THE VALUE OF CROSSBRED LAMBS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2913, 12 January 1910, Page 9

THE VALUE OF CROSSBRED LAMBS.

'■Among the experiments conducted l by Mr Gillanders at the Moma.baki exper'mental station was one carried out to try to discover th.e iptercentagfo of lambing from different sires, the different weights of the lambs at stated periods, and the freezing values of those lambs. The results show that the average for four years was: Shropshire ram with crossbred ewes, 129; English Leicester ram with cross ewes, 118; Southdown ram with cross ew.es, 116; Border Leicester ram with cross ewes, 115: Border Leioeaters, 113. The next point was to ascertain the earliness with which lambs fattened'. The figures shews that, while the Shropshire gave the greatest total number of lambs in the four years, the Southdown gave the greatest proportion of lambs fat for the first draft. The Shropshire, however, regained its advantage on the second draft. The age of the Jambs at the time of drafting was not the same in each year. The age of the first draft was (in one year) 150 days and (in another year) 160 days, and of the second draft of 180 days and 218 days. The remaining point of importance was what the lambs were worth —or would be worth if the buyers bought on quality. These figures arrived at by Mr Gillanders show the Southdown again at a slight advantage in regard to excess of meat over offal, etc. The Border Leicssters brought most money, the mean average price for four years being;—Border Leicester crosses, 13s 7£d; English Leicester crosses. 13s l>.-d; Shropshire crosses, 13s 2|<l; Southdown crosses, 15s Id.