Grass pasture rarely meets the daily requirement for lambs throughout the season and is actually lower in the dry summer months when weaned lambs should be at maximum growth rates. Cobalt and/or vitamin B12 are therefore often supplemented. However, administering boluses and drenches adds cost both in terms of product and time to administer, and free access supplements cannot guarantee consistent intakes in all animals.
Willow leaves have been shown to have high concentrations of cobalt, there has been some research into feeding willow as a cobalt supplement and some farmers have begun to feed or are considering feeding willow to their lambs as a cobalt supplement.
In this field lab, a farmer in Northumberland will be trialing the benefits of feeding willow to his weaned lambs throughout the growing season, comparing growth rates and blood cobalt levels in a control sample and a willow fed sample. As well as this main trial, six mini trials will be run on different farms, all looking at the same topic, monitoring lamb growth rates when fed on willow.
Alongside the trials, a new agroforestry learning network has been launched, specifically focusing on the benefits of feeding willow to lambs. The group will meet quarterly to link farmers together to help share their knowledge and experiences on the practicalities of feeding willow to lambs. The group includes experts in the fields of mineral nutrition and agroforestry planting, and there will be guest speakers at the meetings.
To register interest and join the network get in touch: [email protected] / 01173 145109
To find out more see the Innovative Farmers website
