PRODUCTION ON AN OLD IRRIGATED PASTURE

Abstract

Lamb meat production from an irrigated old ryegrass pasture farmlet is reported for the following conditions in successive years:- Year 1 and 2: Stocked at 18 ewes plus 5 ewe replacements/ha - dry summers Year 3: Same stocking rate as year 1 - moist summer Year 4: Stocking rate reduced to 15 ewes plus 4 replacements/ha - dry summer Year 5: Same stocking rate as year 4 - wet summer Mean carcass weight for all lambs in years l-5 was respectively 12.0, 12.4, 13.4, 12.0 and 14.2 kg; lamb meat production was respectively 241, 257, 252, 214 and 262 kg/ha. At high stocking rates, in the years with dry summers, early drafting of light weight lambs was necessary so that other lambs could achieve a target carcase weight of 13-16 kg. However ewe lambs did not reach that target. For two years with reduced stocking rate, dry summer weather in one of these years still precluded ewe lambs from reaching the target. In the other year with wet summer weather, production per lamb and per hectare was satisfactory. Further management means of increasing production of heavy weight lamb are discussed. Keywords: Pasture yields, lamb production, carcase weight, wool production