Friday, March 29, 2024

Lambing percentages up

Avatar photo
New Zealand sheep farmers have had better lambing success this year with percentages up, though fewer lambs were produced overall.
Reading Time: < 1 minute

Beef + Lamb New Zealand figures reveal a 2.1% rise in average lambing percentages, with 123 lambs born for every 100 ewes.

Its report says ewes were in good condition, there was enough spring feed, and more lambs were born from hoggets.

 B+LNZ economic service chief economist Andrew Burtt said the report estimates 23.7 million lambs were tailed this spring, from a breeding ewe flock that was down 3.1% on last year.

“The smaller ewe flock occurred with the shift towards cattle production and the impact of facial eczema in North Island regions.

“Farmers read the climatic signals and made decisions early and the lamb crop result reinforces the impact of those management decisions.”

In the North Island, lamb numbers were affected by the impact of facial eczema on breeding ewe condition and numbers, and wet conditions that hindered lamb growth rates, Burtt said.

Lamb numbers in the South Island were slightly ahead of last season, because of good weather, improved lamb thrift and a lift in ewe lambing percentages. These factors combined to offset a decrease in breeding ewe numbers.

Burtt said over the whole country, there was a 1.3% drop – or 0.3 million fewer lambs than last year.

In the North Island, 11.3 million lambs were tailed – down 0.3 million on last year, but up on 2013’s tally. Meanwhile, 12.4 million lambs were tailed in the South Island.

Burtt says that there will be 19.4 million lambs available for export in the 2016-17 season – down an estimated 2.7%. Last season there were 19.9 million.

“Lamb export receipts for 2016-17 are estimated at $2.5 billion, slightly down on the previous season.”

The full report can be read here.

Total
0
Shares
People are also reading