Lambs Too Fat For U.K. Competition

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30275, 30 October 1963, Page 8

Lambs Too Fat For U.K. Competition

"Three or four years ago. I would have been prepared to select the odd pen of lambs for the Meat Board’s competition in the United Kingdom. However, after the London judges’ comments in the past on the fat on New Zealand carcases, today we could not possibly consider placing these lambs in the competition because of the fat,” Mr A. E. White said yesterday at a field day at the North Canterbury Sheepfarmers’ Co-operative Freezing Company, Ltd., at Kai apo i. Mr White, who is the supervising grader of the Meat Board for North and MidCanterbury, was judging the lambs on the hooks, which came from the fat lamb classes of the Rangiora show on Saturday. In the under 361 b class, he said, the lambs had quite good conformation, but were still far too prime for the present overseas trade. In the class for the unrestricted weights, the lambs were definitely too fat, he said. His selection of the ideal lamb for the export trade was one which killed out at 291 b. The conformation and leanness of this lamb were ideal. Mr H. J. Mclntosh, the

deputy-chairman of the company, said although the number of entries was down on last year, 52 pens, compared with 61 last year, he felt the quality was still good considering the season. The winning pen of lambs in the under 361 b class were three lambs, by a Southdown ram out of Border LeicesterRomney ewes which were entered by Randlea Farm (Springbank). The weights of the lambs were 261 b, 2ftlb and 301 b.

In the unrestricted weight class, the winning pen of Southdown-Corriedale cross lambs, was entered by the Northern Agricultural and Pastoral Association’s president (Mr A. C. W. Mclntosh). His pen killed out at 361 b. 371 b and 391 b. The ideal lamb was selected from a pen of SouthdowmCorriedale cross lambs, entered by Mr D. J. Smith (Fernside). Last year Mr Smith won the under 361 b class.

Neither of the winning pens in the on-the-hooks competition were placed in the judging on the hoof at the Rangiora show, although Mr Mclntosh took two first places in the on-the-hoof judging, but with different pens from the one which won the on-the-hooks award. Mr B. Henderson won the award for the drafter of the winning pen in the under 361 b class, while Mr A. McIntosh gained the award for the drafter who drafted the most pens. The judging panel was led by Mr White, and consisted of Mr E Bell, a supervising grader of the Meat Board. Mir H. Roberts, chief supervising grader of the company and Mr P. Miles, a grader at the company.