PDS: Improved ewe health outcomes from containment

Summary

Producers across SA’s Barossa Valley and Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges are increasingly turning to containment feeding to manage pregnant ewes during dry seasons and protect groundcover and pastures. While containment has proven to be an effective management strategy, long‑term use has highlighted new challenges: nutritional deficiencies, rumen health issues, variable feeding methods, differing mineral supplementation approaches, and ewe mortality around lambing. Variation in practice is high, and many producers are unsure how best to safely feed, supplement and transition ewes back to pasture.   

This Producer Demonstration Site (PDS), delivered by the Barossa Improved Grazing Group (BIGG), aims to finetune and standardise best‑practice containment feeding to improve ewe health, lambing performance and producer confidence. Across three major demonstration sites, the project will compare feeding frequencies, fibre and grain ratios, and different mineral supplementation strategies. It will track blood mineral status, rumen health indicators, ewe condition score trends, metabolic disease risk, ewe mortality and reproductive outcomes over three breeding seasons. 

The project will also conduct a cost-benefit analysis to understand the economics of feeding strategies and supplementation relative to lamb survival and ewe mortality. Training and extension will play a central role, with annual field days, case studies, a webinar, producer fact sheets, videos and ongoing communication through the BIGG network. Observer producers will gain practical guidance on safe, efficient and nutritionally sound containment systems. 

Objectives

By December 2028 in the Barossa Valley region of South Australia, the project will establish 3 demonstration sites engaging 12 core producers and a minimum of 100 observer producers the project will demonstrate:  

1. The effect of different mineral supplementation on the mineral status of twin bearing ewes in containment pens at two time points over the feeding period and over three breeding seasons (blood mineral analysis on the three sites as ewes enter and exit containment).  
2. Rumen health associated with different feeding methods, feed types and feeding frequencies on one of the sites (additional sites will be potentially tracked also if extra funds can be obtained). (Measures will include blood biochemistry, electrolytes and gases).  
3. Condition score trends of twin bearing ewes in containment and correlation with reproductive rate.  
4. Reproductive rate, mortality and incidence of metabolic disease of twin bearing ewes associated with adopting best practice containment feeding across the 3 sites.  
5. A cost benefit analysis of different feeding methods, supplements and the resulting reproductive rate and ewe mortality.  
6. Upskill 100% of core and observer producers in their knowledge, skills and confidence to implement the most effective methods of feeding, feeding frequency, mineral supplementation, condition scoring and reaching targets in containment.  
7. Conduct extension activities including field days, case studies, fact sheets, a webinar and a video to showcase the demonstration site results and encourage adoption of key practices. The adoption target will be that 70% of observer producers intend to adopt at least one of the demonstrated practices which include correct ewe ration’s fed in containment, regular condition scoring of ewes in containment, effective mineral supplementation in containment and separation and individual nutrition for single and multiple bearing ewes in containment. 

Progress

Running from 2026 to 2029, the MLA-funded Improved ewe health outcomes from containment Producer Demonstration Site (PDS) is being delivered by the Barossa Improved Grazing Group, with facilitation by Deb Scammell of Talking Livestock. 

Across three commercial demonstration sites in South Australia’s Barossa Valley and Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges, the PDS is demonstrating practical ways to improve the health, nutrition and reproductive performance of twin-bearing ewes managed in containment.

Baseline blood testing and condition scoring have now been completed across the three sites. Early results show that older ewes consistently entered containment with lower calcium levels than younger ewes, with 30 to 33% of older ewes below the minimum calcium threshold across the participating farms. Magnesium status was more variable, with one site recording a comparatively high proportion of both younger and older ewes below the minimum threshold.

Participating producers received containment rations and management advice, while monitoring is examining mineral status, ewe condition, feeding practices and indicators of rumen health. Producers will now record ewe mortality and lambing percentages, helping demonstrate how containment nutrition and management may relate to ewe health and reproductive outcomes under commercial conditions.

The preliminary findings reinforce the importance of balanced mineral supplementation, appropriate fibre and grain ratios, regular condition scoring and carefully managed transitions from containment back to pasture. Further blood analysis and post-lambing results will help develop practical guidance for producers using containment to manage pregnant ewes.