Finishing Store Lambs on Autumn Pastures and on All-Concentrate Diets | TEAGASC
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Finishing Store Lambs on Autumn Pastures and on All-Meal Diets.
MG Diskina, N Claffeya, M Gottsteinb, F Hynesa, C. Lynchc, P Creightona, B. Gooda, I. Kellya, D Costelloa & B. Garryd, F Campiona.
aTeagasc, Mellows Campus, Athenry, Co. Galway. bTeagasc, Macroom, Co. Cork. cTeagasc, Ballyhaise, Co. Cavan.dTeagasc, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork.
Teagasc, Mellows Campus, Athenry, Co. Galway.
September 2017
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Take Home Messages• If planning to finish store lambsprepare a budget in advance andassess all
options.• Onhillfarms,ifgoodqualityautumngrassisscarceornotavailable,itisadvisable
tosellthestorelambsinAugust/Septemberandprioritiseavailablegrassandfeedsuppliestoimprovethebodyconditionofewesandewereplacements.
• Ifpurchasing,quarantineproceduresshouldbefollowedoncelambsarriveonthefarm
• Lambsshouldbevaccinatedagainstclostridialdiseasesandpasturella,possiblyorf(ifpurchased)anddosedforinternalparasitesincludingliverfluke.
• Aim tomaximise weight gain from autumn grass. Best liveweight gains areachievedinAugusttoendofOctoberbutgrassqualitymustbegoodandwellmanagedatalltimes.
• Iffinishinglambsonanallconcentratediet,ensuredietisformulatedforthispurpose, initiallyoffer300g/lamb/dayandincreaseby200g/lamb/daysevery3daysuntilfullfeeding,andcontinuetoofferasmallqualityoflongroughage(hay,silage,orstraw).Ensurethatlambshavewateratalltimes
• Whenonafullconcentratedfeeding,regularlyweighlambsandmarketastheybecomefit.
• DifferencesbetweendifferentstrainsofScottishblackfacelambsaresmallandalmostallhilllambsarecapableofmeetingFrenchmarketspecification.
IntroductionThemajorityofBlackfaceandtheircrossessheeparemaintainedonhillsormarginallandthatisnotsuitedtoothersheepbreedsorotherfarmenterprises.Themajorityofthehillbreedsarepurebredwithanemphasisonproducingflockreplacementsforretentionorforsale.Aproportionoftheewes,particularlyinthemorefavourablehillareasarecrossedwitheithermaternalbreedstoproducequalityreplacementsorcrossedwithaterminalbreedproducinglambforslaughter.Typicallythecrossbredlambwouldbe3-4kgheavieratweaningthanthepurebredhilllamb.Profitsfromthesehillsheepenterprisesisverymuchdependantonpricesobtainedforlambssold.AlargeproportionoftheselambsbecomeavailableforsaleannuallyfromAugustonwards.Manyhilllambsaresoldtolowlandfinishersandreappearinthemarketplaceashoggetsthefollowingspring.In recent years, prices forhill lambsand inparticular lighthill lambs in theautumnhavebeendisappointingwhilethepriceforhoggetsinthespringhasbeengood.Hereweexaminetheoptionstoimprovethemarketabilityandprofitabilityofstorelambs..
MarketTraditionally,IrelandhadbeenrelyingontheMediterraneanmarketsincludingPortugal,SpainandItalytotakethelambsfromthehillflocks.Inthepast,thesemarketsrequiredcarcasesfrom10kgandupwards,withpreferencesforcarcasesfrom12to15kg.Whilehilllambsmeettheseweightrequirements,demandsfromthesemarketshavedeclinedin recent years. There has been a 54% decline in the level of exports to the threeMediterraneancountries,andan87%declineinthecombinedPortugueseandSpanishmarkets.Inthepastnumberofyearspurchasersofstorelambsintheautumnachievedgoodmarginsontheselambsbecauseofgoodlambandhoggetpricesinlatewinterearlyspring.
