Confinement Feeding and Deferred Grazing

Key Messages.

• Confinement feeding pregnant ewes prior to lambing allows farmers precision management of their lambing and pasture systems.

Project Aim

Facey Group is collaborating with local producers, Tom Wittwer, Audrey Bird, and Sandra Fowler to demonstrate the production and economic benefits of confinement feeding pregnant ewes before lambing. Through this Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) funded project, we hope to help and support other producers who are interested in this production system. Benefits will be demonstrated by collecting and extending production along with economic data to encourage producer adoption in the Wickepin and surrounding regions.

Project Background

Confinement feeding has been gaining traction in the South West of WA, driven by the inconsistent timing of an autumn break and the decline in growing season rainfall. These seasonal changes have challenged producers to balance pasture management and livestock nutrition in autumn while maintaining a profitable livestock enterprise. The increasing regularity of dry autumns is resulting in delayed pasture germination and increased risk for pastures to be overgrazed.  This can also lead to inadequate feed availability leading up to and over the lambing period. This is when ewe nutrition and pasture availability can strongly determine lamb survival and lifetime ewe performance. 

Confinement feeding, although similar to feedlotting, differs in its aim to maintain the body condition score of sheep rather than increasing body weight. Innovative producers in WA have experienced great success with supplementary feeding pregnant ewes in confinement. This provides targeted nutrition while deferring grazing of pastures until feed on offer and ewe nutritional requirements over the critical lambing period can be matched.  This strategy can optimise pasture resource allocation, ewe nutrition, and ewe and lamb survival.

In 2023, the trial results showed confinement ewes showed an increase in condition score from 2 .6 to 3 throughout the season, while pasture ewes ‘ scores remained stable at 2. 5. The death rate was lower for confined ewes (3%) compared to those on pasture (5%). However, lambs from confinement ewes did not perform as well, possibly due to different ram breeds. Host farmer Tom was highly impressed with the pasture availability in his deferred pasture paddock and plans to increase the number of ewes going into confinement for the 2024 seasons.

Other farmers who opted not to use the confinement feeding system in 2023 due to the early opening rains still believe it is a valuable system to have, particularly in years with a late break or in anticipation of dry conditions. We have seen this in 2024, with a late break and minimal follow-up rain. We will be following three host farmers over the 2024 season.

Further Information

Project Start Date: February 2023

Project End Date: February 2025

Funding Body: Meat and Livestock Australia

Host Farmers: Audrey Bird, Windorah Farms

                            Tom Wittwer, NH Wittwer and Co

                            Sandra Fowler, Rapanui