Sheep Feed for Wool Production: What It Contains and How to Choose It

By Dr Duncan Houston

Good wool starts with a well-fed sheep, but buying more grain does not automatically produce a more valuable fleece.

Wool growers need to balance fleece weight, fibre diameter, staple strength and production costs while keeping sheep healthy. A feeding programme that allows sheep to lose condition, then tries to make up for it later, can leave its history written into the wool.

The aim is reliable nutrition throughout the growing period, with adjustments for pasture conditions, pregnancy, lactation and growth.

Quick Answer

Sheep raised for wool usually eat pasture or other forage, supplemented with grain, protein feeds and sheep-appropriate minerals when needed. Choose feed according to bodyweight, condition, production stage and the nutrients already available from grazing. Consistent nutrition supports fleece growth and strength, while additional feed can increase both wool weight and fibre diameter, so the heaviest fleece is not automatically the most profitable.

What is standard feed for wool-producing sheep?

There is no single standard “wool feed”. Many flocks obtain most of their nutrients from pasture. Others need substantial supplementary feeding through dry seasons, cold weather or periods of increased demand.

Typical ingredients include:

Feed component	Common examples	Why it is used
Pasture	Grasses, clovers, lucerne and suitable native pastures	Supplies energy, protein and fibre
Conserved forage	Grass hay, cereal hay, legume hay and suitable silage	Helps fill seasonal forage gaps
Cereal grains	Barley, oats, wheat and maize	Provide concentrated energy
Protein ingredients	Lupins, field peas, canola meal and soybean meal	Help correct a protein shortage
Sheep pellets or formulated blends	Combinations of grains, protein ingredients, fibre and minerals	Provide a convenient feed when used according to its formulation
Mineral and vitamin supplements	Sheep-specific products chosen for the ration and local conditions	Correct identified deficiencies or dietary imbalances

Feed quality varies considerably. Grain alone is not a balanced diet, and a mineral block cannot make up for inadequate energy or protein.

How does nutrition affect wool quality?

Wool needs protein, but energy matters too

Wool is made mainly of keratin, a protein rich in sulphur-containing amino acids. Methionine and cysteine are particularly important.

Sheep obtain amino acids from microbial protein produced in the rumen and from dietary protein that escapes rumen breakdown. This is why a healthy rumen and an appropriately balanced diet matter.

A high crude-protein number on a bag does not describe the entire nutritional value of that feed. Energy supply, protein availability and actual intake all influence the response.

Feed shortages can leave a weak point

A wool staple is a small bundle of fibres. When nutritional intake falls substantially, fibres may become thinner along part of their length, creating a weaker region.

Research in Merino sheep found that maintaining liveweight produced more consistent wool growth and smaller changes in fibre diameter than losing weight and subsequently regaining it.

Improving the ration supports future growth. It cannot rebuild the section of fibre that has already formed.

More feed can also mean broader wool

Better nutrition can increase fleece weight while increasing average fibre diameter. Whether that improves returns depends on the wool type, its other characteristics and the market.

For fine-wool flocks, assess clean fleece weight, micron and staple strength together. Deliberately underfeeding sheep to chase a lower micron is poor management: the resulting loss of condition and wool strength can undermine both welfare and returns.

Match the ration to the sheep

Dry adult wethers and non-pregnant ewes need enough feed to maintain appropriate condition and support fleece growth. Good pasture may meet those needs without concentrates.

Growing replacement sheep must support body development as well as wool production. An adult maintenance ration may not provide enough nutrition.

Pregnant and lactating ewes have additional demands that change through the reproductive cycle. Late pregnancy and early lactation need particular attention, especially in ewes carrying or rearing multiple lambs. Grouping sheep by production stage helps avoid feeding everyone as though they have identical requirements.

Recently shorn sheep in cold, wet or windy weather need a plan for shelter and adequate feed. Cold increases maintenance energy requirements, and sheep in poor condition are especially vulnerable. Feeding and weather protection belong in the same management plan.

How to choose the right feed

1. Assess condition with your hands

A large fleece can disguise a thin sheep surprisingly well. Wool is excellent at keeping secrets.

Use body condition scoring by feeling the muscle and fat over the loin, backbone and short ribs. Set targets appropriate to breed, reproductive stage and local management guidance.

Record a representative sample and pay attention to the thin animals as well as the mob average. Agriculture Victoria suggests assessing mob condition twice monthly to identify changes; increase observation when feed conditions or health are deteriorating. Weighing is particularly useful for young, growing sheep.

2. Check what the pasture actually supplies

Assess both the amount available and its quality. A paddock full of dry stalks may provide much less usable nutrition than its appearance suggests.

As pasture matures or the best material in a stubble paddock is eaten, the remaining diet changes. Reassess feed availability rather than assuming that last month’s grazing plan still works.

Start planning supplementation before sheep lose substantial condition.

3. Compare feed tests and specifications

Useful measures include:

• Dry matter: how much feed remains after water is removed.

• Metabolisable energy: the energy available to the animal.

• Crude protein: a starting measure of protein supply.

• Fibre and digestibility: factors affecting rumen function and how much useful nutrition sheep obtain.

Compare feeds on the same moisture basis. A tonne of wet silage and a tonne of dry grain contain different amounts of dry matter.

Ask for representative test results where available. A familiar ingredient name does not guarantee a consistent nutrient content.

4. Buy a supplement that fills the actual gap

If energy is limiting, a suitable cereal supplement may help. If protein is also limiting, a formulated ration or suitable protein ingredient may be needed.

Check whether a manufactured product is:

• A complete ration.

