Slight Drop In Kill Of Lambs

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30793, 3 July 1965, Page 9

Slight Drop In Kill Of Lambs

rpHERE was an increase of 67,182 in the lamb and sheep kill at the six Canterbury freezing works in the 1964-65 season compared with the previous season. The drought in the province during the summer and the lower lambing percentages last spring resulted in the lamb kill dropping by 85,518 to 4,461,732 head, compared with 4,547,250 head in the previous season. The sheep kill, including ewes and wethers, however, showed a marked rise of 152,700 head, to bring this season’s total to 1,200,095, compared with 1,047,395 in the 1963-64 year. Carcase Weights Carcase weights also showed the effects of the difficult feed situation earlier in the season, on the basis of figures supplied by the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company, Ltd. The average lamb weight for the year was 29.391 b per head, compared with 30.651 b the previous season. The average weight of wether carcases was also 10wer—46.651b, compared with 47.781 b in the 1963-64 season. Average ewe weights fell by slightly less

F than 41b to 44.71 b, compare! 1 with 48.341 b. Apart from the lower lamb- : ing percentage in the proi vince, the general manager o the Canterbury Frozen Mea Company, Ltd. (Mr R. D i Isles), said quite a lot o . stock went out of the pro vince because of the drough ’ and the resultant shortage o • feed. Not only were prime i export lambs transported to I other parts of the island, bu , also store lambs which wouk normally have been fattened 1 in the province, he said. [ The increase in the ewe kil could also be attribute! J partly to the drought and the , shortage of feed with farmers having to cull more deepi; than in a normal season. M: Isles said another reason for the rise in the number o ewes killed in Canterbury might be that farmers had backlog of ewes from previ ous years surplus to their requirements. The high prices that were being paid for ewes also induced a bigger flow to works for slaughter, he said