Best South Island lambs

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33252, 15 June 1973, Page 12

Best South Island lambs

For the second year in succession Canterbury farmers have had the distinction of having the top pen of lambs from the South Island when the leading pens from export lamb contests throughout the island have been judged again in London.

This year the honour has gone to Mr A. Davison, who farms a 380-acre heavy land property at Lowcliffe in Mid-Canterbury. About 281 acres of his property was once part of the famous Longbeach property and Mr Davison says that part of his farm was probably some of the most heavily tile drained country in Longbeach. These drains are still working very efficiently but Mr Davison has done some further drainage since he took up the property a little more than 21 years ago. A mixed cropping and sheep farmer, he harvests about 250 acres of the property and also runs 1000-odd ewes. Two years ago he considered going over to all crops, but he said that the property seemed to be performing pretty well as it was and he is happy now that he did not make a change. He says that he likes having stock about. He has been competing in the Mid-Canterbury export, lamb contest now for 12 years or more and on several occasions he has had pens selected to go to London in the district exhibit. In 1964-65 he had a pen placed second in London out of the Mid-Canterbury lambs and that same season won a trophy for the best two pens in the Mid-Canter-bury competition. In 1963 he had the best pen on the hoof but in the most recent season his lambs, although so highly regarded in London, were not among the first three placed pens on the hooks in the Ashburton competition. However, he had a second placing on the hoof. Mr Davison runs a Romney flock, buying in about 200 or a few more two-

tooths each year. He uses mainly Southdown rams, which are always bought from Mr L. Bell at Winslow with Mr Bell’s brother, Mr C. J. Bell, a lamb drafter of Hinds, doing the selection. Mr C. J. Bell, incidentally, selects Mr Davison’s lambs for the competition and drafts all other stock going off the property. Mr Davisori acknowledges that there is a good deal of luck in the game. He says that they try to get three lambs that weigh about 651 b and will dress out at about 311 b, but adds that lambs which weigh the same on the farm do not necessarily kill out at the same weight at the works. His ewes begin lambing about the end of August and drafting begins at the end of October or beginning of November, so that the lambs are at a very good stage for entry in the competition held at that time. About a third to a half go away fat off the mothers. Most kill out at about 291 b to 301 b. He is interested in getting lambs away early, for with the shutting up of paddocks for ryegrass and clover seed the 1000 ewes and their lambs are confined to no more than 120 acres from the end of September. The early lambs are weaned following the first drafting and thereafter ewes are shorn. Mr Davison uses irrigation to grow a bit of extra grass to keep the lambs going and he also irrigates grass and possibly clover for seed and also linseed. He can cover most of the property with his spray system. Last season he grew 90 acres of wheat, 10 acres of peas, 53 acres of linseed and harvested 65 acres of

ryegrass and 20 acres of white clover for seed. The years when he has good ryegrass crops have been among his best. He expects to dress 50 bushels to the acre and has had up to 70 bushels and better. In one very good year seed worth £3200 was taken off 16 acres. In the last few years his wheat has been averaging about 70 bushels, but he has had up to 90 bushels of Hilgendorf. Barley averages about 80 bushels and has yielded more than 100. Irrigated linseed does very well and a yield of 25 to 30cwt is expected. Initially, Mr Davison set out to have an all-grass farm, with autumn-saved grass relied on for wintering too. but in more recent times soft turnips and oats have been grown to be psed with ryegrass straw and lucerne hay in the winter. About 1000 bales of ryegrass straw are used and this last season without irrigation six acres of lucerne produced 1500 bales of hay and that was even though the last cut was grazed. About 2cwt of superphosphate is applied per acre to available pastures in either autumn or spring, and lime is applied at sowing down. This year 100 tons of lime has been used. Mr Davison also does some contracting and including his own harvest handles about 900 acres. He comes from the Eiffelton district where his father farmed and before shifting to his present property he was milking about 40 cows nine miles away at Eiffelton. Eastern Southland was placed first among South Island district exhibits this time, with South Canterbury second and Nelson third. The runner-up to Mr Davison was D. L. McDonald, from the Gore area, and V. H. Moore, of Wakefield. was third. The judges picked a pen from D. J. Ferguson, from Ormondville, as the best pen among the North Island lambs, and they considered it the best from the two islands.