Confinement Feeding Sheep

By Brian Ashton, Senior Livestock Consultant, Rural Solutions SA, Pt Lincoln  

With the lack of winter rainfall the soil is powdery and prone to erosion. If farmers want to keep their sheep, which is economic, and maintain good groundcover an option is to lock the sheep into a “confinement feeding” area. 

This is a simple yard that is used to maintain the sheep in reasonable condition until the erosion risk is over. We used to refer to it as a feedlot but we are now keeping that term for production feedlots – which is a more permanent yard used for finishing stock.

The confinement area should be located convenient to the yards and a water supply. Shelter from the prevailing winds is ideal. If there is not shelter some farmers row big bales up along the side. Shade cloth (woven) has also been attached to the fence as shelter. Some shade in the area is ideal but any trees need to be protected.

The area needs good drainage. If the soil is light it soon packs down with dung and urine. About 5 sq m per sheep is recommended but is not critical. A much bigger area will create a bigger bare area and more dust.

The yard does not need to be substantial. The sheep settle after one week and so fencing to the same standard as the paddocks if fine.

A trough is needed to put the grain into. Farmers have come up with many and varied designs. About 15 to 20 m of double-sided trough is needed per 100 adult sheep. Use the longer length if the sheep are woolly.

A separate feed yard will make it easier to put out the grain without the sheep milling around. Because the sheep are not fed grain every day the trough can then be used by different mobs on different days.

Hay or straw can be fed on the ground. This is best if the amount of roughage is small eg 1 kg each a week. However, some farmers use high rates of roughage and put it out ad lib in big bales. This tends to be wasteful unless the hay or straw is very cheap. If it is put out ad lib it is essential to put a ring of mesh, or panels, around the bale to stop the sheep stepping on it. Mesh can reduce hay use by half.

Before putting the sheep into the area, get them used to grain. On the day they go in feed hay only and feed extra hay for the first week. This helps the sheep settle and reduces the risk of grain poisoning.

After the sheep are fully used to grain, and settled down, change to feeding the grain twice a week and hay the day before. If desired, hay can be replaced with straw but increase the rate of straw by 40 percent.

Once the sheep are settled into the containment area there should be very few problems.

Observe the sheep carefully and monitor them every 3 to 4 weeks.  If you have sheep scales, give 20 sheep a numbered ear tag, or brand them with a number, and weigh these sheep. The other way is to weigh the first 50 sheep onto the scales each time.  Condition scoring is an alternative to weighing. 

Once the sheep are into the containment area you can be confident that your soil it protected and that your sheep are being looked after.