Lamb Kill Report

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29994, 1 December 1962, Page 6

Lamb Kill Report

Numbers of sheep and lambs killed for export from farms in Canterbury so far this season are now only slightly ahead of those handled at the same stage last season. An estimate given this week placed the kill at the seven freezing works in the province at close to the Im mark.

Although the kill is not now showing the marked increase on the same stage last season that was evident earlier in the season, the pressure to have stock killed is still fairly strong and some lambs are being sent out of the province to Otago. The New Zealand Refrigerating Company was expected to send about 20,000 lambs for killing in Otago this week after the dispatch of about 15,000 last week. Dispatch of consignments of lambs from Canterbury to the company's works at Burnside when killing pressure is strong in the province is now a familiar procedure in most seasons. Thomas Borthwick and Sons of Australasia Ltd. also sent 2000 to Otago this week and another 2000 are due to go at the week-end. The Canterbury Frozen Meat Company also plan to send 3000 lambs to Southland, leaving Ashburton tomorrow. Dispatch of lambs to works outside the province is. however, running well behind last season when severe drought conditions were experienced. The average weight of lambs killed at most works indicates that farmers are not taking any risks about making lambs overfat al-

though there is plenty of feed about. Weights are on average between about 29 and 301 b, which is probably about an ideal level for the trade. All works in the province are now working on Saturday morning to help deal with the stock coming forward. Up to the end of this week the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company expects to have handled just over 500,000 head of stock at its three works. This is just about the same tally as at this stage last season. The general manager, Mr R. D. Iles, said that plenty of lambs were offering and full days and Saturday mornings were being worked. On average lambs killed at the three works up until Tuesday evening were about Jib heavier than last year at 29.581 b and there were 3 per cent, fewer seconds. At the Islington works of the New Zealand Refrigerating Company lambs are also running about jib heavier at 291 b and weights are very similar to last year at the company’s Smithfield works where the average is about 28jlb. The percentage of seconds at Islington is about 9j per cent, and at Smithfield 12 per cent. The kill at the Belfast works of Thomas Borthwick and Sons is still about 10 per cent, greater than last year with lambs everaging about fib heavier at 29jlb and the percentage of seconds is a shade lower than last year.