Livestock husbandry changes

Press, 25 March 1980, Page 21

Livestock husbandry changes

By Mr R. R. Webb, Farm Advisory Officer (Animal Husbandry) Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dunedin. During irrigation development livestock management is .often given less consideration than is required and livestock performance is sometimes disappointing. Some of the factors that have to be considered are: (a) Sheep breed change, (b) Breeding and rearing replacement ewe hoggets, (c) Changing management. With irrigation it is even more important to have a high lambing percentage as the extra lambs produced increase the spring and summer feed demand, but do not change the winter feed demand. Breeding good replacements is largely dependent on buying good rams, as stock numbers will be increasing. It is important to select rams on production records as well as conformation. Rearing two-tooths to a good liveweight is critical as light two-tooths will have a low lambing percentage and they will also remain light during their lifetime.

To get lambs to grow well in their first autumn they must have plenty of high quality feed. Internal parasites is another major problem with lambs as irrigation gives the right

conditions for. them to multiply. Several farmers are now using a safe pasture system for rearing y.oung stock. In the spring, hoggets have a tremendous capacity to grow but to do so they need sufficient feed. As the mating liveweight of ewes largely determines the lambing percentage, it is important to have them as heavy as possible at this time.

By controlling the summer feed high quality pasture can be taken into the winter and rationed out by having one long winter rotation. But with irrigation the feed pinch is in early spring so the lambing date needs to he delayed. With these changes the guaranteed supply of feed from irrigation makes for a very productive livestock enterprise.