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Performance of store lambs on lowland pastures. Ireland’sstrengthinsheepproductionliesinitsabilitytoproducemeatfromanalmostentirelygrass-baseddiet thusgivingusacompetitiveadvantageovermanyofourEUcompetitors.Potentialexiststofinishstorelambsfromthehillsormoremarginallandon lowlandgrasslandfarms.Tables1and2outlinethetypical lambgrowthratesandweight gain achievable from lambs grazing high quality grass swards. Various lambfinishingoptionsareoutlinedbelowbut regardlessof systemtheaim is toachieveasmuchliveweightgainfromgrassaspossibleasthisisthemosteconomicalfeedwehaveavailable.Considerationneedstobegiventothequantityandqualityofgrassthatwillbeavailableonthefarmasthiswilldictatethenumberoflambsandwhatweightgainwillbeachievableoveragiventimeperiod.Considerationalsoneedstobegiventothedemandsofotherstockonthefarmforgrassastheautumnandwinterprogresses.FormulatingaplaninJulyorearlyAugustastohowyouplantoprovidesufficienthighqualitygrassforthefinishingperiodwillbecriticaltoitssuccessorfailure.Anexampleheremightbethestrategicapplicationofnitrogentoboostsupplyanddivisionofthegrazingareaavailablewithtemporaryfencingtoimprovegrassutilizationandanimalperformancebyallowingregularaccesstofreshgrass.
Table 1. Typical performance of lowland terminal sired lambs on good quality grass
Time period ADG (g/day) Kg gain/week
Aug/Sept 160 1.1
Oct/Nov 115 0.8
12weeksgain(kg) 11.7kg
Dec/Jan <50 <0.35
Table 2. Typical performance of hill bred lambs on good quality grass
Time period ADG (g/day) Kg gain/week
Aug/Sept 160 0.8
Oct/Nov 115 0.4
12weeksgain(kg) 7.2
Dec/Jan <50 <0.35
TypicalperformanceofhillbredlambsongoodqualitygrassisshowninTable2.
Intheautumnof2014TeagascpurchasedScottishBlackfacewetherandramlambsfrom5farmsinMayo,GalwayandSligoarea.Onarrivallambswerequarantinedfor48hours.Alllambswerefootbathedandinspectedsubsequentlyforanysignsoflameness.
Table 3. Performance of Scottish Blackface male lambs on lowland pastures at Athenry
Lamb Weight Category (kg)
≤25 25.1-30 >30
Wton1stAugust(kg) 24.3 27.3 30.5
ADGto10thOctober(g/day) 145 110 104
10weekgain(kg) 10.2 7.7 7.3
Wt10thOctober(kg) 34.9 35.3 38.1
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Theyweretreatedforliverflukewithaclosantel-basedproductandforgastrointestinalnematodeswithagroup5-SI–andanGroup3–ML.Lambsalsoreceivedan8:1clostridial,pasturellaandorfvaccinations.LambswereplacedonpastureandtheirperformancemeasureduntilDecember2015.Interestingly,theperformanceofthelightlambs(<25kg)surpassedtheperformanceoftheheavierlambs(seeTable3).Thismightindicatethattherewassomecompensatorygrowth inthe lighter lambs.FromMid-Octobertomid-Novembertheperformanceofalllambsdeclinedtoanaverageof45g/day.Aftermid-Novemberdailyliveweightgaindeclinedto0g/day.Duringtheautumngrazingperiodtheperformanceoframandwetherlambswassimilar(Table3).
Hill flock options for dealing with male hill lambs Becauseofthevariabilityamonghillsandintheamountofgreenlandavailable,thereisnosingleoptionthatbestfitsallhillfarms.
Option 1: Sell at weaning Ifgoodqualityautumngrass isscarceornotavailable, it isadvisabletosell thestorelambs inAugust andprioritise available grass and feed supplies to improve the bodyconditionofewesandewereplacements.
