Lambing Estimates For 1944

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 70, Issue 1, 15 January 1945, Page 7

Lambing Estimates For 1944

Record Dominion and South island Figures

Contributed by the LIVESTOCK DIVISION.

THE lambing percentage estimate for 1944, 91.79, is the highest yet recorded for the Dominion. The South Island returns have retained their consistent position ahead of those from the North Island, and the South Island 1944 percentage is the highest on record, while the figures for both islands show a marked improvement on the previous year’s, when the Dominion figures dropped below 90 per cent, after three seasons of exceeding that figure. The figures reflect conditions over the Dominion generally, as it is accepted that a high lambing percent age is a direct result of a more than usually favourable autumn, followed by mild weather during winter and actual lambing.

The following table shows the estimated lambing for the North and South Islands for the previous five years, together with the actual number of lambs tailed: —

HAY FOR AUSTRALIA Z"XWING to the drought in Australia the milk supplies OWING to the drought in Australia the milk supplies to the large centres, such as Sydney, have been threatened, and it is expected that unless the feed position is eased dairy farmers will not be able to maintain full milk supplies next winter. New Zealand farmers are being called upon to supply a large quantity, running into several thousand tons, of good quality hay for export to Australia. TESTING RYEGRASS SEED IN certain districts each year considerable quantities of perennial ryegrass seed are harvested, which, on testing for germination, are found to be so poor as to be practically valueless. Farmers in such districts can avoid much needless expense if before harvesting they submit samples of the crop to the Seed Testing Station, Palmerston North. Detailed instructions for collecting samples appeared in the “Journal of Agriculture,” December, 1942.

County. Breeding Ewes. Estimated Percentage of Lambs. Estimated Number of Lambs. AUCKLAND DISTRICT. Mangonui ' .. 36,179 | 88.4 31,982 Whangaroa .. 13,850 85.8 11,883 Bay of Islands 65,452 86.6 56,681 Hokianga 55,491 83.1 46,113 Whangarei .; 100,471 87.1 87,510 Otamatea 83,385 86.2 71,877 Hobson 80,487 92.31 74,297 ' Rodney 91,876 84.92 78,021 Great Barrier 7,546 79.14 5,971 Waitemata .. 77,129 91.86 70,850 Eden 2,667 87.65 2,337 Manukau .. , .. 63,313 84.72 53,638 Franklin 99,240 98.25 97,503 Coromandel .. 42,456 74.32 31,553 Thames 8,594 81.00 6,961 Hauraki Plains 13,479 90.65 12,218 Ohinemuri 13,637 89.22 12,166 Waikato 149.263 96.59 144,173 Raglan 353,322 86.77 306,577 Waipa 170,982 97.75 167,134 Piako . . 128,223 96.42 123,632 Matamata .. 244,378 97.07 237,217 Rotorua 83,349 95.58 79,664 Taupo 19,874 89.36 17,759 Taumarunui .. 106,904 ' 87.89 93,958 Kawhia 68,907 [ 88.33 60,865 Otorohanga .. 129,715 90.00 116,743 Waitomo 340,095 86.68 | 294,794 Ohura 107,336 1 95.30 102,291 Kaitieke 68,417 82.00 56,101 Tauranga 121,242 92.91 112,645 Whakatane .. 45,157 89.00 | 40,189 Opotiki .. 56,502 75.00 1 . 42,376 Totals 3,048,918 | 90.12 | 2,747,679

County. Breeding Ewes. Estimated Percentage of Lambs. Estimated Number of Lambs. EAST COAST-HAWKE’S BAY DISTRICT. Matakaoa 62,376 81.97 51,130 Waiapu 250,782 82.81 207,673 Uawa 124,339 87.42 108,897 Cook .. 445,937 90.29 402,637 Waikohu 358,445 84.80 303,961 Wairoa 410,244 87.32 358,225 Hawke’s Bay 976,465 87.48 854,211 Waipawa 414,718 95.70 396,885 Waipukurau 140.327 93.63 131,388 Patangata 493,142 92.29 455,120 Weber .. 56,937 90.25 53,822 Dannevirke 279,905 92.00 257,513 Woodville 86,372 95.00 82,053 Pahiatua 154,543 92.75 143,338 Akitio .. 146,147 84.00 122,763 Totals 4,400,679 89.30 3,929,616

Clifton 90,212 85.19 • 76,851 Taranaki 27,731 96.17 26,668 Inglewood 54,448 88.96 48,436 Egmont 18,778 93.34 17,527 Stratford 99,873 94.30 94,180 Whangamomona 52,556 87.00 45,723 Eltham 52,678 92.83 48,900 Hawera 80,459' 99.71 80,225 Waimate West 5,943 94.65 5,625 Patea 201,361 93.00 187,265 Waitotara .. 130,224 88.50 115,248 Waimarino 174,007 85.00 147,905 Wanganui 255,657 86.90 222,165 Rangitikei 945,161 93.00 878,999 Oroua 194,450 98.70 191,922 Kairanga 108,365 95.60 103,596 Kiwitea 248,623 96.38 239,622 Pohangina 125,440 98.70 123,809 Manawatu .. 132,900 99.30 131,969 Horowhenua 115,471 94.18 108,750 Hutt 67,167 84.21 56,561 Makara 46,601 80.69 37,602 Featherston .. 321,381 89.00 286,029 . Wairarapa South . 161,211 87.00 140,253 Masterton .. 296,324 82.00 242,985 Castlepoint .. 95,249 85.00 80,961 Eketahuna 143,903 86.00 123,756 Mauriceville 45,150 79.00 ■ 35,668 Totals' 4,291,323 90.86 3,899,200

WEST COAST-WELLINGTON DISTRICT.

