Detailed recording pays for small farmer

Press, 5 October 1984, Page 22

Detailed recording pays for small farmer

Careful recording of individual sheep performance is paying dividends for a Rolleston couple who four years ago knew nothing about farming. Barry and Heather Duxbury are returning impressive production figures from their 54ha sheep farm. They are aiming at a gross return of $lOOO a hectare from their irrigated property and this season expect to earn a “conservative” $740, easily footing it with Canterbury's leading farmers.

Their flock of 1100 Borderdale sheep is founded on annual draft stud ewes, some nine and 10 years old which are still producing lambs. These ewes are gradually being replaced by their progeny selected on fertility, weaning weight and fleece weight, an exercise requiring a comprehensive recording scheme.

When their flock consists entirely of sheep bred on their property, the Dux-

burys are confident their $lOOO goal will be reached. But one of the most notable features of the Duxburys’ farming programme is that most of the heavy work is done at week-ends. Barry Duxbury starts work at 3.30 a.m. six days a week delivering newspapers and during the week holds down a full-time job in Christchurch.

Most of the recording and day-to-day management of the sheep is done by Heather.

Barry Duxbury said he knew nothing about sheep farming when he decided to run sheep on their first 20ha. He chose an intensive rotational grazing system because he wanted maximum financial return.

The Duxburys had some bitter lessons in learning to farm sheep, on one occasion losing 100 sheep out of a mob of 350 because of sleepy sickness. That was a depressing time for the Duxburys, but these problems were overcome and

the controlled grazing system is now working well. Barry Duxbury said once farmers had decided to use an intensive grazing system they could not afford to ease up on the management side, but on the other hand once the system was understood and in place it ran smoothly. Feed supplements such as hay, straw and barley are an essential part of the Duxburys’ management policy. Heather Duxbury said without supplements stock numbers would have to be reduced during the winter, but this stocking level would not be sufficient to keep up with the growth in spring. The property is stocked at 20 ewes per hectare and is split into three blocks each containing about 20 paddocks of 0.86 ha. Each block is run as a separate unit and is grazed by a third of the total flock.

Irrigation is provided by a handshift big-gun unit in summer.

Lambing percentage this season (lambs tailed to ewes mated) is expected to be about 130 per cent Average wool weights last season were 4kg (the Duxburys’ goal is 4.5 kg to skg) and prime lambs last year averaged $21.70. This season they are aiming at higher lamb weights and hope to average $23 to $24 on last year’s schedule. The Duxburys cull 150 ewes each year, retaining those with a good constitution and which look capable of raising another lamb. Losses in previous years have been about 3 per cent, but this season have reached 6 per cent so 300 will be culled. They will be replaced by 150 one-year stud ewes from other farmers as well as 148 ewe lamb replacements. In four years the flock should consist entirely of sheep bred on the property and all listed in the recording scheme. Except for obvious defects such as woolly faces,

the Duxburys are riot concerned about selecting an even line of replacements from their ewe lambs.

“We don’t toss sheep out for aesthetic reasons but concentrate on their productive potential. We are trying to establish a flock which will continue to produce twins,” said Barry Duxbury. Heather added that they were not running a stud flock, and aiming to have all sheep true to type, but were farming commercial ewes and therefore wanted plenty of lambs which could be drafted prime. All multiple ewe lambs born in the first three weeks of lambing are numbered with stud ear tags at birth. This season Heather has tagged 350 ewe lambs, but only 148 will be needed as replacements.

At weaning in December, the mob of 350 ewe lambs will be cut back to 230 using adjusted weaning liveweights and run with the other sheep, receiving no preferential treatment. The Duxburys take the following steps in the final selection of replacements after shearing in March: © For every day each lamb is born before the average birth date of the flock, a figure of 0.17 kg is subtracted from the lamb’s liveweight. The same figure is added for each day the lamb is born after the average date. © A weight of 2kg is added if the lamb is a twin and reared as a single; 4.2 kg if a twin lamb is reared as a twin; 6.2 kg if a triplet is reared as a twin; and B.2kg if a triplet is reared as a triplet.

© The difference between the average weight of the flock and the adjusted individual weight (which includes the deviations) is multiplied by 4.3. © Individual fleece

weights are subtracted from the average fleece weight and this figure multiplied by 26.9.

® The final index is calculated by adding the adjusted liveweight and adjusted fleece weight. Lambs with the highest indexes are chosen as replacements. The selected replacements are run with the ram and last year as hoggets they lambed 60 per cent. This season’s lambing percentage is expected to be higher.

Before tupping in May, Heather Duxbury aims to have the hoggets at 45kg. By allowing access to plenty of feed in autumn some hoggets last season increased bodyweight by 12kg over seven weeks. During June to September, Heather allows for the hoggets to lose skg to 10kg, but most of this loss is replaced during set stocking five weeks before lambing. Before tupping all ewes are offered plenty of good

quality feed and are run on a 60-day rotation. Last season average ewe weights at tupping were 60kg, and some two-tooths reached 73kg.

Three weeks after the rams are put out, the rotation is tightened to 100 days and if necessary the feed is supplemented with hay and straw.

Rams are fitted with a harness and the colour changed every week for three weeks to identify the early lambers. As lambing date approaches, barley is fed to the ewes where necessary.

One week before lambing the first colour is drafted and set stocked at an average of 25 ewes per paddock, followed at weekly intervals by the other two colours.

The ewes and lambs remain set stocked until tailing when they are combined into three flocks of about 110 ewes on each of the three blocks and the rotation restarts.

After weaning in Decern- , ber, the three mobs are amalgamated into one mob > of about 350 on each block. The first draft of prime . lambs goes off the property at weaning and the remain- i ing ewe lambs, ram lambs - and replacement lambs are ' run in separate mobs. Keeping ewe and ram a lambs separate made it easier for the drafter to ’ select suitable prime lambs," said Barry Duxbury. All • lambs (except replacements) are off the property ' by March. J Heather Duxbury said after March it was better to* concentrate on next year’s lamb drop by feeding the ewes properly rather than ■ carrying over the previous ’ season’s lambs. >

Now that the sheep farm- ; ing side is working , smoothly, Barry Duxbury ; said some of the pressure of . work is being reduced and • he had plans to start breed- ; ing Cashmere producing ■ goats.