LAMB COMPETITION

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 55, 3 September 1934, Page 11

LAMB COMPETITION

AUSTRALIAN PLANS

CHEAPER LAND

Keener Australian competition with New Zealand in fat lamb export is expected and hoped ±'qi- by Mr. J. Ronald Mackee, district sheep and wool instructor, of New South Wales, who recently visited Now Zealand, and on his return -sttited that, notwithstanding some climatic disadvantages, New South Wales could easily make lamb-raising a bigger feature of her sheep industry,.

• Mr. Mackee is reported as stating that "owing to the fact that suitable country in this State was roasonably priced, as compared with fat lamb country in A rew Zealand, and because most of the land could be considerably improved in carrying capacity, it seemed that the local breeder had /bright prospects. There wore many districts which compared favourably for the production of fat lambs with the localities visited in the Dominion."

Of tho 50,000,000 sheep normally run in New Soutli Wales, about 90' pur cent, wero pure merino. In New Zealand about 81) per cent, of the 28,000j000 sheep pastured were of British breeds and crosses, and only 11 per cent, pure merino. But in New South Wales the rearing of lambs was "only in its infancy,-" and "we must banish any semblance of an inferiority complex, and set about developing the fat lamb industry to its fullest extent." The instructor said tnat the tendency in New South Wales to go in wholly and solely for wool growing when prices for tho fleece increased was wrong. There. was amplo scope in New South Wales for the thrco lines of breeding—for wool, dual-purpose slicop, and fat lambs. Wool markets were at times subject to big fluctuations, and when tho price decreased to unpayable levels, graziers found themselves in difficulties. At such times, when practically every district was overstocked, many merino breeders almost wished for a drought to "clean up "'the huge surplus of old ewes and other stock which accumulated after a period-of good years.. Any increase in fat lamb raising of cross-breeding must, therefore, also benefit the merino breeder, for it provided an additional outlet for his surplus stock and minimised periodical overstocking. There was a scarcity of suitable crossbred and comeback owes in- Now South I Wales. Theso types were indispensable to fat lamb-raisers, more especially it the percentage of first-grad<j lambs was to be increased. It would bo too optimistic, perhaps, to expect Now South AValcs to increase tho percentage to 1 that obtained in New Zealand, but if farmers engaged in fat lamb-raising soriiously, and employed up-to-date methods to increase the carrying capacity of their properties by top-dressing, growing suitable fodder crops, and adopting breeding practices, he was confid/nt that tho proportion of first-grade lambs could bo increased. , New Zealand did not possess all the advantages, but conditions there differed sufficiently from, those experienced in New South Wales tc inako many of the Now Zealand methods impossible of application to most of the fat lamb ■area's ih'New Soutli WalesIn' tho first place, New Zealand received a moro evenly-distributed rainfall, and this was a big factor in the growth" of'feed, which, in turn, was so necessary to produce primo export lambs, it was chiefly cluo to this factor, and the advanced methods employed, that Now Zealand occupied her present position in the trade. The moro equable climate- in the Dominion was also an advantago in regard to tho limitation ol breeds and the standardisation of the export lamb. ' '.--.. ~ Tho varied climatic conditions ju New Soutli Wales, howover, ensured a more continuous supply, provided tho lambraisers selected tho right brooding stock and practised both autumn and spring lambing where possible. On account of tho severe winters in New Zealand, the ewes had to lamb in the spring. In Canterbury, where the bulk iof the lambs for export were produced, < only 35 per cent, were marketed as j sucker lambs, most of the lambs being I weaned, fattened on fodder crops, and slaughtered at the age of five to eight months. ■ ■ _ . ■ '• Further j the warmer climate ot New South Wales made for less troublo in regard to foot rot and internal parasites. The climate was more favourable also for tho growth of good crossbred wool Prpyidod local farmers continued to class their breeding stock correctly, they would continue to hold this advantage and at the same time mako it easier to increase the percentage ot firstgrade lambs.' ■_ ■■-, . " ■