FATTENING SHEEP.

Otago Witness, Issue 3754, 23 February 1926, Page 12

FATTENING SHEEP.

Fattening sheep is not always a profitable venture, as witness the results of recent sales in the Otago metropolitan market. Well-grown, well-clad wethers in the wool secured some time in late winter or early spring have eaten the summer's grass and been sold a month or two after shearing at much the same money, if allowance is made for returns received from the wool. In the face of steadily receding rates for meat and wool, this was unavoidable. In 1924 sheep in the wool realised from about 7£d per lb “on the hoof” in July to B£d in September, and touched ll£d in October, receding to 9d in early November, shorn sheep falling to 7£d per lb in November and running out to over 8d per lb at the end of the year—a big contrast to prices ruling in 1925, when woolly wethers were making 7d to 7fd per lb from July to September, aud remained at about this figure until October (against ll£d the previous year), receding to 74d in early November, while shorn sheep fell to 6d per lb, running out at ssd at the end of the. year. In these circumstances the most astute buyers of sheep in the spring of last year might well fail in making profits. The position to-day is full of interest in regard to sheep values. The province is full of feed, and there are good prospects of satisfactory root crops. The question in the minds of all who fatten sheep and lambs is, Have meat prices touched bottom yet? It depends upon London, or, as featured here, by the values set by the various meat exporting companies of frozen meat. It would be unwise to prophesy. One can but endeavour to sum up some of the factors which in our opinion affect meat values. Taking a line through previous years, it is anticipated that February rates may sound the lowest depths in mutton or lamb values in respect to the South Island meat works. It has become also a question of light weight at a comparatively high price per lb, against the bigger weight at a lower price per lb. More food i£ required when lambs nre kept back for finishing on arable crops instead of “off their mothers.” It may, if the season is unpropitious, become not a matter of fattening lambs, but running them on as wethers. It is surely wiser, rather than risk an untoward season, to make every endeavour to get the lambs away as early in the year as possible. Age is an important consideration. The two-tooth wether, as a rule, is not a good sjieep to fatten. A four or six-tooth crossbred wether is the best, as this class of sheep usually responds to a change of country and luxuriant feed more rapidly than younger ones. It is a mistake not infrequently practised to attempt to fatten sheep of a decided half bred type on succulent feed. Of course, it can be done; but' on low areas more or less damp the feet are apt to suffer, while it is against Nature to cortKe such a close cousin to the merino on low-lying pastures. Far better to graze a sheep of a decided British type—say good crossbreds, with a strong dash of either Leicester, Lincoln, or Romney Marsh blood.

Where rape, lucerne, or other fodders are grown, sound old ewes will soon top up. In feeding off fodder crops it is better to put on a goodly number of sheep to the acre—say, 30 to 40 —than to graze a fourth of the number continuously for 30 or 40 days. Quick feeding off is helpful in many ways. Sheep prefer the young, succulent growth they get when changed about frequently. When the paddocks are large, the smaller number keep to the closely-cropped parts, with the result that there are rank patches, virtually wasted. In order to fatten sheep successfully it is a sound rule to buy big-framed animals, provided one has rich land and good pasture, and can afford to top them off properly. On medium lands, however, one should graze medium-bodied sheep. It has been proved at Home that the greatest monetary returns an acre are obtained from medium-framed, well-bred sheep, always provided they are deepbodied, compact sorts. In ordinary circumstances we should advise moving off the “fats” once they are ready for

killing, and make room for the slower fat tellers iu the mob. With lambs there is, of course, a decided quick increase in weight and the extra growth of wool, but with a sheep once fat the increase in weight is infinitesimal, and is small compensation for all the extra and unnecessary feed consumed. It is the small economies which count, and no one who is dependent upon his wool and lamb cheques can afford to ignore them.