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Show Lamb Feed Guide for 4-H, FFA, and Jackpot

A show lamb feed guide for 4-H, FFA, and jackpot families — starting, growing, and finishing phases, how to read the feed tag, and where sheep supplements fit beside the base ration.

A show lamb feed program is a series of stages, and the bag that fits a new lamb is often the wrong bag at the end. This guide is an overview of that timeline for 4-H, FFA, and jackpot families, plus a plain way to read the tag on any show lamb feed. The phase notes come from university extension publications. The product examples come from manufacturer pages for feeds and sheep supplements already in our directory.

Publications do not use the same weight cutoffs or the same protein ranges. Treat this as a map of what those sources say, then follow the label on the feed you actually buy and work with your veterinarian or a nutritionist before you change a ration.

Show lamb feed, phase by phase

Every extension guide used here starts with the same five nutrients. Kansas State University’s show lamb guide names water, protein, energy, vitamins, and minerals. Washington State University’s Ferry County 4-H sheet, Tips for Feeding Market Lamb, uses that same list and calls water the most essential one. Mississippi State University Extension’s Market Lamb Project Guide: Nutrition says a lamb must always have clean, fresh water, and that dirty, warm, or stale water is a poor offer. Penn State Extension’s Feeding Market Lambs for Show says to scrub water buckets so lambs keep drinking.

Starting the lamb on feed

Bring the lamb home on the feed it already knows. Kansas State and Mississippi State both say to ask what the lamb has been eating and to change away from that feed slowly. An abrupt swap can upset the rumen. Washington State says the rumen microbes need about 10 to 14 days to adjust, and that grain in particular should not be jumped up all at once. The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, in Feeding Management for Show Lambs, says it takes at least 2 to 3 weeks for those microbes to adjust to a grain diet, and that a lamb which is not already on grain should start on hay.

The example starting amounts differ by publication, so this is not one schedule to copy:

  • Mississippi State describes starting grain at about one-fourth to one-half pound a day and raising it over 7 to 10 days, and feeding at the same time each day.
  • Penn State describes starting at one-half to three-quarters of a pound per feeding, twice a day, and raising the amount over a week to ten days until the lamb cleans up the grain in about 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Arizona describes a slower hay-then-grain introduction, holding the early grain level for several days at a time before the next step.

Protein on the tag also depends on which publication you are reading. Washington State lists 18% to 20% crude protein for the creep-feeding phase. Mississippi State lists 16% to 18% protein for lambs under 50 pounds. Kansas State says to start on a feed with 16% to 18% crude protein and 12% to 15% crude fiber and to stay with that style of ration until about 100 pounds, and that younger lambs depositing muscle benefit from feeds in the 16% to 19% crude protein range. Penn State says most grain mixes fall between 14% and 18% protein, and that many exhibitors feed a 16% mix.

A creep feed in the directory that publishes an 18% crude protein minimum is Kalmbach’s Cherry Krave. Kalmbach’s page describes it as a mini-pellet creep for young lambs, with 5% crude fat minimum, 15% crude fiber maximum, and decoquinate listed at 45.4 g/ton. The same page says to feed it for at least 28 days during coccidiosis exposure, to offer free-choice salt and a sheep mineral, and to keep clean, fresh water available. The ingredient list includes ammonium chloride.

The growing phase

This is the stretch where extension authors still want enough protein for muscle, with hay or another roughage beside the grain.

Washington State puts growing lambs from 50 to 90 pounds on 16% to 18% crude protein. Mississippi State, for 50 to 85 pounds, says to bring in more energy and to use a ration around 14% to 16% protein, and to raise that energy gradually. Arizona says to hold the grower-style diet until the lamb is around 65 to 70 pounds, and that a lamb already near 80 pounds with 90 days or more until the show does not need the grain pushed harder just to chase weight.

Kansas State says to feed morning and evening at the same times, to clean uneaten feed out of the bunk instead of pouring new feed on top, and to offer about a quarter pound of high-quality hay each day (about two large handfuls), with alfalfa as the example. Penn State says a handful of hay at each feeding keeps the rumen working and helps keep it from becoming too acidic. Washington State says lambs need at least 10% to 15% fiber in the diet for normal rumen function.

Penn State also says many commercial lamb feeds are complete feeds, meaning the mix already includes a fiber source, and that market lambs should eat about 2.5% to 3.0% of body weight per day on a dry-matter basis. That fact sheet includes a weight-by-weight table; use the publication rather than a rounded guess from this page. The same sheet says most feeds are about 88% to 90% dry matter.

Two growing and finishing feeds in the directory sit in the protein band those guides describe:

  • Show Star, from Kalmbach, is labeled for growing and finishing lambs intended for show. The published guaranteed analysis lists 18.00% crude protein minimum (with no more than 0.90% equivalent crude protein from non-protein nitrogen), 3.50% crude fat minimum, and 14.00% crude fiber maximum. It is medicated with decoquinate at 38.6 g/ton. Kalmbach says to feed it for at least 28 days during coccidiosis exposure, with forage, and to always provide clean fresh water. Ammonium chloride is on the ingredient list.

