COST FACTORS IN PRACTICAL FAT LAMB PRODUCTION ByJ.H. SNEVD* Summary The management practises on a fat lamb property in the Mount Compass district of South Australia are considered in relation to costs. Data include available pastures, stocking rate, type of stock, supplementary feeding, mating, and hygiene. I. INTRODLJCTION One of the present problems of fat lamb production in this State is the annual marketing glut in October-November which seriously depresses prices. In the future the industry will no doubt take greater advantage of climatic variations to widen the marketing season and thus minimize the glut period. At the present time, however, close attention must be paid to management costs for fat lamb production to be a profitable enterprise. The present paper discusses management practices at Braidwood, Mount Compass. On the property fat lamb production is considered as a permanent venture which is distinct from an approach where production is entered into or neglected according to market prospects. II. EXPERIENCE AT BRAIDWOOD (a) Environment The Mount Compass environment, 40 miles south of Adelaide, is typical of the higher rainfall areas in the Adelaide hills. Annual average rainfall is 32 inches, with the variation over the past nine years indicated below: 1953 27.47 inches 1956 41.84 inches 1959 19.61 inches 1954 21.32,? 1957 21.44,, 1960 36.35,? 1955 44*89,, 1958 38.82,, 1961 24.37.,, The property has been developed from a dry sclerophyll forest community dominated by dwarf stringybark (Eucalyptus baxteri). Soils are largely lateritic podzolic with small areas of meadow podzolic soils in the valley bottoms. (b) Pastures On the high ground, which represents most of the property, pasture development has been achieved with Mount Barker subterranean clover, Phalaris, and perennial ryegrass. In the 32 years since development commenced, some 3,000 tons of superphosphates have been used. The topdressing rate has been progressively reduced from, 5 cwt per acre (on new ground to a little less than 1 cwt on country 20 years or older. Addition of molybdenum and copper are essential to pasture establishment. Development of the remaining swampy flats using strawberry and white clovers, and perennial ryegrass has been of some value in providing an extended summer grazing season. * Braidwood, Mount Compass, S.A. 103
(c) Pasture Utilization (i) Overall stocking paate.-in general terms there are three types of stocking levels practised, consistent with good husbandry, OVER-stocking MAXIMUM supplementary feeding STOCKIN.G CONSERVATIVE stocking LEVELS MINIMUM supplementary feeding UNDER-stocking NO supplementary feeding The stocking rate at Braidwood is fixed at a conservative level; bearing in mind the seasonal variations, and remembering that the cheapest livestock feed is pasture grazed by the animals in the paddock. Departure from this practice means added cost. These costs must be covered by added returns, and this is not always possible under today s conditions. (ii) Types of Grazing Stock at Braidwood. 1. Fat lamb production is based on Border-Leicester x Merino ewes which are bought in as lambs, and mated to Southdown rams bred on the property. 2. Corriedale wethers are bought as lambs to maintain elasticity of management. Under adverse conditions they can be stocked at higher rates allowing a greater grazing area for the ewe flock. Under extreme conditions some or all can be sold in good to fat condition. Corriedale wethers are preferred because they are adaptable to the wet conditions. 3. Store cattle are purchased in suitable years for fattening. (iii) Pasture Availability a,nd Planned Seasonal Produc tlon.-of primary importance in pasture utilization is an assessment of pasture availability. The aim is to achieve maximum stocking in the period of maximum pasture growth (i.e., the spring months). Fat lambs are marketed for slaughter before the supply of paddock feed is depleted, thus reducing stock numbers to a basic minimum for the period when pasture feed is either of low quality or in short supply. Fig. 1 shows the relationship between pasture availability in an average season in this environment, and the variable stocking rate. Elasticity of management is achieved by maintaining the cross-bred ewes and the Corriedale wethers as a basic flock and buying in Corriedale lambs in numbers governed by the season and market prospects. A proportion is retained as flock replacements, the balance is sold for slaughter as fats, or re-sold to graziers if conditions are favourable. Store cattle are purchased in suitable years. Some stores were purchased in 1961, but as prices for store cattle became unrealistic 200 N.T. stores were agisted on a 3 months contract commencing August 1961. (iv) hfethod of Stockijzg. -Breeding ewes are carried at an overall stocking rate of 2 sheep per acre, varying from 13 per acre in the case of ewe lambs to 23 per acre for ewes 23 years and over, a further variation being made according 104
L DRY PASTURE GREEN PASTURE DRY PASTURE \/ \/ /\ /\ - FED I 4 1 3 2 LAMBING 1 1 1 I I I I 1 I I I JAN. MAR. MAY. JUL. SEPT. NOV. JAN. MAR. MAY. Fig. 1.-Relationship between a subjective estimate of pasture growth and stock carried for 1961 and planned for 1962. One beast has been taken as the equivalent of eight sheep. 1 = Southdown Stud* : 2 = beef cattle; 3 = Corriedale wethers; 4 = crossbred ewes; 5 = fat lambs. to the composition and standard of pasture in the various paddocks. Stocking rates for Corriedale wethers vary from 3-6 per acre governed by the age of sheep, and standard and age of the pasture. Ewes are rotationally grazed at mating, and then set-stocked if conditions allow. At lambing ewes and lambs are set-stocked at predetermined stocking rates based on paddock variations. Lambs are marked in small mobs in transportable yards, and the flock then remains undisturbed until the ewes are crutched in August/September, and is not handled again until the lambs are sold. Once set-stocked ewes and lambs require only periodic inspection. Dry sheep are set-stocked at all times. (d) Supplementary Feeding Under some conditions supplementary feeding is warranted, e.g., adverse seasonal conditions (which apply at the present time), or as a general practice when catering for a premium-priced market. It should, however, be viewed with suspicion in the higher rainfall areas as excessive supplementary feeding under normal conditions could indicate over-stocking or mismanagement. Although a E 105
