Feeding Concentrate to Lambs at Pasture

This factsheet examines the impact of concentrate supplementation on lamb performance in pasture-based systems, drawing on a 4-year study of twin-reared lambs. It evaluates how varying levels of creep feed (0, 300, 600 g/lamb/day) and grass availability (measured by sward height) affect weaning weight, age at slaughter, and draft rates. Results show that feeding 300 g/day concentrate increased weaning weight by 20.7–41.2 kg and reduced age at slaughter by 28 days compared to no supplementation. Higher sward height (6 cm vs. 5 cm) reduced age at slaughter by 13 days, equivalent to 16.3 kg concentrate per lamb. The data indicate that concentrate feeding can replace high-quality pasture management, improving performance and accelerating market readiness.