• A supplement requiring pasture or hay.

• A concentrate or premix requiring controlled mixing with other ingredients.

Follow its intended use. Keep enough suitable roughage in the feeding programme and have home-mixed rations checked by a livestock nutritionist. A feed marketed for sheep is not automatically appropriate for every sheep or every feeding situation.

5. Check mineral suitability before adding extras

Sheep need copper, but excessive intake can accumulate in the liver and cause potentially fatal poisoning. Cattle or goat feeds and mineral products should not be assumed safe for sheep.

Consider the whole ration, including pasture, purchased feeds and existing supplements. Poor fleece appearance alone is not enough evidence to start copper supplementation.

Sulphur also deserves care. Its role in wool does not mean that adding extra sulphur will improve every flock. Excessive sulphur from feed and water can contribute to serious neurological disease. Use a formulated supplement only where the diet and local advice justify it.

In Australia, sheep must not receive restricted animal material such as meat meal, bone meal, blood meal or fishmeal. Read feed labels and prevent contamination from feeds intended for other livestock.

Introduce changes gradually and keep feeding reliable

Sudden increases in grain can cause ruminal acidosis. Use an introduction programme suited to the feed, previous diet and class of sheep. Agriculture Victoria describes introducing grain to sheep over approximately three to four weeks.

Maintain suitable roughage, observe intake and identify sheep that hang back or fail to adapt. Do not let feeders run empty and then give hungry sheep unrestricted access to grain.

After accidental grain engorgement, contact a veterinarian promptly rather than waiting for severe illness.

Provide clean, accessible drinking water and check supply daily. Feed intake and production suffer when water access is inadequate.

Keep feed protected from spoilage, and minimise unnecessary interruptions to feeding. Records of feed shortages, illness and ration changes can help explain wool test results months later.

Protect the fleece while feeding

Feed delivery can affect wool value as well as nutrition.

Choose feeding equipment and positions that minimise hay and chaff falling into fleeces. Remove loose plastic twine and damaged feed bags from sheep areas, and inspect purchased fodder for weed seeds.

Very dusty or muddy feeding areas can also reduce fleece cleanliness and yield. Work with your wool classer on preparation and contamination control.

Poor wool is not always caused by the ration

Investigate the pattern before buying another supplement:

• Declining condition across a mob: check pasture, ration quality, access and worm burdens.

• Individual sheep losing condition: examine teeth, feet and general health as well as intake.

• Rubbing, pulled wool or patchy fleece loss: investigate lice and skin disease.

• Wet, discoloured or foul-smelling fleece: check promptly for skin damage and flystrike.

Worm egg counts and veterinary assessment help distinguish nutritional shortfalls from disease. Recent drenching does not rule out worms, particularly where treatment has been ineffective.

What you notice	Recommended action
A gradual decline in condition, with sheep otherwise bright	Review feed supply promptly and investigate the cause
Persistent diarrhoea, marked rubbing or continuing weight loss	Arrange veterinary assessment and appropriate testing
A late-pregnant ewe becoming dull or leaving feed	Contact a veterinarian urgently; pregnancy toxaemia and other metabolic problems need early treatment
Severe bloating, breathing difficulty, staggering or collapse	Seek emergency veterinary help
Maggots or painful, foul-smelling skin beneath the fleece	Begin prompt flystrike management and obtain veterinary help, especially if the sheep is unwell

A sick sheep needs assessment. Simply putting more feed in front of it can delay the treatment it needs.

Will extra feed pay for itself in wool?

Calculate the likely additional return, including changes in fleece weight, fibre diameter, strength and yield.

For a simple hypothetical example, an extra 0.4 kg of clean wool, valued at $12 per kg clean, produces $4.80 additional gross wool revenue. If the additional feeding costs $10 per sheep, extra fleece weight alone does not cover that cost.

Those figures are illustrations, not current prices or predicted responses. Changes in wool quality may alter the price of the whole clip, and feed may also protect ewe condition, reproduction and lamb survival.

Use actual buyer or broker estimates and include freight, wastage and labour. Keep clean and greasy wool values on matching bases: greasy fleece weight includes material removed during processing.

Adequate feeding for animal welfare remains essential. The budget helps decide how to supply it and whether additional feeding beyond requirements is worthwhile.

Common mistakes

• Judging condition by fleece size.

• Waiting for major weight loss before addressing a feed shortage.

• Choosing feed solely by its protein percentage.

• Adding minerals without checking existing intake.

• Feeding all ages and reproductive groups identically.

• Measuring success only by greasy fleece weight.

Can sheep produce good wool on pasture alone?

Yes, when pasture quality and availability meet their requirements. Supplementation becomes useful when grazing leaves a nutritional gap. Grain is not compulsory for every wool flock.

What protein percentage is best for wool production?

There is no single percentage for every sheep. Requirements depend on age, growth, reproductive stage, intake and the rest of the diet. Formulate for the animal’s needs rather than selecting the highest number on the bag.

Can feeding repair a break in the wool?

It can support stronger new growth, but cannot repair an existing weak section. Prevention through consistent nutrition and good health management is more useful than trying to correct the fleece shortly before shearing.

Should I give a special wool-growth supplement?

Only when there is a clear nutritional reason and a reasonable expectation of benefit. Check the base ration, sheep condition and health first. Supplements cannot compensate for insufficient forage, poor intake or untreated disease.

ASK A VET™ can help you work through concerns about condition loss, poor fleece quality or changes in your sheep’s health, and recognise when an on-farm examination or tailored feeding plan is needed.