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FLUSHING EWES
The practice of increasing nutrient intake and body condition prior to and during breeding is called flushing. Its purpose is to increase the rate of ovulation and, hence, lambing rate.
The response to flushing is influenced by:
age of the ewe (mature ewes show a greater response than yearlings)
breed (prolific breeds are least responsive)
body condition (thin ewes respond more than those in above- average condition)
stage of the breeding season (greatest response is seen early and late in the breeding season).
Flushing is especially beneficial for thin ewes that have not recovered from previous lactation stress. There appears to be no response to flushing in ewes that are already in above- average condition.
It is best to flush ewes with condition scoring of 2 - 2.5 to increase their condition to 3 - 3.5. Ewes on a rising plane of nutrition drop more ova than ewes on a steady plane, i.e., condition scoring of 3 increased to 3.5. It takes about six weeks grazing on good pasture to improve the body condition of a ewe by one body score, and three weeks grazing on good grass to improve a half condition score. The following table indicates the required length of time necessary to bring ewes in below-average condition up to the ideal breeding condition.
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