A balanced ration for sheep in the run-up to lambing is built in layers, and the order matters more than any single ingredient. Forage stays the base all the way through, concentrates rise gradually in the final stretch, and body condition tells you whether the balance is right for each ewe.
Forage Stays the Base
Good forage carries the flock through pregnancy, and it remains the foundation even as lambing nears. Hay or grazing of decent quality, offered steadily, keeps the rumen working and gives concentrates something sound to build on. A ewe that fills up on forage first and takes a measured concentrate portion afterward is on a far steadier footing than one pushed onto heavy grain early.
Keep water clean and always available, and keep minerals within reach, because a ewe drinking poorly eats poorly as well. Watch the forage itself as winter stock runs down: the last bales are not always the equal of the first, and a quiet drop in forage quality shows up in condition before it shows up anywhere else.
The Last Six Weeks and Ewes Carrying Twins
Concentrates rise in small, gradual steps during the last six weeks before lambing, rather than in one sudden change, so digestion adjusts and appetites hold. Much of the fetal growth happens in this window, and a ewe's own room for bulky forage shrinks as lambs grow, which is why energy density rises while forage still anchors every meal.
Ewes carrying twins start that rise earlier, and their concentrate comes in smaller meals offered more frequently, because their demand is higher and their capacity at one sitting is lower. Group twin-bearing ewes separately where you can, so their earlier start and extra meals do not get competed away by single-bearing ewes. Singles follow the standard gradual rise across the last six weeks, without the earlier start.
Condition Scoring and When to Call the Vet
Score condition on the 1-to-5 scale by hand, feeling over the spine and loin rather than judging by a full fleece, which hides both thin and overfat ewes. Lambing condition around 3 to 3.5 is the usual target: leaner ewes may struggle to milk well, and heavier ewes face a harder lambing. Score each ewe, note the figure, and adjust her concentrate portion in small steps toward that range.
A ewe that goes off her feed or seems dull late in pregnancy should reach a vet promptly, as signs to investigate rather than problems to watch for another day. Late pregnancy leaves little spare time, and a ewe that stops eating can decline quickly, so the call goes in early.
Feeding Order and Rough Weather
Order at the trough matters in late pregnancy, because bold ewes eat first and shy ewes get what is left. Feed twin-bearing ewes in their own group, spread concentrate along enough trough space that every ewe in the group eats at once, and watch a full feeding before walking away, since a ewe pushed off her portion day after day loses condition quietly. In hard weather, appetite and energy use both shift, so check water for ice, keep forage coming steadily through a storm rather than doubling concentrates afterward, and let the condition scores, taken weekly in this window, judge whether the step-up needs a small adjustment.
Jonah handles morning feeding and Priya handles evening condition checks, with each step-up, score, and appetite change noted the same day. Feeding and scoring notes sit in the Care Teams record on KinsLe, letting relief help follow the same late-pregnancy plan without guessing.