Behind a high-solids tank of sheep milk, there is never “just a concentrate.” There is always a nutrition logic – and very often, a premix that quietly does the difficult work in the background.
CM 1332 LACTATING SHEEP & GOAT 2% BLUE is one such premix. It is a 2% inclusion formulation for high-yielding ewes and intensive dairy goat systems in Greece, built around a simple question:
How do we support litres, fat and protein – without paying for them later in acidosis, lameness and poor fertility?
What CM 1332 is designed to do
In well-managed ewe flocks in Greece, early lactation easily exceeds 2.0–2.2 L/ewe/day, with high concentrate levels and very tight feeding windows. In this context, CM 1332 is the control panel behind the station. It is designed to:
- stabilise rumen pH in high-starch diets,
- secure Ca–P balance and DCAD for bone strength, muscle function and milk production,
- keep trace minerals and vitamins in the range where immunity, udder health and hoof integrity are effectively protected,
- support liver function and energy metabolism at the start of lactation.
At 2% inclusion in the concentrate (or TMR mix), CM 1332 is calibrated so that a typical ewe consuming 1.8–2.2 kg DM/day of concentrate receives, in the correct order of magnitude:
- around 6–7 g Ca and 3–4 g P from the concentrate portion,
- a complete trace mineral package where a meaningful share of Zn, Mn and Se comes from organic forms,
- daily intakes in the region of 20–25,000 IU vitamin A, 3–4,000 IU vitamin D₃ and 300–400 mg vitamin E, together with targeted B-vitamins.
The goal is straightforward: to turn litres and solids into something repeatable, not accidental, without overloading the formula.
Inside the formulation
1. Mineral and buffer system
At the base of CM 1332 you will find:
Mono-calcium phosphate and limestone
Together they keep total ration Ca:P close to 1.6–1.8 : 1 once forages are taken into account – a range that supports both milk production and skeletal health, and that fits the requirements of cheese making.
Salt (NaCl)
Beyond sodium supply, salt is used as a DCAD lever. In rations with a lot of maize/barley and modest forage NDF, we aim for slightly positive but not excessive DCAD so that animals stay alert and drinking without drifting towards alkalosis.
Sodium bicarbonate and magnesium oxide
These are the buffering spine of the premix. They help the ration absorb the acid load of starch and by-products, keeping rumen pH above 5.8 for longer – the threshold where fibre digestion and milk-fat synthesis begin to suffer.
Beet-based carriers
They support palatability and provide gently fermentable carbohydrates that “introduce” starch to the microbial population instead of shocking it.
2. Trace minerals: bioavailability where it matters
High-genetic ewes and goats do not respond to trace mineral programmes that only “tick tables”. CM 1332 therefore, uses a dual-source system:
- Inorganic oxides and sulphates provide an efficient base for zinc, manganese and other elements.
- Chelated forms Availa® Zn and Availa® Mn supply a strategically chosen share of these minerals in highly bioavailable form, so that absorption remains high in grain-rich, low-roughage diets.
Selenium is treated as a critical nutrient:
- CM 1332 uses a dual organic selenium system: Sel-Plex® 3000 (selenium-enriched yeast) together with Availa® Se 3000 (highly bioavailable organic selenium complex). This combination provides both a stable background supply and a rapidly available fraction, allowing the complete ration to realistically reach 0.25–0.30 mg Se/kg DM – the range where apparent effects on udder health, immunity and fertility can be seen. The choice of two complementary selenium sources is intentional: it reflects a formulation approach that centres on resilience and risk management in the nutrition programme.
In addition, coated cobalt carbonate (CoCO₃) provides a stable cobalt source for rumen vitamin B₁₂ synthesis, particularly important when forages are quantitatively or qualitatively limited.
The philosophy is not “chasing ppm.” It is designing resilience into the flock: fewer subclinical mastitis cases, better hoof quality, and animals that enter the breeding season with their mineral reserves intact.
3. Vitamins and metabolic support
CM 1332 carries a full fat- and water-soluble vitamin programme:
- Vitamins A, D₃ and E at densities appropriate for intensive dairy sheep and goats, with vitamin E pushed to levels that genuinely support udder health.
- A B-complex package (with emphasis on B₁ and biotin) for carbohydrate metabolism and hoof horn quality.
- Microtinic PP (protected niacin) and choline chloride as tools to manage the metabolic stress of early lactation, helping the liver handle lipolysis and shortening the period of negative energy balance.
At this point, CM 1332 stops being “another dairy mineral” and becomes a risk-management tool for metabolism.
4. Rumen function and hygiene
Two further groups of ingredients complete the picture:
- Levucell® SC live yeast, selected for small ruminants, which stabilises rumen pH, supports lactate-using bacteria and improves fibre digestion under conditions where forage NDF can easily drop below 30% of DM.
- Aromax F and a dedicated antioxidant package, which support dry-matter intake and limit oxidative stress in warm periods or when forage quality is variable.
Together, these components allow CM 1332 to hold the ration together when conditions on farm are far from perfect.
How CM 1332 fits into a Lacaune system
In practice, CM 1332 LACTATING SHEEP & GOAT 2% BLUE is used in rations that:
- target 450–500 kg milk per ewe per lactation in Lacaune systems,
- run crude protein in the 17–18.5% DM range,
- stay around 11.0–11.3 MJ ME/kg DM,
- maintain at least 35–40% of DM as forage, with good-quality alfalfa, hay or corn silage.
The premix itself remains constant at a 2% inclusion rate. In contrast, the remaining concentrate can be tuned (barley vs. maize, choice of protein sources) based on forage analysis, milk price, and raw material markets. In this way, the “health architecture” of the flock remains stable, while the economics of the ration can adapt.
From formulation to on-farm strategy
CM 1332 LACTATING SHEEP & GOAT 2% BLUE is not a catalogue recipe. It is a formulation that has been built step-by-step in Greek flocks, using data from milk tanks, health incidents and the real-world constraints of commercial farms. It brings together:
- technical depth in small-ruminant nutrition,
- an understanding of the economic reality of dairy farms,
- and a way of thinking where nutrition is not just a ration sheet, but a strategic lever for production, health and risk.
CM 1332 LACTATING SHEEP & GOAT 2% BLUE is developed and supplied through my own advisory and premix business. For collaborations on dairy sheep and goat nutrition programmes in Greece and the wider region, contact: i.kaimakamis@kaimakamis.com.