reserve of 8-10,000 bales of hay is kept as a reserve for abnormal years on Braidwood, it is only fed out in normal years at the break of the season. The very real influence on production costs of supplementary feeding is indicated below in a comparison between the years 1953 and 1959. 1953-All breeding ewes carried at a higher stocking rate, no wether flock carried to give elasticity to management, all stock rotationally grazed, lambing commenced May 1; shearing November 1. 1959-Lower stocking rate for breeding ewes, wether flock maintained, setstocking used, lambing commenced June 20; shearing February 14. These two years were difficult years by the standards of this environment; they are comparative in that both years were below average rainfall, with late openings, difficult winter conditions, and limited spring pasture growth. 1953-1959- Stocking rate Stocking rate 23 ewes per acre 2 ewes per acre No wether flock Wether flock maintained Supplementary feeding- 10,000 bales of hay (entire reserve) 200 bags barley and oats 25 acres field turnips Some stock losses Suppleuaentary feediulg- 2,000 bales of hay No stock losses.%~/aner fodder crops have not been sown for some years. Dependent on summer rains they provide little green feed in the dry summers when it is required. The infrequent grazings under these conditions have an unsettling effect on lambs. In years of summer rain ample green feed is provided by perennial grasses. (e) Mating (i) La&&g.-In view of the pasture growth season in this environment it is not practicable to cater for the premium early lamb market. All ewes in the 5 main age groups, H-53, are mated to lamb in mid-june. Ewe lambs are mated at 10 months to lamb in mid-july. It has been found that these lambs invariably sell to better advantage, #as the peak of the lamb glut is usually over by the time they are marketed. They remain fresh and sappy well into December, and in some seasons can be held until January or later at suitable trade weights. In the season 1962, ewes in the 5 main age groups have been mated to lamb at the end of July in an attempt to overcome the seasonal market glut. (ii) Use of Vqsectowaised Merino Rams.-These rams have been used for some years. Quite apart from the fact that they allow more effective use of fertile rams, they have the effect of concentrating lambing; usually 85 per cent. of the ewes have lambed by the 17th day after commencement. This enables concentrated attention for a short period, and a consequent saving in labour cost. 106
(f) Stock Replacements (i) Rams.-A small Southdown stud is maintained at Braidwood. The ram service cost is an important factor in fat lamb production. For example, the service charges against each lamb is 7/6 when based on a ram purchased for 40 guineas leaving 100 per cent. lambs, and with an effective flock life of 3 to 4 years. There is a wide scope here for reducing costs by breeding one s own rams and increasing lambing percentages. (ii) Ezves.-All cast-for-age ewes are sold off-shears in December at 63 years in a local market where they meet with a good demand. Flock ewe replacements can represent a very significant cost factor. Ewe lambs are purchased in the wool from early districts in September-October, and are shorn on delivery. By purchasing early they are given what is in effect extended spring grazing in our later district, and enter the dry feed period in fat condition. At the commencement of the dry feed period they are set-stocked in reserved high ground paddocks. When grazed in paddocks which contain some green flats during this period it has an unsettling effect, as they concentrate on the green areas and neglect the dry feed. They are drafted according to size and condition, and set-stocked at varying rates accordingly. Inferior lambs are set-stocked in low ground paddocks at a :rate that provides ample green feed, and when they are in a satisfactory condition they are returned to the main mobs. (9) Hygiene Ewes shorn in February are crutched at the end of April, when they are vaccinated and feet-trimmed. They are crutched again in early August or early September, depending on the season. This procedure has virtually eliminated ewe handling other than at these periods. Drenching was discontinued last season without adverse effect. It had been the practice from 1954-60 to pre-lamb drench all ewes, drench all lambs at weaning, and drench all purchased stock on delivery. The influence of drenching on costs is indicated below by a comparison between the drenching programme for ewes and lambs in 1953, under the old management system, using rotational grazing, and in 1961, set-stocking having been practised from 1954 to present date. 1953-1961- Ewes pre-lamb drenched. Drenching d. Export lambs drenched 3 times, and full crutched. Weaned lambs drenched at weaning. Purchased stock drenched on delivery. Export lambs not crutched. During the years 1949-53 general unthriftiness and excessive scouring in sucker lambs was attributed to worm infestation. This explains the drenching programme in 1953. A series of observations undertaken by Officers of the South Australian Department of Agriculture between 1954-56 provided strong evidence to suggest that this condition was attributed to nutritional upsets associated with rotational grazing practices. 107
(h) Labour Requirements The change to the system of management which has been described has saved the cost of one employee. One employee can comfortably handle all stock and routine work with part-time assistance of the owner. Casual labour is engaged for lamb marketing, shearing, crutching, and other busy periods. This alone represents a considerable cost reduction. III. DISCUSSION It is considered that the programme outlined is best suited to Braidwood ; many of the points, however, have general application. It was initiated in 1954 when Officers of the S.A. Department of Agriculture closely analysed my management programme. They asked me many questions, such as: Why do you shear in October? To this and to other questions I had no immediate answer. Reflection suggested that many years before, I had followed the lead of a neighbour, and that I had given little thought to the subject of the time of shearing in the intervening years. This paper is intended to be thought-provoking rather than dogmatic. Scientists and farmers alike can well ask themselves the question: Would a change in my production methods gain increased returns at lower cost? IV. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author wishes to thank those Officers of the Department of Animal Husbandry, S.A. Department of Agriculture, who assisted in the development of the fat lamb management programme at Braidwood. Thanks are also due to Mr. K. J. Hutchinson, Roseworthy Agricultural College, and to Mr. R. Bennett of the Chronicle, Adelaide, for advice and criticism during the preparation of this paper.