SHEEP INDUSTRY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21281, 7 September 1932, Page 16

SHEEP INDUSTRY

FAT LAMB PRODUCTION TREND IN BRITAIN A development in England which is of tremendous significance to the farmer in New Zealand is the growing interest in the production of out-of-season milk-fed lambs. The Dominion sends by far the heaviest shipments of lamb to Home markets each year. Her new season's product arrives in England from the early part of January onward, a proportion, indeed, being landed in time to catch the Christmas trade, while Home-grown lamb does not come on the market until the Easter period. If present trends develop, however, it will mean that English milk-fed lambs will be marketable early enough to compete with tha first new-season's lamb from New Zealand. The report ot a conference held recently | by the British Ministry of Agriculture with representatives of large catering firms,, restaurants, hotels and railway companies, at which the greater use of Home produce was discussed, contains important statements on the question. Ihe caterers emphasised the fact that they could use large quantities of milk-fed lambs in the first three months of the year provided an adequate supply was forthcoming. As a "result of this statement the breeding of lambs from late September onward, to supply the demand between January and March, has assumed definite significance, it being considered that if a fair price is obtainable during the first three months of the year there should be no difficulty in ensuring a supply. Dorset Horn Breed Sheep of the Dorset Horn breed are the British farmers' main hope in the achievement of the new ideal. The peculiarity of these ewes in breeding "out of season " has been long recognised, and it is on record that over 50 years ago an experimenter experienced no difficulty in getting the ewes to breed before Christmas. Similarly, on the Moulton Farm Institute, 'Northampton, there has been no trouble in getting Dorset Horn ewes to breed any time between late September and early June, and it is considered possible that they would breed also between June and September although they have not so far been put with the rams in order to breed in those months. It is important to note also, that except for a short period in the winter, when kale and swedes were used, Dorset Horn ewes and lambs at the institute have been kept entirely on permanent and temporary grass leys. Improvements in the management of grass lands in recent years, resulting in a lengthening of the grazing season, thus giving an earlier bite in the spring and a later bite in the autumn with a reasonably Eood feeding value, have rendered the idea much more practicable. English farmers who have practised modern methods of management have had little difficulty in securing a supply of grass in September and even later, and where grass has been either well-eaten down or mowed in summer, and then rested, there has been plenty of fresh succulent feed for the ewes in the autumn. Ewes breeding in September may thus be got fit on grass alone or, if necessary, on grass coupled with about Alb. of concentrate per head per day. Thus prepared, they have generally given little trouble at lambing tims and usually have milked satisfactorily. The Later L&mbings

Where ewes lamb later in the year, say in December when grass is less plentiful and of lower feeding value, more difficulty naturally arisen. Shelter for the ewes and lambs becomes an urgent necessity, and artificial feeding to replace or supplement grass, has to be arranged on lines which provide the starch and protein equivalents necessary for both maintenance and production. Concentrated mixtures, suitable for use under such circumstances have been recommended as follow:—(1) Crushed peas and linseed cake, two parts each (by weight), bran, crushed oats, flaked maize, locust bean meal and ground nut meal, soya bean meal or cotton seed meal, one part each. (2) Crushed beans and linseed meal, one part each, crushed oats one and a-half parts and bran half part. Minerals are recommended with both at the rate of 21b. ground chalk and lib. of iodised salt to each cwt. of mixture. The trials in out-of-season lamb production in progress at the Moulton Farm Institute have not progressed to a stage at which the economic soundness of the proposal can be stated, but the feasibility of getting the lambs for sale in January to March is beyond question. Lambs born in the latter part of last September were sold fat in mid-December, and those born in October and November were marketed up to February 8. They averaged 42s 4d per head and realisea 7£d a lb. live weight. Demand In Great Britain The demand to be catered for in Great Britain is so extensive that there is doubtless ample scope for the Home producer to increase his output without serious menace to the overseas trade. The Ottawa quotas, designed with the dual purpose of promoting Home production and of providing an expanding share of British trade to Empire producers overseas, may be expected to encourage Home farmers in such a development as the growing of out-of-season lamb. But while their effect has been to stabilise temporarily the export from the Dominion, on the favourable bases of the figures for her peak season, they have not lessened in any degree the need for competitive effort. That effort would become the mors vital under any expansion of out-of-season breeding, the possibility of which must be regarded as still another argument for the maintenance of quality in our exports.