Advantages Disadvantages
• Extra grass made available forewelambsandbreedingewes.
• Savingsonflockhealthcosts• Improvedcashflow
• Poorpricesforlightlambs• Limitedmarkets.• Lamb potential not exploited by
primaryproducer
Advantages
• Heavierlambs• Greatersaleoptions• Possiblyhigherprices
Disadvantages
• Lessgrassforewelambsandbreedingewes.
• Additionalflockhealthcosts
• Delayedcashflow
Expected Lamb performance
• August–endSept:115g/dayor0.8kg/week
• 1stOct–midNov:60g/dayor0.4kg/week
• Totalliveweightgain:After12weeks=7.2kg
Option 2: Graze and sell mid-NovemberThisrequiresexcellentqualitygrassandgrasslandmanagement.Usuallylambsfailtoperform for thefirst 2weeksafter goingontonewpastureor arepurchased in. Thisoptionwouldapplytopurchasersofstorehilllambs.Wherelambsarebeingboughtforautumngrazingitisimportantthattheyarepurchasedearlyintheautumntomaximisethegainfromgrazedgrass.
Option 3: Graze + Supplementary meal feeding at pasture and sell mid-November This also requires excellent quality grass and grasslandmanagement +meal feeding(300g/lamb/day)bytrough.Thedirectcostofthemealconsumedperlambwillvaryfrom€6.30per lamb (€250/ tonne) to€8.82 (€350/ tonne).Thekeyquestion iswill theextraliveweightgained(expectedtobeabout4kg)bythelambmorethanbecoveredbypriceobtainedforthelambinNovember.
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Advantages Disadvantages
• Extra grass for ewe lambs andbreedingewes.
• Heavierlambs• Frenchlambprices
• Costofmeal• Large quantity of meal required
particularlyforlightlambs• Alongfinishingperiodforlightlambs• Additionalflockhealthcosts• Facilities• Delayedcashflowandcashrequired
topurchasemeal.• Lambsmay be finished before price
riseinspring.
Advantages
• Heavierlambs• Greatersaleoptions• Possiblyhigherprices
Disadvantages
• Lessgrassforewelambsandbreedingewes.
• Additionalflockhealthcosts
• Costofconcentrates(€6.30/lamb)
• Delayedcashflowandcashrequiredtopurchasemeal
Expected Lamb performance
• August–EndSept:155g/dayor1.1kg/week
• 1stOct–midNov:100g/dayor0.7kg/week
• 6-9kgconcentratesrequiredfor1kgliveweightgain.
• Totalgainafter12weeks=11kg.
Option 4: Finish lambs on all-meal diet after weaningThisessentiallyrequireshousingthelambsandfinishingthemonan-allmealdiet.
Option 5. Graze for a period followed by finishing on all-meal dietWiththisoptionthelambsaregrazeduntilendofOctoberorevenlongerwhenkeptatalowstockingrate.Duringthisperiodlambswouldbeexpectedtogainonaverageabout7-10kgifgrazedonverygoodqualitygrass.Attheendofgrazingperiodlambsarehousedandfinishedonanallmealdiet. This is in fact thesystemthat is followedbymanylowlandpurchasersofstorelambs.ThenlambsarepurchasedintheautumnandgrazedongrassuntilDecemberandthenfinishedonanallconcentratediet.
Advantages Disadvantages
• Heavierlambsatstartofmealfeedingperiod
• Reducedmealrequirement• Frenchlambpricesachievable• Typically higher prices in January-
March.• Reducedfinishingperiod
• Lessgrassforewelambsandbreedingflock
• Additionalflockhealthcosts• Facilities• Delayedcashflow
Thefinishingofstorelambsintheautumnandwinterperiodcanbeachievedusingarangeofdifferentfeedingoptions.Herekeyareastoensureoptimallambperformancewhenfinishinglambsonconcentratesareoutlined.
