On track for another good lambing result

01-09-2010 | Not Specified

While there is still potential to improve beef performance, sheep production has been ticking along nicely.

Finn genetics were introduced in the 1990s but the Lowrys are now back to straight Romneys, with facial eczema-tolerant sires sourced from John Marchant's stud at nearby Maramarua.

North Waikato is a bad area for facial eczema and James believes his flock's increasing tolerance to FE is a key reason for big gains in sheep performance. During the past three to four years the flock has averaged 140% lambing (survival to sale), achieving 145% last season. James is hopeful the flock can match that result again this season; scanning results suggest this is achievable.

Mixed-age ewes scanned at 165% and while the two-tooths reached only 143%, only 17 of those were dry.

"So I'd be happy with 145% docked."

The Lowrys run an early lambing mob, with about 500 ewes going to Poll Dorset and Suffolk sires. James says this mob is made up of wet-dries "and anything we don't like the look of".

Any of these ewes that don't produce a lamb are culled. The rest of the ewes start lambing mid-August.

"We've pushed the main mob back a couple of weeks in the last four or five years to better fit in with grass growth. As well as giving a more concentrated lambing, the lambs still look the same at weaning as they did when we were lambing two weeks earlier."

All five-year ewes are shorn in December and sold privately in January.

"We could keep them and put them to a terminal sire but we like to keep the flock younger."

There is also good demand for five-year ewes and this year's crop went for $73/head - a big improvement on the $30/head paid in 2008.

Ewes are shorn twice a year- in December and May - and despite disappointing wool prices, James says wool weight is still a factor when selecting stock.

"It costs the same to cut off half a kilogram of wool as it does two kilograms, so we've got nothing to lose by selecting for wool."

Lambs from the early lambing mob are finished at 16kgCW from early November and the main draft of lambs goes off in the last week of January.

"From there it's a matter of getting rid of as many as we can as fast as we can."

James says lifting lambing performance has been a key focus in recent years, but it can be a double-edged sword because lambs don't do well in autumn.

"We really don't want to be carrying too many lambs late into the summer because on this country we can lose 4-5% to barbers pole, pneumonia or facial eczema. If you have to drench them two or three times and they still don't grow, it's not really worth it."

To avoid autumn ill thrift, James is considering selling a higher proportion of his lambs store. This year he sent off 500 tail-enders in January at an average of $44, a price he was happy with.

Normally he aims to keep about 400 lambs through until August and September, targeting early season premiums.

Crops are used to help with lamb finishing and about 12ha of pasja or Hunter is fed to the lambs from January onwards.

This year the Lowrys also grew a 5-6ha lucerne crop as a trial and James was pleased with the results.

"Weeds can be a problem, but lucerne is good in the dry and we can get a cut of hay off it in February and then use it for the lambs after that."

This year he plans to increase the lucerne crop to 10-15ha.

"It costs more than pasja but it has some big advantages in summer and if it lasts for more than five years it will be well worth it."

Cropped paddocks go back into permanent pasture and the Lowrys have regrassed about 60-80ha in the past 10 years. James says the persistence of the new pastures has been a big disappointment.

"The AR1 has disappeared and that's encouraged insect and weed problems. Hopefully we will get better results out of AR37 but [based on present product returns] the value of regrassing is fairly marginal."

Nitrogen is used to boost pasture covers for winter. This year seven tonnes were applied at 80kg/ha to the better cattle country in autumn. A similar dressing was applied to the lambing paddocks late in winter.

To keep costs down, James applies the N using a spreader he shares with two neighbours. He and Carleen also have a half share in a digger and a third share in a tipping trailer and a roller-drill.

Machinery sharing works well because it allows the capital cost of equipment to be split and reduces reliance on contractors.

"It's ideal for the bigger gear that you would rarely use."

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