KILLING OF SHOW LAMBS

Southland Times, Issue 23693, 16 December 1938, Page 6

KILLING OF SHOW LAMBS

AVERAGE WEIGHTS OF PENS OF TWELVE Show lambs entered in the- special class for 12 fat lambs suitable for export to be shipped to London for judging at Smithfield were killed at the Ocean Beach freezing works yesterday morning. The lambs were very favourably commented upon when judged on the hoof at the show and the class attracted a great deal of interest among visitors. On the hooks at the freezing works the lambs came fully up to expectations, the 15 pens being almost uniformly of a very high standard. Only one pen included any second grade lambs, the others being beautifully prime and showing remarkable evenness. The dead weights showed a variation from 281 b to 391 b, with the bulk of the lambs between 321 b and 351 b. The average weights of the pens showed the preference of the judge who inspected the live lambs for good weights, the four placed pens ranging from 33.421 b to 35.581 b, these being the heaviest pens in the competition. Of the 180 lambs, only 16 scaled more than 361 b in dead weight. The average weights of the pens were as follows:—Southland Frozen Meat Co. Ltd., (Makarewa) 35.421 b (placed first at the show); Estate J. S." Grieve (Waianiwa) 33.421 b (second prize); M. Rabbitt (Kauana) 351 b (third prize); George Gray (Wallacetown) 35.581 b (fourth prize); W. Kennedy and Sons (Bayswater) 30.581 b; J. F. Hamilton (Winton) 33.661 b; James Lindsay (South Hillend R.D.) 33.831 b; Bruce Manson (Otautau) 33.421 b; H. A. Robertson (Otautau) 34.421 b; H. A. Robertson 31.501 b; A. O. Fleming (Mabel Bush) 33.171 b; Southland Frozen Meat Co. Ltd. 33.171 b; George Stevenson (Dacre) 33.331 b; James Grant (Bayswater) 341 b; William Kennedy and Sons (Bayswater) 32.751 b. The prize-money for. the class was contributed by the Southland Frozen Meat Co, Ltd., and the Ocean Beach Freezing Co. Ltd. The companies realized a number of years ago that there were great possibilities in such a competition for educating the farmers in the best type of fat lambs to breed for export and the class has proved of great value.