FAT LAMBS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19541, 30 March 1926, Page 9

FAT LAMBS

TRADE REQUIREMENTS. DEMONSTRATION IN SOUTHLAND. An interesting and instructive stock demonstration was held at the Makarewa Works, Southland, last week, when the requirements of the fat lamb trade were expounded by the experts selected to carry out the instructional work. Mr J. Gilkison, chairman of the directors of the Southland Frozen Meat and Produce Export Company, in opening the demonstration, welcomed them all, and then handed over the reins to Mr Adam Hamilton, M.P. “There is no doubt that these demonstrations do a lot of good,’ ’ said Mr Hamilton in opening, “and we are indebted to the company for placing the works at our disposal.” He went on to say that Mr R. J. Anderson, Kanana, would demonstrate on Border Lcicesters, Mr T. Evans, Longbush. on Southdowns; Mr W. Swale, Limehills, on the crossbreds, and Mr W. Falconer on the carcases in the cooling room. The demonstrations showed the farmer the right class of stock to breed, that being his part of the fat lamb business. Then came the works and it was their part to handle the stock properly, while the Meat Board’s job was to see that the grower received a fair price. At present it would appear that the Southland breeders had a just grievance which they should endeavour to remedy. The Southland lambs had increased in weight and were now too heavy. The Southland average weight was the biggest in the Dominion, and last year at ' Mataura the average weight was ■ ver 401bs, while the North Island average was only 281bs. Light lambs wore greatly desired in London, and they should produce what London wanted. In Southland the producer maintained that a 401 b lamb was as good to eat as a 351 b lamb, but the London consumer was the person to cater for, and at present the demand was for light lambs, i They should all work together; the far- , mors should produce the best, the works i handle the lambs in the best possible way, and the exporters pay the best [ possible price. Border Leicester's. “It is rather hard to give a demonstration in Borders,’’ said Mr Anderson, with a smile, “especially as they appear to be out of fashion at present. After all, however, the Romney cross ewe and the Border ram cross is the best for the fat lamb trade, and will stand the test in the future.’’ He said they all knew how the Romney had been improved by careful selection and to-day was almost as good as the Downs. They should aim at getting the Border lower, nearer the ground and broader. By doing this they would lose a certain ' amount of style, but he was convinced that in a few years everyone would be going for the low set Border. The Australian breeders had discovered they could not do without the Border, and the same would be found in those districts in New Zealand where the Corriedale ewes were in evidence. In Australia they looked for a strong lock in the ram to mate with the halfbred ewe, and on one station nothing but Border rams were being used on a of 20,000 ewes. The Border would come back again. He preferred a ram with the brisket well forward, a well-sprung rib and a good neck. The animal would have to come out full over the rump and fill the crutch as well as a Down. The kemp found on rams was not so bad if it were short, but the long kemp was bad. This, however, could bo eliminated by careful selection. They would all recollect the hard faces of the imported Romneys, and many of the imported Borders of to-day were somewhat similar. They did not study wool at Home the same as the New Zealand breeders. The English and Scotch breeders went for big square sheep that would step out and show plenty of style. They would have to alter that and get a low set type of Border which would hold its own with any breed. They should go for a sheep with a shorter neck, broad and well coupled. This type of sheep would suit them even if they did sacrifice a little style. Ho then demonstrated the many points mentioned on sheep supplied by tho company, and displayed two lambs which showed the class of sheep not to breed. Southdowns. Mr Thomas Evans said the Southdown was a breed that should do well in Southland. It was a good breed for the production of fat lambs as the carcase was compact and well coupled. The present day requirements called for sheep with faces and legs of a mousey colour, and breeders should guard against anything showing a bluish tinge. The Southdown had come to stay in the fat lamb trade as the lambs matured early and were of good quality. He then traced the history of the breed and the improvements made on tho original breed by judicious selection of rams. With regard to the present lamb mortality he said he had made a close study of this and had discovered that it was always the Lambs born at the end of September and in October that went under to the disease. The lambs on his farm born in July and August were never affected. To test this out he experimented with some ewes this lambing in October and when the ewe had a big single lamb it died, while his early lambs were not affected. By lambing in August they would not lose their lambs, and would also gain an advantage in having early lambs which were worth anything up to 3s a head more than those that were dropped later. Crossbreds. Before going over to the pens of crossbreds Mr Swale referred to the altered conditions as compared with a year ago when high prices gave farmers a false idea of values. He said tho prices offering at present were payable, but many farmers had bought store stock at high prices and were losing i money that way. High prices to the farmer limited consumption in London, as the purchasing power of their consumers was also limited. Again high prices in London encouraged other coun- j

