High Octane Heavy Weight
Emergency high-fat supplement for genuinely lean hard-keeping lambs — not a daily staple
Always read and follow product labels for feeding and sheep safety.
Overview
Heavy Weight is Purina’s most concentrated fat supplement — a dry, water-miscible powder containing 70% crude fat (primarily coconut oil) in a very small serving size. It is explicitly designed as an emergency tool for lambs that are genuinely behind on cover with limited time to catch up. It can be mixed dry as a topdress or dissolved at 8 oz per gallon of water and poured over feed to encourage intake in off-feed lambs. No added copper — confirmed safe for sheep.
Manufacturer Specifications
Guaranteed Analysis
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Crude Protein (min) | 8.00% |
| Lysine (min) | 0.60% |
| Crude Fat (min) | 70.00% |
| Crude Fiber (max) | 0.10% |
| Calcium (min/max) | 0.20–0.40% |
| Phosphorus (min) | 0.20% |
| Magnesium (min) | 0% |
| Copper (min/max) | 0 PPM — confirmed sheep-safe |
Key Ingredients / Active Components
| Ingredient | Role |
|---|---|
| Dried Whey | Highly digestible protein and lactose — palatability, gentle on gut |
| Dried Milk Protein | Bioavailable protein and fat source |
| Animal Fat (preserved with Ethoxyquin) | Primary fat carrier — 70% total fat largely from coconut oil |
| Vegetable Oil | Secondary fat source and water-miscibility agent |
| Lecithin | Emulsifier — enables water-miscibility for drench application |
| Sodium Tripolyphosphate | Binds fat and water — key to dissolving in water for drench use |
| Calcium Silicate | Anti-caking agent for powder form |
| Coconut oil (primary fat) | Highly saturated, rapidly absorbed energy — drives fat cover fast |
Official Feeding Rate
- Rate: 2–8 oz/day for sheep/lambs
- Introduction: Start at 2 oz/day. Increase slowly — 1-2 oz every 3-4 days only. Rapid introduction causes digestive upset.
- Species notes: Safe for sheep, goats, cattle, and swine
Show Circuit Use
Sources: Reference show program documentation, retailer product descriptions
How Experienced Feeders Actually Use It
Heavy Weight is the supplement feeders hope they never need. It’s reserved for true emergencies — a genuinely lean lamb that is far behind on cover with limited time before the show. The show circuit treats it as a last resort, not a default tool. Experienced feeders note that if a lamb is on track, Heavy Weight never enters the program at all. The very slow introduction requirement (3-4 days per 1-2 oz increase) limits how fast it can be ramped, which further makes it unsuitable as a primary conditioning tool.
An alternate use: mixing at 8 oz per gallon of water and pouring over feed can encourage intake in an off-feed or stressed lamb at show. In this context it functions as a palatability driver rather than a conditioning tool.
Real-World Feeding Rate
- Typical rate: 2-4 oz/day in conditioning use; 8 oz mixed per gallon of water for palatability drench
- Introduction timeline: Very slow — 2 oz start, increase by 1-2 oz every 3-4 days
Common Deviations from Label
Some feeders use the water-drench method (8 oz/gallon) on show day to keep an off-feed or stressed lamb consuming feed and maintaining fill. This is a well-known show circuit application beyond standard topdress use.
Breed-Specific Notes
Most likely to be needed with Suffolk and other lean muscle breeds that are hard keepers. Rarely needed with naturally fleshy breeds.
Phase Protocols
Weeks 8–6 | Condition Building Phase
- Rate: 2 oz/day start — only if lamb is genuinely behind
- Purpose: Begin emergency fat loading on a hard-keeping lamb
Weeks 5–3 | Fill & Shaping Phase
- Rate: 2–4 oz/day if still needed
- Purpose: Maintain emergency fat support — reassess whether lamb is catching up
Weeks 2–1 | Final Prep Phase
- Rate: 2–4 oz/day — hold if still needed, but avoid sudden changes
- Show morning option: Mix 8 oz in 1 gallon water; pour over feed to encourage intake and maintain fill
Stacking Protocols
Heavy Weight is typically the only emergency tool in the program at one time — it doesn’t stack well with aggressive fat-building because digestive upset risk rises. It’s used in place of maxing out other energy supplements, not alongside them at full rate.
Conflict — Heavy Weight + Fitter 35/52: Direct opposition. Never run simultaneously.
Heavy Weight as palatability drench (show day): In this application it stacks cleanly with Gold Dust, CMP, and other show-day drenches.
Budget Alternatives
- Rolled barley handles most energy/fat cover work at a fraction of the cost without the digestive sensitivity
- Golden Ticket is a safer, more manageable fat supplement for lambs that aren’t in emergency status
Community Tips
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