The Prime Lamb Riddle

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30919, 27 November 1965, Page 8

The Prime Lamb Riddle

According to the president of the New Zealand South Dorset Down Sheep Breeders’ Association, Mr S. C. King, of Orari Bridge, farmers have been given no clue as to how to manage the ewe flock to produce the desirable prime lamb carcase. Some breeds of sheep, he said, could produce over-fat lambs at only 241 b weight.

Mr King referred to the puzzling situation facing the fat lamb producer these days in his report to the annual meeting of the association. “The two salient points in fat lamb production today appear to be light weights and over-fatness. To kill lambs while they are growing at the rate of perhaps 21b a week at no extra cost to the producer is absurd. We are asked for more production, yet here is utter waste (in most cases).

“We must, I say must, contradict the assumption that over-fatness only appears in heavy-weight lambs. It occurs in all weights.

“I venture to say that up to date in Canterbury there are a greater number of overfat rejects under 301 b than over 301 b weight. “We are extolled by the Meat Board to kill our lambs early before they become over-fat, advised by the Department of Agriculture to kill early before they go back, I presume before they lose some of that fat. We are told that it is not breeding but management that produces the over-fat lamb, but we are not given a clue as to how to manage the ewe flock to produce the desirable carcass of say 26-361bs in eight to 12 weeks. Any experienced flock master or lamb drafter knows full well that some breeds are capable of producing “over” fat lambs of only 241 b, while a different breed under the same conditions would not produce the “over” fat lambs at 361 b.

“The freezing industry claims that it can handle the fat lamb satisfactorily. They have been doing so for some 60 years. The Meat Board

claims otherwise. The local trade handles them without difficulty and is prepared to pay full market value, not reject rates. Surely the 10-week-old “over” fat lambs under 301 b are an entirely different proposition from the 401 b over-fat lamb off rape in May. “These facts are troubling the meat industry today and require a great deal of clarification and clear thinking. We must not tie our breed to too precise a definition. Our aim we must define,” said Mr King. Mr King was re-elected president and other officers elected were: Vice-presidents, Messrs J. P. Marshall (Darfield) and W. G. Inch (Rakaia); council, Messrs L. J. Begg (Ashburton), K. W. Busch (Ashburton), W. A. Franks (Ashburton), D. C. Kelman (Geraldine), J. S. Miller (Featherston), J. S. Mackay (Feilding), E. T. McDermott (Christchurch), F. R. Robertson (Greytown), and E. C. Wright (Waimate); secretary, Mr R. B. HorsI burgh (Geraldine).