Friday, March 29, 2024

Crossing the finishing line

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Improving lamb growth rates post-weaning can lift a farmer’s bottom line significantly but lamb finishing is not easy. Farm consultant Sully Alsop told farmers that successful lamb finishing requires good planning and management at key times during the year.  Farmers should be aiming for a combination of good ewe condition at set stocking, pasture quality, and to have ewes lactating well to ensure lamb survival and growth.
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Alsop said a ewe’s milk is the highest-quality feed a lamb will ever consume.

Lactation peaks about three weeks after lambing. Alsop said while farmers can’t change when the peak occurs they can affect the level of peak lactation.

“We need ewe lactation absolutely humming because it dictates how much quality milk these lambs are getting.”

He told farmers at the Beef + Lamb New Zealand Growing Great Lambs workshop when lambs start eating pasture it should be high quality.

“In the lead-up to that point feed quantity is the issue most of the time,” Alsop said.

“There will be bad years when your system will go poorly.”

If you are worried about summer dry and you’re not doing a good job of finishing lambs, sell them store and save the feed for replacement ewe lambs.

If you are going to sell store lambs, sell them at weaning.

“No matter how low the price is at weaning, it will get lower.”

Alsop said the number of lambs sold at store should change every year, depending on the farm and ewe condition.

When you do decide to sell store, whether or not you sell the heaviest or lightest lambs can be a tough decision. Heavier lambs will make more money early in the season when the price per kilogram is higher but lighter lambs will be on the farm for longer and can be hard to finish in a dry summer.

“You should get a better return from keeping the lighter lambs but it comes down to thinking about what you’re doing on your farm,” Alsop said.

  •  For more information go to www.beeflambnz.com to download the Growing Great Lambs resource book and the 400 Plus guide to improved lamb growth.
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