input and will take any more, that anyone wants to give! They are feeding enough...just maybe not the right kind. The lambs do get exercise. Sprinted everyday or every other day depending on what kind of finish they have. They are going to start working the shag and conditioning it more. Fresh clean water is always supplied to them. Shade in the barn and fans that run on them all day. They are going to try "Stop" additive to help heal the fungus lamb from the inside and are going to try something different than fluid film as we think it is not working. they are switching back to showtec with power fuel....they used to feed it until 2 years ago and for some reason on Moormans my lambs seem to get super soft and fat on it or don't grow hardly on it. Its normally really dry when they get it  or moldy. I just switch gentics to a miller mayhem / swamp donkey ram and this is the first year to figure out how to feed them. We were using hickey (deuce / 84) and simpson (big daddy / Incognito) genetics...they seemed to finish quicker and softer. So it has been a learning experience for me the past few years with switching up genetics. Now I added a diamond eyes son and have to figure that one out. Some of my showman are going to clinics this coming year too!