tries to send produce to London, and last year Ireland sent 20,000 carcaseof lamb to London, while mutton w;i. also sent by Batavia and Manchuria. The exports from Denmark and Holland also increased. The present prices would indirectly benefit the farmers as it would give them a chance to replenish their flocks. Last year he regretted that so many ewe lambs a 'ere being shipped, but he could not blame tho farmer for accepting the prices offered. Conditions were now altered and stores were bringing as much money as fats. On account of so many owe lambs being killed they were breeding, id many instances, from old worn out owes, and this was also affecting the wool. Only a few years ago it was an easy matter to obtain splendid wool, and tho stores were full of it every sale. At the recent sale some of the oldest buyers ’’eprecated the fact that the Southland farmers’ lots of wool were shreddy, proving that the ewes were old and worn out. The country was bare of good young breeding sheep, and the present prices would give them a chance to buy ewe lambs, and this would benefit them all. It would mean a lean year for the works, but it would keep the i London market from being glutted. Some farmers considered they had a grievance against the buyers, but the farmer should look to his own side of the business. At present they allowed the buyers to pick out the best of the lambs when they would do better bv driving the lot to tho yards and selling them as a line. Tho Southland lambs ■were getting heavier, and they should endeavour to breed the lambs required for the London market. Some advocated that the works should open earlier, and the special class at the Summer Show proved that early lambs could be raised in Southland. These lambs were an object lesson and • hen killed averaged 361bs, and considering that there was no reason why the works should not open earlier. Others advo cated putting the rams out later, so that the lambs would not mature so early. By doing this they would be able to keep their ewes on turnips longer, and save their grass. Tho lambs would mature quicker and would be fatter. Tho heavy mortality in single lambs, however, would mitigate against this plan. Tho works wore not handling the same quantity this year, and so far had only killed about 150,000 while last season’s total was 480,000. The number handled would not reach last year’s total, but against this they had to set tho building up of the flocks. He then demonstrated upon some lambs, choosing good carcases and indifferent ones. These lambs wore killed and afterwards shown in the cooling room. The Carcases. When the carcases were hung in the cooling room, Mr. W. Falconer took charge. The first four contained two good and two faulty carcases and he explained the points where the faulty carcases were deficient. The two lambs shown in tho wool as the sort not to breed were next handled by Mr. Fal coner, who said that although classed as prime, they were the wrong sort of prime lambs. They were weak in the neck loins and leg, yet were able to ger Ist grade. A Down cross lamb was next shown, and it weighed 701bs. Mr. Falconer said that as a carcase it was hard to find fault. It had- a good leg, loin and shoulder, while the crutch was well filled, providing plenty of cutting. Next came two crossbred wethers, both prime grade. One was well covered and had a good leg while the other was weak in the leg, loin and shoulder. He said these demonstrated clearly what prime, carcases were all right and which were not all right.

Mr. Hamilton said it was difficult to arrange a uniform prime grade, as dif ferent parts of the Dominion had different standards. That was the reason why some of the second grade lamb was bringing a higher price than some of the Ist grade lamb. The Londoner paid for meat and did not want too much fat. Continuing, Mr. Falconer hung up a number of carcases that had been rejected for export, and explained the reason of their rejection. Dog bite accounted for a number, while inefficient flagging caused bruises that lead to the carcase being thrown out. Farmers could, at least, eliminate some of the rejects from these causes. Mr. Hamilton said that all meat exported was inspected and passed by Government inspectors. No sheep wore allowed out of the country, without tho. Government inspector’s brand, and this safeguarded the consumer. Mr. Falconer explained further that the carcases were inspected at the other end in order to check irregularities.