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Concentrate feeding of lambs Thepurposeofsupplementing lambswithconcentratefeed istoprovidethemwithaconcentratedformofenergyandproteininadigestibleformwhichisalsobalancedtoprovideessentialvitaminsandminerals.
High Energy
Cereals(Maize,Barley,Oats,Wheat)
Pulps(Citrus&Beet)SoyabeanMealDistillersGrainsPeas&BeansMolasses(<5%)
Oil(smallquantities)
Medium Energy
MaizeGluten
SoyaHullsRapeseedMeal
Low Energy
Pollard/Wheatfeed
PalmKernalSunflowerOatfeed
Cottonseed
Table 4. Energy density of various ingredients when included in lamb finishing diets.
Growinglambs(lessthan35kg)haveanadditionalrequirementforproteinandshouldreceiveadiet containing13-14%crudeprotein.Lambs thatarewell grownand in thefinishingphasewillnotbenefitfromdietarycrudeproteinlevelsabove11or12%.
Key points when finishing lambs on concentrate diets • Itmaybenecessarytotrainlambstoeatconcentrates2-3weekspriortohousing–
outdoorwithcreepfeedersorindoorswithaccesstoroughage.• Iffinishinglambsonanallconcentratediet,ensuredietisformulatedforthispurpose,
initiallyoffer300g/lamb/dayandincreaseby200g/lamb/daysevery3daysuntilfullfeeding,andcontinuetoofferasmallqualityoflongroughage(hay,silage,orstraw).Ensurethatlambshavewateratalltimes.
• Pensizeshouldnotbemorethan30lambsandeachlambshouldbeallocatedatleast0.8m²offloorspace.
• Ensurethatthesheephouseiswellventilatedandadequatelybeddedinstrawbeddedsheds.
• Ensure that there isadequate troughspace for lambs–especiallyduring the timethattheyarebeingbuiltuptoad-libconcentrates.(need30cmperlamboftroughspace)
• Iflambsarebeingfedindoorsensurethatacleanfreshsupplyofwaterisavailableatalltimes
• Avoidtoomuchstarchorfinelygroundingredients.• Coarseorslightlycrackedingredientsaremoreslowlydigestedandthereforecreate
asafer feed.Thedownsidehowever is thatcoarse feeds tend toattractbirdsandlambstendtosortandleavebehindunpalatableingredients(rapeseed,distillersetc.)
• Lookatingredientstoassessquality• Mineralvitamininclusionessentialforlongerfeedingperiods• Iffinishingmaleslambsincludeammoniumchlorideforlongkeeplambstoprevent
urinarycalculi.Inclusionrateis0.5%• There should be no need for additionalmineral vitamin supplementation where
properlybalancedconcentratesarebeingfed.• When on a full concentrated feeding, regularlyweigh lambs andmarket as they
becomefit.Aproportionoflambscanfinishveryquickly.
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• Wetherlambsbecomeoverfatatlighterweightsthanramlambs.• Hilllambsbecomeoverfatatlighterweightthancrossbredorlowlandlambs• Iflambsarebeingfedindoorsensurethatconcentratefeedisavailableatalltimes
Teagasc studies Performance of Scottish Blackface and Texel X Scottish Blackface lambs on an all concentrate diet Inrecentyears,TeagascatAthenryhaveconductedanumberofstudiesonthefinishingofwetherandramScottishBlackfaceandTexelcrossScottishBlackfacestorelambsonanallconcentratediet.Therationfedwas70%cerealandsoyabeanrationwith15%protein and aUFL=1. Thedietwas formulated for this purpose and contained 0.5%ammoniumchloridetomitigatetheriskofurinarycalculi.Therationwasinitiallyofferedat300g/lamb/dayandincreasedby200g/lamb/daysevery3daysuntilfullfeedingwasachieved.Thisusuallytook10-12days.Asmallqualityofsilage(400g/daywetweight)wasofferedtolambs.
