Question: My lambs show is no more than 6 weeks in time. Yet she does not want to eat her feed because she has a low palpability. Ever since I got her, I have had to change feeds and give her vitamin supplements, yet she does not gain weight. She currently weighs 80 lbs (for the past 3 months) and she needs to weigh at least 125 to enter in her class as a light weight! Any recommendations?
Answer: Karla,
Thank you for your question.
I suggest doing these things:
make sure the lamb has clean water ALL the time. That may mean dumping out, cleaning, and refilling its water 3 to 4 times each day. Feed a double handful of a good quality loose alfalfa hay per day, do this after the evening feeding. Deworm the lamb every 30 days. Quit feeding Acco and begin feeding HONOR Show Chow Showlamb Grower DX. Feed 3 lbs per day divided into two equal feedings morning and evening. If the lamb is still refusing to eat, or has a poor appetite, feed:
2 1/2 lbs HONOR Show Chow Showlamb Grower DX
1/2 lbs (8 oz) High Octane Power Fuel
Question: We recently purchased lambs for our show in January. I had them on an 18% feed and I was told to reduce the protein to 15% because of the heat. Am I doing the right thing with doing that? What is the difference? Is the 18% what I need to put them on being they weigh about 50 to 60 pounds already.
Answer: Lauri,
Thank you for your question and for choosing HONOR Show Chow showlamb products.
Our 15% Showlamb Grower is a very good feed to use during the summer for lambs to be shown when they are approaching a year of age when they are shown (like the winter shows in TX).
Question: One of the videos from your site mentioned to start wet feeding the lambs. Can you explain this to me a little more? Can you wet feed the supplements (Power fuel and Champion Drive) in with the Grower DX?
Answer: Steve,
Thank you for your question.
Wetting feeding is merely mix the feed with water and feeding several times per day in order to provide water intake with the feed.
This is done to ensure water intake at the show. Yes, you can mix in the High Octane Supplements with the feed prior to adding water.
Question: What is the best way to pull the gut out of show lambs?
Answer: Bryan,
Thank you for your question.
Usually, lambs have excess middle for two reasons:
1) Genetics (that is just the way they are made and not a lot can be done) 2) They have been fed pasture, grass, or hay that is not very digestible. The more digestible the roughage is, the faster it passes through their digestive tract, and in turn cannot stay in the digestive tract long enough to swell and cause a belly. If this is the cause, I suggest to discontinue access to this roughage.
We recommend a double handful of loose alfalfa hay per day for show lambs.
Question: Should show lambs be fed before or after exercise?
Answer: Anna,
Thank you for your question.
I think it just depends upon your program. Some people prefer to exercise prior to feeding, and some people feed prior to exercise.
However, I think the key is to give some time between each. Think of ourselves; we would not perform well after a heavy meal. And, we would not perform well without energy in our system to fuel that exercise.
So, whether you exercise before or after, I suggest giving the lamb a couple of hours between the two.
Question: After starting a dorset with the power fuel it has started to get real mushy poop. Is that normal or could it be something else?
Answer: Tony,
Thank you for your question.
It could be normal depending upon how much Power Fuel you are feeding and what other products you are currently feeding.
High Octane Power Fuel is designed to be fed at 4 to 8 ounces per day along with HONOR Show Chow Showlamb Grower at 3 to 4% of the lambs bodyweight per day.
If you are feeding more Power Fuel or more feed than that per day, the lambs stools will be very soft.
Question: I was checking out the Grand Lamb Mixer DX, can this be added to your medicated HSC Showlamb Grower DX as a supplement? I noticed on the instructions that it says to add to non medicated feed, is my understanding correct or did I read it wrong?
Answer: Robyn,
Thank you for your question and interest in HONOR Show Chow Showlamb products.
Grand Lamb Mixer is actual a concentrate for mixing showlamb feeds. It is not a topdress. It is designed to be added to corn, oats, barley, and molasses to produce a showlamb feed. We do not recommend adding it to existing feeds.
Question: When following the feeding strategy for showlambs and weighing the feed ration, is the double handful of alfalfa included or in addition to the grain? In example, if it says an average of 3.5 lbs of honor show lamb grower do you make the grain and the alfalfa add up to 3.5 pounds or do you feed 3.5 pounds of grain AND a double handful of alfalfa?
Answer: Jim,
Thank you for your question and for choosing HONOR Show Chow showlamb products.
The alfalfa is in addition to the Showlamb Grower.
Question: My daughters are raising 4H market lambs and this year they are starting out smaller than we would like them. They are just at weaning and want to know what would be the best feed to get them a good start. We would like to mix it with our own feed which is a mixture of corn, oats, soy and minerals.
Answer: Karen,
Thank you for your question and your interest in HONOR Show Chow showlamb feeds.
I suggest feeding the lamb our Showlamb Grower DX. This is an 18% crude protein textured feed that will do a great job for you.
I do not suggest mixing with another product, as this dilutes the crude protein, energy, medication, minerals, vitamins, and especially the Diamond V Yeast, Zinpro, and TASCO which are important for how the feed works.
We also have products that will help the lamb grow faster in our High Octane Power Fuel topdress. Start with about 4 ounces per day, and then increase to about 8 ounces per day once the lamb gets to about 80 lbs.
The High Octane Power Fuel contains Diamond V Yeast, Zinpro and TASCO, so there is no risk of diluting the nutrition.
Question: Should you feed lambs exactly as the label directs or is that just for drug levels? If not how much do you recommend to feed per lamb to get them finished?
Answer: LaRae,
Thank you for your question and for choosing HONOR Show Chow showlamb products.
The exact amount you feed will depend upon your lamb, what it weighs, how many days until show and a few other factors. However, as a general guideline we suggest feeding 3 to 4% of the lambs bodyweight per day.
So, if a lamb weighs 75 lbs, 3% of its bodyweight would be 2.25 lbs per day.