Browse the rest of the base feeds when you want to compare tags side by side. Brand pages for Sunglo, Kalmbach, and Purina collect each line in one place.

The finishing phase

Later in the project, the extension guides shift the ration toward energy and cover, and they tell you to watch condition so the lamb does not get too fat.

Washington State lists 14% to 16% crude protein from about 80 pounds through finish. Mississippi State, for lambs over 85 pounds, describes a high-energy ration around 11% to 12% protein and says a finisher feed is worth considering at that weight. Kansas State says lower-protein feeds, about 11% to 15% crude protein, fit sheep being fed to a finished weight, because muscle deposition slows and fat deposition increases. The same guide says most show feeds contain about 2.5% to 5.0% crude fat, that younger lambs are typically on the lower-fat side, and that fat is often increased as the lamb matures. Penn State says 3% to 5% fat is very common in commercial feeds because fat adds energy for cover.

Kansas State’s adjustment notes, stated there as rules of thumb: if the lamb is too fat, reduce the amount of feed and raise crude protein; if the lamb is too thin, lower crude protein and raise fat. The guide also says skipping a feeding to burn weight works against you. Arizona says a lamb that is getting too fat can go to a lower percentage of grain, or to a lower-energy grain such as oats, along with exercise. Mississippi State says replacing forage with grain tends to increase gain, and replacing grain with forage tends to slow it, and that many judges prefer about 0.1 to 0.2 inch of backfat.

Those average-gain figures are planning context from the publications, and they do not match each other. Kansas State says most lambs gain about one-half pound a day. Arizona uses about 0.5 to 0.8 pound a day as a general expectation while you are feeding. Weigh the lamb and follow the feed tag rather than chasing a single average.

Honor Show Showlamb Grower 15% DX is Purina’s grow-and-finish textured feed in the directory. Purina’s page lists 15.00% crude protein minimum, no more than 1.00% equivalent crude protein from non-protein nitrogen, 4.00% crude fat minimum, and 8.50% crude fiber maximum. It is medicated with decoquinate, listed there as 0.0017% (7.6 mg/lb), for prevention of coccidiosis in young sheep. The page says to feed 3.0 lb to a 100 lb sheep to supply the labeled decoquinate amount, for at least 28 days during exposure, with about a quarter flake or one-half pound of good-quality hay per day, and with fresh, clean water at all times. It also says not to feed this product to sheep or goats producing milk for food.

Washington State adds one finishing caution that sits next to the “feed some hay” advice above: limit hay on finishing lambs, or the belly gets large and gain drops. Hay still has a job. The amount is a judgment you make with the label and with someone who can see the lamb.

Hauling and show week

The feeding change at show week, in the sources read for this article, is mostly about water, routine, and withdrawal times.

Washington State notes that water intake can drop when lambs are hauled to unfamiliar places, and that a lack of water cuts feed intake. Kansas State’s show-week notes say the lamb should still be eating and drinking, and that feed should not be pulled completely. Mississippi State says to avoid sudden ration changes and to keep the feeding schedule regular.

Medicated feeds have to be read for withdrawal. Arizona says medicated rations have a withdrawal time to meet before the show and the sale, and to ask the feed dealer what it is. The Ferry County 4-H sheet from Washington State says to follow the withdrawal time on the label before slaughter. The Kalmbach and Purina pages cited above tell you the drug, the purpose, and how long to feed during coccidiosis exposure. They do not, on the pages read here, print a slaughter withdrawal day-count. Use the bag in your barn, not a number from memory.

What to look for on a show lamb feed tag

The tag is the part of the bag that is regulated. The University of Kentucky Division of Regulatory Services explains sheep feed labels in Understanding and Evaluating Sheep Feed Labels. A typical label has the product name, a purpose statement (species and class, such as starting or growing sheep), a guaranteed analysis, an ingredient list, feeding directions, the manufacturer’s name and address, and a net weight. Medicated feeds add an active-ingredient statement and the drug’s purpose. Penn State says a commercial feed intended to control coccidiosis will indicate that it is medicated with either Bovatec or Deccox. The Kalmbach and Purina pages cited in this guide print the drug name decoquinate, a prevention claim for coccidiosis in young sheep, and a direction to feed the product for at least 28 days during exposure.

On a sheep complete feed or supplement, Kentucky Regulatory Services says the guarantees should include, at least:

  • Crude protein, minimum. If non-protein nitrogen is added, the maximum equivalent crude protein from that nitrogen. The brochure names urea, feed-grade biuret, and ammonium chloride as common non-protein nitrogen sources.
  • Crude fat, minimum.
  • Crude fiber or acid detergent fiber, maximum.
  • Calcium, minimum and maximum.
  • Phosphorus, minimum.
  • Salt, minimum and maximum, if salt is added.
  • Selenium, minimum.
  • Vitamin A, minimum, if it is added.

