Flushing increases nutrient intake and body condition prior to & during breeding, it also increases the rate of ovulation and, hence, lambing rate. The response to flushing is influenced by: age of the ewe (mature ewes show a greater response than yearlings) breed (prolific breeds are least responsive) body condition (thin ewes respond more than those in above- average condition) (especially beneficial for thin ewes that have not recovered from previous lactation stress).   stage of the breeding season (greatest response is seen early and late in the breeding season). If you want the flock to be productive & viable you must co-ordinate the operation necessary to obtain good flock nutrition right from feed testing through to body condition scoring and ram management.

This can be accomplished by either turning the ewes out onto higher-quality pasture two or three weeks prior to turning the rams in with them. If you do not have the higher quality pasture then you can supplement the pasture with 0.5 to 1.0 pounds of grain per ewe per day.