County. Breeding Ewes. Estimated Percentage of Lambs. Estimated Number of Lambs. MARLBOROUGH-NELSON-WESTLAND DISTRICT. Waimea 166,738 76 126,721 Takaka .. 26,477 82 21,711 Collingwood ' 13,797 82 11,314 Buller .. .. 2,060 93.1 1,918 Inangahua 14,799 98.8 14,621 Murchison 30,073 94.6 28,499 Grey 23,856 106.1 25,311 Westland 35,257 109.1 38,465 Sounds .. .. 101,135 74.28 75,123 Marlborough 194,944 81.12 158,139 Awatere 161,921 73.20 118,526 Totals .. .. 771,057 80.45 620,348

Kaikoura • • • 131,478 131,478 79 79 103,868 103,868 Amuri 211,733 74 • . 156,682 211,733 74 156,682 Cheviot 137,323 91 124,964 Waipara 276,856 88.7 245,571 Ashley 64,808 86 55,735 Kowai • o 71,301 71,301 92 92 65,597 65,597 Oxford • . 75,188 75,188 90 90 67,669 67,669 Rangiora 36,101 101.3 36,570 Eyre .. 49,289 104.7 51,606 Tawera 50,538 82.2 41,542 Malvern 121,947 102.4 124,874 Paparua 35,856 112.5 40,338 Waimairi o . 3,144 3,144 104.1 104.1 3,273 3,273 Heathcote 7,387 106.5 7,867 Akaroa 81,989 104 85,269 Mt. Herbert .. 38,963 102 39,742 Wairewa 69,394 103 71,476 Halswell 15,224 89 13,549 Springs 29,945 112 33,538 Ellesmere 76,461 105 80,284 Selwyn 147,945 77.5 114,657 Ashburton -676,256 98.6 666,788 Geraldine 222,581 97 215,904 Levels 143,651 115 165,199 Mackenzie 279,542 88.5 247,395 Waimate 1 - 424,314 424,314 98 98 415.828 415,828 Chatham Islands 39,476 73 28,817 Totals • • 3,518,690 93.92 3,304,602

CANTERBURY-KAIKOURA DISTRICT.

Waitaki 427,100 95 405,745 Maniototo 235,175 87.1 204,837 Vincent 255,317 88 , 224,679 Waihemo 97,545 89 86,815 Waikouaiti .. 69,894 87 60,808 Taieri 166,526 76 126,560 Peninsula 16,050 90 14,445 Clutha 389,488 95.1 370,403 Tuapeka .. .. 327,341 90 294,607 Bruce 207,185 95 196,826 Lake 127,247 84 106,887 Southland 1,623,368 . 106 1,720,770 Wallace 574,737 95.1 546,575 Stewart Island _ 076 80 1,661 Totals .. • .. 4,519,049 96.52 4,361,618

OTAGO-SOUTHLAND DISTRICT.

District. Number of Breeding Ewes. Estimated Percentage of Lambs. Estimated. Number - of Lambs. Auckland .. .. 3,048,918 90.12 2,747,679 East Coast-Hawke’s Bay 4,400,679 89.30 3,929,616 West Coast-Welling-ton 4,291,323 90.86 3,899,200 Marlborough-Nelson-Westland 771,057 80.45 620,348 Canterbury-Kaikoura 3,518,690 93.92 3,304,602 Otago-Southland .. 4,519,049 96.52 . 4,361,618 Dominion 20,549,716 91.79 18,863,063

DISTRICT ESTIMATES. The following table gives the estimates for the current (1944) season’s lambing for the several sheep districts:—

Year. Number of Breeding Ewes *(as at 1941). Estimated Percentage of Lambs. Estimated Number of Lambs. Actual No. of Lambs Tailed. NORTH ISLAND. 1944 .. 11,740,920 90.08 10,576,495 — 1943 .. *11,268,384 87.18 9,823,748 10,687,876 1942 .. *11,268,384 89.95 10,134,505 10,835,934 1941 .. . *11,268,384 90.74 10,224,786 10,593,291 1940 .. 10,917,684 89.01 9,717,488 10,348,649 1939 . . 10,889,802 84.40 9,190,994 9,476,647 SOUTH ISLAND. 1944 .. 8,808,796 94.07 8,286,568 ■ • — 1943 .. *8,762,549 89.16 7,813,548 7,734,060 1942 . . *8,762,549 93.34 8,179,674 8,028,958 1941 .. *8,762,549 91.60 8,026,076 7,929,999 1940 .. 8,809,973 91.69 8,078,518 8,037,123 1939 .. 9,070,497 86.29 7,826,601 7,752,922 DOMINION. 1944 .. 20,549,716 91.79 18,863,063 — 1943 .. *20,030,933 88.05 17,637,296 18,421,936 1942 .. *20,030,933 91.43 18,314,179 18,864,892 1941 .. *20,030,933 91.11 18,250,862 . 18,523,290 1940 .. ■ 19,727,657 90.21 17,796,006 18,385,772 1939 .. 19,960,299 85.26 17,017,395 17,229,569

Dominion Totals