THOUGHTS ON OVER-FAT LAMBS

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31143, 20 August 1966, Page 10

THOUGHTS ON OVER-FAT LAMBS

The over-fat lamb problem was a problem mainly with the first draft of lambs, says the Economic Section of the Meat and Wool Boards in the annual report of the Meat Board, summarising investigations into the experience on 60 farms where there has been a problem with production of over-fat lambs.

The first draft was most vulnerable, said the report. It was generally conceded that the over-fats in the first draft were mainly early singles. Later drafts, it was stated, appeared to present fewer problems. In an attempt to summarise the position to some degree, the section also noted that farmers did not appear to be unduly concerned about the problem. “The financial return is satisfactory and they would rather have a few overfat lambs in their drafts than, a few thins, as it does mean that the rest of the lambs have done well.

“The problem seems to be associated with clover dominant pastures on light soils, but further study is needed here. “Most of the farmers use Southdown rams, but then this is the predominant breed for fat lamb farming over most of New Zealand. “The feed position, schedule price and price of stores will always affect the time of drafting of late drafts, and as such, the over-fat problem in the late drafts. “Throughout the comment there appears to be little criticism of the Southdown as the direct cause of over-fat lambs, provided the lighter weight range 2’s (prime 29 to 361 b) and B’s (prime 37 to 421 b) is adhered to. At the same time there are many farmers trying out other breeds and crosses in their rams. This could result, in time, in a breakdown of the New Zealand Down type carcase, which is still regarded as a premium lamb on the United Kingdom market, and this needs to be watched.”

The report says that owners’ explanations and opinions on over-fats In various

drafts can be summarised as follows: “In the scheme of management on our fat lamb farms many farmers like to reduce the number of drafts to a minimum and unless they deliberately look out for overfats or advise the picker to do so, then it is evident that a certain percentage will be in most drafts, depending on the way the lambs have been doing, and, it may be, the type of country and the type of feed they are on. On the East Coast there was special mention of the lambs from lighter soil country, where subterranean clover dominant pastures are the rule, being inclined to have over-fats in the early drafts going away before the country dries up. “Early singles not spotted show up with the first draft. “Lambs may be doing ‘extra well’ on a good paddock and no instructions are given to the drafter to look for over-fats.

“Where lambs are on rape, some may get away ahead of the others, and if the drafter has no instructions the heavy weights, tending to over-fat, go with the primes. “If the position really becomes serious and the schedule between over-fat and

primes showed a wide margin, drafting would be more carefully watched, and the tendency would be to go in harder with each draft even if it means more Y’s (or seconds). It is suggested that the farmer should ‘draft early and work in with the drafter’.”