Lamb Feed for Meat Production: What It Contains and How to Choose It

By Dr Duncan Houston

Choosing feed for lambs starts with understanding what those lambs need to do next. A suckling lamb learning to eat, a recently weaned lamb and a lamb approaching sale weight have different nutritional priorities.

For meat production, the aim is steady, healthy growth that meets your buyer’s requirements at a worthwhile cost. That means supporting muscle and bone development, keeping the rumen functioning properly and avoiding expensive setbacks around weaning.

A colourful feed bag is optional. A suitable feeding plan is not.

Quick answer

Lamb diets usually combine milk early in life, then pasture or other forage, with grain, protein feeds and sheep-appropriate minerals where needed. Choose feed according to age, weight, weaning status, existing forage and target growth. There is no single standard mix suitable for every lamb or production system.

What is lamb feed made from?

“Lamb feed” can mean a complete manufactured ration, a supplement fed alongside pasture or hay, or a professionally formulated mixture of farm-grown and purchased ingredients.

The important question is what the whole diet supplies.

Feed component	Common examples	Main purpose
Pasture and forage	Grasses, clovers, lucerne and suitable forage crops	Supply energy, protein and fibre, with quality changing through the season
Conserved forage	Suitable hay and well-preserved silage	Provide forage when grazing is insufficient
Cereal grains	Barley, oats, wheat and maize	Increase dietary energy, mainly through starch
Protein ingredients	Lupins, field peas, soybean meal and canola meal	Help meet protein needs when the base diet falls short
Mineral and vitamin supplements	Products formulated for sheep	Correct identified gaps in the total ration
Manufactured pellets or blends	Combinations of the ingredients above	Offer a convenient, formulated feed when used as directed

Ingredients differ in nutrient content and suitability. Neither straight cereal grain nor a mineral lick supplies everything a growing lamb needs.

Match the feed to the lamb’s stage

Newborn and milk-fed lambs

Newborn lambs need colostrum, followed by adequate milk. Their digestive system is developing, so grain or hay cannot simply replace milk at this stage.

Artificially reared lambs need a suitable lamb milk replacer, mixed and fed according to its directions and an appropriate rearing plan. A weak lamb that cannot suck needs prompt help, not a bowl of pellets.

Suckling lambs and creep feeding

Creep feeding gives lambs access to supplementary feed through an opening that excludes the ewes. It can help when milk supply or pasture quality limits growth, and can familiarise lambs with feed before weaning.

Offer fresh, palatable feed designed for young lambs. Creep feeding supplements the existing diet; it does not automatically make early milk withdrawal appropriate. Where ewe milk production and pasture are already supporting good growth, the additional feed may not earn its cost.

Recently weaned lambs

Weaning readiness depends on age, weight, health and established solid-feed intake. A birthday alone does not prove that a lamb can manage without milk.

Introduce the intended feed before separation, keep the diet familiar through the transition and watch that every lamb eats and drinks. Avoid combining weaning with unnecessary abrupt changes in feed and surroundings. Small or struggling lambs may need a separate group and closer attention.

Growing and finishing lambs

Smaller, rapidly growing lambs generally need more protein relative to energy than heavier finishing lambs. An adult sheep maintenance ration may therefore be unsuitable for young stock.

As lambs approach market requirements, review weight gain and fat cover. The feeding programme should help them reach the required specification without continuing an expensive finishing period after its benefit has disappeared.

How to choose the right lamb feed

1. Define the production target

Record the lambs’ current weights, condition, weaning status and intended sale date. Ask the buyer about required liveweight or carcase weight, acceptable fat cover and any production conditions.

Then assess the gap between where the lambs are and where they need to be. A feed choice only makes sense alongside a realistic growth target and time available. Meat & Livestock Australia’s guidance links feed selection with the production target and expected performance.

2. Assess the feed already available

Look at both pasture quantity and quality. A paddock can contain plenty of plant material while offering limited nutrition to a growing lamb.

For purchased forage or home-mixed diets, useful feed-test measures include:

• Dry matter: the proportion remaining after water is removed.

• Metabolisable energy: energy available to the animal.

• Crude protein: a useful starting measure of protein supply.

• Fibre: relevant to both intake and rumen function.

Compare feeds on the same moisture basis. A tonne of wet silage and a tonne of dry pellets contain very different amounts of actual feed. Representative testing helps establish what a particular batch supplies.

3. Read what the product is intended to do

Check whether the bag contains a complete ration, a supplement or a concentrate that must be mixed with other ingredients.

Ask the supplier:

• Which lamb weights and production stages is this suitable for?

• What pasture, hay or other ingredients must accompany it?

• What introduction programme is required?

• Are the feeding directions expressed as-fed or on a dry-matter basis?

A pellet’s fibre percentage does not, by itself, confirm that it provides enough physically effective fibre to support chewing and rumen function. Follow the formulation and roughage instructions.

4. Balance energy and protein together

Buying the highest-protein feed does not guarantee the best growth. Protein cannot compensate for inadequate energy, poor intake or an unsuitable overall ration.

Equally, adding more cereal grain may leave a protein shortfall unresolved in small growing lambs. Match the supplement to what the base diet lacks, using feed analysis and advice from a qualified livestock nutritionist where needed.

5. Check that minerals and ingredients are suitable for sheep

Sheep require copper, but they can accumulate harmful amounts. Cattle, goat and poultry feeds or mineral products should not be assumed safe for lambs. Check suitability for sheep and consider copper from the whole diet before adding supplements.

