Mineral supplementation to the ewe flock prior to ram turnout is very important. Particularly, phosphorus and selenium status should be given extra attention. Feeding a high quality sheep mineral, without copper, is a must at breeding time. Late gestation . Nutritionally, late gestation is an extremely critical production phase in the ewe flock.
All nutrients are important to ensure as easy and productive a lambing season as possible.
Late gestation is the last trimester of pregnancy and is 40 to 45 days in length. This is the period of the majority of fetal growth. This also is the time period when the majority of the ewes mammary system develops. Thus, lamb growth and development and ewe milking ability is strongly influenced by late gestation nutrition. Nutrition in late gestation is also influenced by weather conditions and the housing status of the ewes, fleece length, the number of lambs the ewes are gestating, and the body condition of the ewes.