THE LAMBING SEASON

Taranaki Daily News, 22 September 1931, Page 4

THE LAMBING SEASON

GOOD FLOCK PERCENTAGES. EXPORT TRADE PROSPECTS. From the point of view of numbers, the lambing season in the Auckland province has been a satisfactory one. A deciding factor in the quality of the lambs' available for killing, says, the New Zealand Herald, will be the pasture conditions in the remainder of the spring and the early summer. As far as the Auckland province is concerned, the season is now practically over. The conditions for the main crop have been good, but the delayed spring weather has had the effect of making the lambs backward. The percentages recorded have been generally good, and some particularly high percentages for small flocks have been reported from parts of the province. Generally speaking, the season has been a normal one, and the percentages have been quite as high as last year, which was characterised by an increase in the number of breeding ewes and an unusually high percentage of births. Owing to the unsettled weather conditions, lambs are not as forward as they have been in previous years. Spring set in early in August, but there has been a reversion to wintry weather, and this has had an effect upon ewes and lambs alike. Lambs can hardly be said to be doing as well as in a normal year, although they are by no means in poor condition. “It ie possible that the Auckland Province will not have as many early lambs for export as in previous years,” said a stock agent. “However, two or three weeks of weather such as we are having this week-end will make all the differ-; ence in the world. Lambs respond quickly to warm weather and they come forward rapidly.” A tendency toward earlier lambing seasons has been noted in the past few years. Higher prices rule for tbtf early lambs, and it is, the desire bf farmers to obtain the advantage of the better values. Provided the ewes are in condition, it is possible to regulate the lambing to a certain extent.. . . Another feature of recent seasons is. the more widespread production of lambs. The tendency of low wool prices to extend the use of land for dairying purposes Jias' been offset by changing farm methods/ 1 Top-dressing has had an effect on the carrying capacity of sheep, as well as. dairy country, and dairy farmers are,now carrying a few sheep £is an a;d in: pasture management. The result has been that lambs are fattening in all parts of the province this season. The season, has seen a very big advance in some. districts, principally the Waikato.’ There is a good deal of uncertainty about prices,’ and it is yet too early for firms to give any indication. Prices for all frozen meat are down, but it is reassuring to note that those lambs now on the Home market are selling equally as well as at this time last year. New prices are set when the hew season’s killings go on the market, and it is expected that there will be little change from last year.