Mississippi State says lamb feed as a group runs about 12% to 20% protein, and that the requirement gets smaller as the lamb gets older. That is why the protein line is the first comparison, and why a starter and a finisher can both be “right” at different times.

Fat and fiber are the energy clues the extension guides use. Kansas State and Penn State put common show-feed fat in a band of roughly 2.5% to 5%. Arizona’s publication includes a table for estimating total digestible nutrients from the fiber, protein, and fat lines on a tag, and in that table a higher fiber percentage lines up with a lower energy estimate. You can see the spread on real tags: Purina’s Honor Showlamb Grower page lists 4.00% fat minimum and 8.50% fiber maximum; Sunglo lists 3.5% fat and 13.0% fiber maximum; Show Star lists 3.50% fat and 14.00% fiber maximum; Cherry Krave lists 5.00% fat and 15.00% fiber maximum.

Grains and forages do not carry the same minerals. A Virginia Tech publication republished by the Ohio State University Sheep Team, Minerals and Vitamins for Sheep, says calcium is often adequate in forages and low in grains, while phosphorus is high in grains and low in forages. For a lamb on a high-grain diet, that publication says the calcium-to-phosphorus relationship should be at least 2:1, with calcium higher, and that an unsupplemented high-grain ration reverses the ratio. Mississippi State calls two parts calcium to one part phosphorus the ideal ratio and says an imbalance can lead to urinary calculi. Kansas State uses about 2.5 parts calcium to 1 part phosphorus and says a high phosphorus level relative to calcium may cause urinary calculi. Arizona says keeping the ratio greater than 2:1 can partly limit urinary calculi in male sheep on grain diets.

Read both lines on the tag and compare them. The minimums on a tag can sit well apart from a 2:1 relationship. Cherry Krave’s published analysis lists calcium at 0.50% to 1.00% and phosphorus at 0.50% minimum. Sunglo lists calcium at 0.8% to 1.3% and phosphorus at 0.4% minimum. Penn State says commercial concentrate feeds often include ammonium chloride to help prevent urinary calculi in show wethers, and the other extension pages above discuss the same additive. Show Star and Cherry Krave both list ammonium chloride in the ingredients. Penn State also says a commercial feed, fed as directed, is formulated to meet vitamin and mineral requirements, so extra mineral on top of that label is a separate decision. A custom grain mix that does not include vitamins and minerals needs a salt and mineral mix formulated for sheep.

Sheep supplements beside the base feed

Kansas State treats sheep supplements as additions to a complete feed, not as the ration itself. The guide groups them in plain jobs: higher-protein supplements for muscle, higher-energy supplements for fat and a smooth finish, and digestive supplements such as probiotics to help keep a lamb eating. It says supplements have little effect when they are not fed with a complete feed.

Two Show-Rite products in the directory match those first two jobs on the manufacturer’s own analysis:

  • Rite Tyme is labeled as a high-protein topdress for show lambs. Show-Rite’s page lists 40.0% crude protein minimum, 1.0% crude fat minimum, and 5.0% crude fiber maximum, and it prints a sheep and goat topdress rate of 2 ounces per head per day with fresh, clean water.
  • Fat-N-Fluffy is a fat supplement. Show-Rite lists 7.0% crude protein minimum and 70% crude fat minimum. The page prints separate feeding directions for sheep and goats, including a daily maximum. Use that tag.

The supplements directory is the longer list, and the Show-Rite brand page gathers that line. A supplement tag still needs the same reading as a feed tag: species, guaranteed analysis, and feeding directions. Kentucky Regulatory Services applies those sheep-feed guarantee rules to supplements as well as complete feeds.

Grains and hay the extension guides name

Families who mix or top-dress, instead of feeding one complete bag, will see the same ingredients in the extension publications and in the ingredient directory.

Mississippi State says grains such as corn and oats are high in energy and usually contain about 8% to 12% protein, and that soybean meal, a common protein supplement, generally contains more than 40% protein. Arizona uses oats as the lower-energy grain when a lamb needs to slow down, and lists soybean meal among the usual protein supplements. Those three ingredients are in the directory as whole corn, rolled oats, and soybean meal.

Hay is the roughage those guides keep next to the grain. Kansas State wants high-quality hay, alfalfa in particular, at a fiber length of about 1 1/2 to 2 inches, and says ground or pelleted hay fails to meet the lamb’s need for that longer fiber. Alfalfa pellets are their own ingredient in the directory, listed apart from long hay. Sunglo’s feeding directions and Purina’s Honor Showlamb Grower directions both tell you to feed hay or other forage with the bagged feed.

Mississippi State also says to introduce any new feed over days or weeks, to keep troughs clean, and to keep records of what each lamb eats. That record is what tells you whether the next phase should hold or change.

Sources

Extension publications read for this guide:

Manufacturer pages read for the product examples:

Always read and follow the product label directions for use, and consult your veterinarian before using any product.

Topics:show-lambfeeding-basicssheep-supplementsfeed-tagphases
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