In Australia, the ruminant feed ban also applies to sheep. Restricted animal material, including meat meal, bone meal, blood meal and fishmeal, must not be fed to them. Read labels and prevent cross-contamination with feeds intended for other species.

Introduce grain and pellets gradually

A sudden increase in readily fermentable feed can cause grain overload and ruminal acidosis, which can be fatal. Hungry lambs given unrestricted access to an unfamiliar grain ration are particularly vulnerable.

Use a written introduction programme appropriate to the ration and the lambs’ previous diet. Agriculture Victoria describes introducing grain to sheep over approximately three to four weeks, with suitable roughage and close observation.

Keep feeding consistent, watch for lambs hanging back and avoid letting feed run out before suddenly refilling feeders. Previous exposure to one ration does not make every subsequent change safe. If lambs accidentally gain access to a grain store, contact a veterinarian promptly, even before severe signs develop.

Water and feeder access can limit an otherwise good ration

Provide reliable access to clean water in troughs lambs can reach. Check the supply and trough condition daily, especially during hot weather or after moving stock.

Young weaners are less tolerant of salty water than adult sheep. Test questionable supplies rather than assuming that water suitable for the ewes is suitable for their lambs.

Watch the animals at feeding time. Lambs that are consistently pushed away, unfamiliar with feeders or reluctant to eat need attention; a calculated ration only works when they actually consume it.

Poor growth is not always a feed problem

When lambs underperform, review the diet and investigate health at the same time.

Worm burdens, coccidiosis and other diseases can reduce growth despite adequate feed. Coccidiosis is particularly relevant in young lambs, especially with crowding, weaning stress and faecal contamination of feed or water. It may cause poor performance, diarrhoea and dehydration.

Keep feeding and drinking areas clean, avoid overcrowding and use veterinary assessment and appropriate faecal testing to guide parasite control. A routine worm drench does not automatically treat coccidiosis.

Review clostridial vaccination with your veterinarian before major feeding changes. Pulpy kidney is a concern in rapidly growing sheep on rich feed, and a vaccination programme needs to be planned ahead.

Male lambs, particularly wethers, also need attention to urinary stone risk. Appropriate mineral balance and water intake matter. Do not add urinary acidifiers or other treatments to a ration without suitable advice.

What you notice	What to do
Gradually slowing growth, with lambs otherwise bright	Check actual intake, feed quality, feeder access and parasite risk
Diarrhoea, reduced appetite or lambs separating from the group	Arrange prompt assessment; sick young lambs can deteriorate quickly
Severe abdominal swelling, difficulty breathing, staggering or collapse	Seek urgent veterinary help
Repeated straining with little or no urine	Treat as an emergency; urinary obstruction can resemble constipation

These signs require assessment rather than an automatic increase in grain.

Compare the cost of growth, not just the price per tonne

A cheaper feed may cost more overall if lambs need more of it to gain the same weight.

For an illustrative comparison:

Whole-ration cost	Feed used per kg liveweight gain	Feed cost per kg liveweight gain
$450 per tonne	5 kg	$2.25
$400 per tonne	6 kg	$2.40

These are hypothetical figures, not current prices or performance targets. Both calculations must use matching feed-weight and price bases.

Include roughage, supplements, wastage, labour, animal health costs, deaths, transport and the lambs’ starting value in the wider budget. Homebred lambs still have a value if sold today.

Liveweight gain is not the same as carcase weight gain. Use the buyer’s payment basis when estimating the additional return from finishing. Agriculture Victoria’s feedlot budgeting guidance highlights the importance of starting lamb value and the full costs of feeding.

Measure whether the plan is working

Weigh a consistent, representative group at regular intervals, using comparable conditions where practical. Record feed offered, feed wasted, health problems and deaths alongside weight change.

Average daily gain is calculated as weight gained divided by days between weighings. Review the spread within the group as well as its average; a few fast growers can hide lambs that are falling behind.

Use those records to adjust the plan before poor performance becomes an expensive surprise.

Common feeding mistakes

Frequent problems include choosing feed by crude protein alone, treating adult sheep maintenance feed as a growing-lamb ration, weaning before solid-feed intake is established and changing grain levels too quickly.

Other costly mistakes are overlooking shy feeders, assuming every scouring lamb has worms and continuing to feed without checking whether the extra weight has a worthwhile market value.

Can lambs finish on pasture alone?

Yes, after weaning, suitable pasture can support lamb growth and finishing when its quality and availability meet requirements. Monitor performance and supplement when the pasture cannot support the intended result. Grain is not compulsory in every system.

How much feed should a lamb receive each day?

There is no safe universal amount. It depends on bodyweight, growth target, feed composition, forage intake and adaptation. Use directions for the specific feed and have the whole ration checked when mixing ingredients yourself.

Are pellets better than a grain mix?

Neither is automatically better. Pellets may simplify handling and provide a consistent formulation. A properly formulated grain-based ration can also work. Suitability, total nutrient supply, required roughage, wastage and cost determine the better choice.

Should I add more grain if lambs stop gaining weight?

First check the records, feed supply, water, access and health. Increasing grain without identifying the cause may waste money or introduce a new problem.

ASK A VET™ can help you work through poor growth, weaning difficulties and feeding concerns, and identify when your lambs need an examination or a tailored nutrition plan.