All 250 of Richard Dawkins’ triplet-bearing ewes get seven days or so indoors to adjust to supplementary feed, birth their lambs, bond and feed.
Then it’s out to the real world, albeit a nearby paddock with ad-lib clover and a watchful eye for that fading third lamb.
Speaking to 80 farmers at the well-attended Marlborough Farming for Profit day Dawkins explained how lambing triplets indoors has boosted triplet lamb survival from 200% to 243% and had positive flow-on benefits for the rest of the 645 hectare down and hill-country farm, The Pyramid.
“Our lamb mortality average over the whole flock, before indoor lambing triplets, was 24% but it’s dropped to 15% in 2017.
“It’s not for everyone but we are doing it again for a second year.
“It suits us as our ewes were intensively managed already and used to people, we had a covered shed with morning sunlight and roller doors for ventilation.
“And we have a family team willing to do long hours over lambing.”
The Dawkins partnership of Richard, Chris and Julia used support from the Innovation Farm Programme to trial indoor lambing.
Dawkins acknowledged the benefits of using ram harnesses at tupping for accurate lambing dates plus precise pregnancy scanning and autopsy information. Chris and Richard Dawkins’ data-collection discipline gave farmers a fascinating insight into multiple lambing pitfalls and success.
In the record-breaking year of 2016 ewes scanned 217% but losses saw the lambing percentage end up at 156%.
The Dawkins reacted by lowering tupping weight by 10kg the following year to try to cut triplet conceptions. Then they stepped up triplet management.
The lamb death rate in the 1400 Longdown ewes dropped by 38% or by nine percentage points to 15% of total. Triplet-bearing ewe deaths were typically 10% but have dropped to 3.8%.
“Taking triplets indoors has meant Dad’s outdoor lambing beat of the twins and singles is more effective too,” Dawkins said.
“We’ve turned triplet ewes from a liability to an opportunity.”
It stacks up.
In year one costs were $86/triplet ewe, totalling $11,000 over 130 ewes with $7000 of it on labour. The Dawkins sold 316 lambs out of a potential 390 and made a $19,000 profit. The average lamb weaning liveweight for triplet lambs kept on the ewe was 30kg. Orphan lambs needed more labour and profit was less.
Year two has been about refining the system. Four weeks of supplements have dropped to one week with the ewes being especially quick to eat the offered supplements if they could see other ewes already eating it, he said.
“Return triplets had a good memory too.”
Ewes are fed peas instead of speciality nuts alongside lucerne hay as it’s 30% cheaper. Straw bedding is not changed daily, just new straw laid on top.
“A dry, ventilated shed is key.”
Having an interest in a dairy farm on the West Coast means a reliable supply of cow milk at a quarter of the cost of milk powder.
Identifying starving triplets a week after lambing has been an important part of reducing deaths with 41% of the orphan lambs from that scenario. Growth rates pre-wean were 265 grams/head/day for orphans. Dawkins describes that as good for cows’ milk.
He assisted a third of the births though some might have resolved without help he admits.
Wairarapa farmer Lynley Wyeth said the Dawkins’ results from their orphan system confirm their figures for Spring Valley Farm orphan lambs.
Last season they rescued 600 lambs and raised them as orphans to increase lamb survival rates.
Both farmers said they take orphan rearing on for dual reasons of animal welfare and to make the most of ewe fecundity.
“If you owned a dairy you wouldn’t be happy if 25% of your profit walked out the door,” Wyeth said.
Her tips for success include using whey milk over whole milk, a strict adherence to cleanliness and measuring the nutritional value of any feed inputs.
Ellie Cranswick helped manage the Wyeth’s operation and said Dawkins has the right approach of continual adaption of his system.
She emphasised the importance of timely feeding because ewes are on a metabolic knife edge.
“Feed the right amount and don’t be a few hours late.”
Simon Glennie of Abacus Bio encouraged more farmers to join the Innovation Farm Programme like the Dawkins and Wyeths had.
“It is an opportunity for high-achieving famers to connect with the best research and support people, in an area of interest that has potential to offer significant financial impacts for farmers.”