Study No 1.TheperformanceoflightandmediumScottishBlackfaceandTexelcrosslambsaresummarisedinTable5.TheTexelcrosslambshadhigherperformancethantheScottishBlackfacelambs,hadhigherintakeandweremoreefficientconvertersofrationtoliveweightgainandhadbettercarcassconformation.AlmostalllambsreachedFrenchmarketspecificationof>16Kg.
Table 5. Performance of light and medium weight Scottish Blackface and Texel cross
Scottish Blackface when finished on an all concentrate diet.
Scottish Blackface Texel x Scottish Blackface
Light Medium Light Medium
Starting weight (kg) 24.8 29.1 24.9 29.9
Days on full diet 73 61 65 60
Total meal intake (kg) 89.4 72.6 82.2 77.6
Daily intake (kg) 1.24 1.19 1.26 1.3
ADG (g/day) 206 197 277 230
FCE 6.4 6.8 4.6 5.7
Liveweight gain (kg) 14.2 11.3 17.0 13.2
Slaughter weight (kg) 39.0 40.4 41.9 43.1
Carcass weight (kg) 17.1 17.6 17.4 19.3
Carcass Conformation: % ‘U’ 0% 20%
% ‘R’ 80% 80%
% ‘O’ 20% 0%
KO% 43.81 43.63 41.60 44.60
% Carcass > 15 kg (French 96 100
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Table 6. Performance of heavy Scottish Blackface and Texel X Scottish Blackface lambs on
an all concentrate diet.
Scottish Blackface Texel x Scottish Blackface
Ram Castrate Ram Castrate
Start weight(kg) 36.9 36.0 40.8 41.2
Final live weight(kg) 46.3 43.8 54.1 52.9
Days on full diet 36 36 36 36
ADG (g/day) 255 218 364 315
Total Gain(kg) 9.2 7.8 13.1 11.3
Daily feed intake(kg) 1.42 1.41 1.66 1.63
FCE 6.29 7.08 4.73 5.51
Carcass weight (kg) 20.7 20.5 25.6 25.8
Kill out (%) 45.0 47.1 47.0 48.1
Carcass fat score (1-5) 3.22 4.21 3.04 3.77
Carcass grade (1-5) 2.57 2.57 3.72 3.68
Study No. 2: InasubsequentstudylambswerepurchasedattheendofJulyandgrazedforperiodduringtheautumnandthenhousedandfinishedonanallconcentratediet.Whenhoused,dietandfeedingarrangementsweresimilartoStudy1.Theselambswereheaviercomparedtolambsinstudy1whenfirstplacedontheall-concentratediet.Lambmortalityinthisstudywas1lambfrom200or0.5%.ResultsaresummarisedinTable6.
Ramslambsofbothbreedtypeshadahigherdailygainandweremoreefficientconvertersofrationtoliveweightgainthancastratedwetherlambs.Asexpectedramslambshadlower killing out rates, particularly Scottish Blackface ram lambs. Scottish BlackfacelambshadsignificantlypoorerconformationthanTexelcrosslambs.
Atcarcassweightsof20.5kg,thecarcassesfromScottishBlackfacewetherlambswerebecoming over fat.Thiswould suggest thatwhen finishing Scottish Blackfacewetherlambsonanallconcentratedietthetargetcarcassweightshouldbenotmore18.5-19kg.Ramslambscanbebroughttoaheaviercarcassweightwithoutbecomingoverfat.
