Winter lambing

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33933, 28 August 1975, Page 12

Winter lambing

Sir, —Mrs Hern is to be commended for her concern. The farming programme must be turned to nature, with lambs bom as spring growth provides lush feed for milking ewes. On lighter land this starts in August, later in the foothills. The lambs must have ample feed to be ready for marketing in early summer, before growth is usually drastically reduced by Canterburys hot, dry summers. The breeding flock must still be fed through this period. If lambing was later, most lambs would still be on the farms creating a disastrous feed shortage. All food production is at high-risk from storm and drought. We have suffered more of these than usual. Men, women, and children are working Ibng hours in exhausing and discouraging conditions to save as many lambs as possible, to provide a living for themselves, and food and wealth for our nation.—Yours, etc., I.J.S. August 24, 1975.

Sir, — Mrs J. B. Hern asks why Canterbury farmers must lamb in August, thus subjecting infant animals to extreme weather conditions? I can assure her that farmers do not like being wet and cold nearly 24 hours a day trying to save their stock, neither do they enjoy watching small defenceless animals die. Unfortunately, sheep only breed successfully in the autumn and as a consequence lamb in spring. However, should they be induced to lamb in summer, surely the Canterbury droughts are evidence enough of how many would die of starvation. Also, if they did live they would not fatten readily in the winter months. This is why the housewife pays a premium for winter meat. I am also extremely doubtful as to the ability of the freezing works to hold a whole season’s kill, if this is what Mrs Hern means by better use of freezing facilities. — Yours, etc.,

CORRIEDALE. August 25, 1975. [This correspondence is now closed. —Editor]