LAMB-RAISING TESTS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 89, 30 March 1932, Page 4

LAMB-RAISING TESTS

AUSTRALIAN EXPERIMENTS. COMPARISON OF RESULTS. The fat lamb experiments carried out each season at the Cowra Experimental Farm, New South Wales, lasi year included the use of Southdown rams for the first time. The other rams tested were Ryedale and Dorset Horns. As on previous occasions, the ewe flock comprised Merinos, comebacks and crossbreds, and rams at the rate of 2 J per cent, were joined to an equal number of each.

The season, generally speaking, was excellent, but excessive rains during the early portion of the year caused the lambs to lose their bloom and sappy appearance.

The percentage of lambs dropped in the different sections was as follows:— Southdown, 96.1; Ryeland, 80.9; Dorset Horn, 72.6. In commenting on this Mr J. M. Coleman, senior sheep aim wool instructor, says:—“This is the first occasion the Southdown has contested against the Dorset Horn and Ryeland in departmental trials, an 1 possibly it is a little premature to give too much prominence, although 16 per cent, appears too great a margin to be just governed by a set of circumstances.”

Owing to the shortage of sheep with in the department and the necessity to retain the lambs for ration purposes they were not forwarded to market as is usually done. For the purpose of the experiment Mr Coleman on September 23 drafted each section of lambs and valued them on the basis of prices then ruling at Flemington. These were:— Southdown—With Merino Ils a head, comeback 12s 6d, with crossbred 12s 9d. 12s. 6d. Ryeland.—With-Merino Us 9d, with comeback 12s. 6d., with crossbred 12s 9d.

Dorset Horn—With Merino 11s 6d. with comeback 12s 6d, with crossbred 13s 3d.

A table has been prepared showing the return from each ewe in the experiment based on the valuation stated, but excluding wool returns. The average return per ewe mated to each breed of ram was as follows: — •’outhdown—With Merino 8s 3d with comeback 12s 2d, with crossbred 12s, an average of Ils 2d. Ryeland.—With Merino 8s 2d. with comeback 10s sd, with crossbred 10s lOd, an average of 9s lOd. Dorset Horn. —With Merino 7s Bd. with comeback 8s 4d. with crossbred Us, an average of 9s Id.