Comparative performance of Cheviot, Connemara-Mayo, Lanark and Perth type males lambs.TeagaschaverecentlyundertakentoexaminetheperformanceofCheviot,Connemara-Mayo,LanarkandPerthtypemales lambswhenfinishedonanall-concentratediet.Alllambswerecastrated.Preliminary resultsarepresented inTable7.TheperformanceoftheCheviotlambs,measuresasaveragedailygain(ADG),wassignificantlyhigherthanthe3ScottishBlackfacebreedtypeswhichwereallsimilar. TheConnemara-MayoScottishBlackfacehadasimilarkilloutpercentage (KO%) to theCheviot lambs.However,bothCheviotandConnemara-MayoScottishBlackfacelambtypeshadsignificantlyhigherKO%thattheLanarkandthePerthtypes.Connemara-MayoScottishBlackfacebredtypetendedtobefatterandhavepoorconformationthattheother3breedtypeswhichwereallsimilar.AlllambsweredeemedsuitablefortheFrenchmarketandachievedpremiumprice.
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Table 7. Comparative performance of Cheviot, Connemara-Mayo, Lanark and Perth type
males lambs on an all-concentrate diet.
Breed type
Conemara Lanark Perth
Cheviot Mayo Scottish Scottish
Scottish Blackface Blackface
Blackface
Weight at Start (kg) 29.5 29.9 29.0 28.9
Days on diet 62 62 62 62
ADG (g/day) 226 191 200 202
Final weight (kg) 42.6 40.9 41.4 41.5
Carcass weight (kg) 19.2 18.3 17.8 17.7
Kill out (%) 45.0 44.7 43.0 42.5
Conformation score 2.5 2.2 2.5 2.6
Fat Score 3.0 3.3 2.9 2.8
Shearing of lambs.ResultsfromastudyjustcompletedinAthenryrecordednoeffectofshearingofthelambsatthestartoftheindoorfeedingperiodhadnoeffectonaveragedailygain,feedintakefeedconversionefficiencyorfinalcarcassweight.Notsurprisinglykilloutpercentage(KO%)was1.2percentagepointshigherinshornlambs.Basedontheseresultsthereisnobenefittoshearinglambsatstartofindoorfeedperiod.IfcontemplatingshearingofhilllambsitisprobablybesttodoitinAugustwhenlambsarestillatgrassandshearingwillreducetheriskofflystrike.
Variation in lamb performance.AsignificantfeatureofalloftherecentstudiesatAthenryhasisthesignificantvariationintheliveweightperformanceoflambsonanallconcentratediet.Muchofthisvariationinperformanceisdirectlyrelatedtotheintakeofconcentratefeedbythelamb.Lambswithhighintakesof1.8-2.0kgperdaywillperformatcloseto450-500gperdaywhilelambseating lessthat1kgperdaywillperformatabout100gperday. Therefore, inanygroupoflambsthereisgoingtobeamixtureoflowandhighperforminglambs.Toavoidlambsbecomingoverweightandoverfatitisvitallyimportanttoweighlambsonaregularbasisparticularlyastheyapproachslaughterweight.
Selecting lambs for slaughter Theweightatwhichlambsaredraftedforslaughterwilldependonmarketspecification,particularlythemaximumcarcassweightpaid,killoutrate(KO%)which,isverymuchafunctionofbreed,gender,dietanddegreeoffinish.Producersshouldalsoavoidover-fatcarcassesasthesearediscountedandit’sexpensivetolaydownfat.Carcassfatnessismainlyaffectedbygender (ram,wetherorewe lamb)andbreed.ScottishBlackfacewether lambsreachanadequatecarcass fatcover (fatclass3)atabout18kgcarcass
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weightwithTexelxScottishBlackfacewetherlambshavinganadequatefatcoverat20kg.Forlambsonanallconcentratediet,KO%willincreasebyapprox.5percentagepointsbycomparisontoun-supplementedlambs.Ramslambsreachheaviercarcassweightsbeforeadequatefatcoverisachieved.SuggestedminimaldraftingweightsarepresentedinTable8.
Table 8. Suggested minimal drafting weights for male lambs finished on an all-meal diet.
Breed Gender Target Expected Minimal
Carcass KO% weight at
weight (kg) drafting (kg)
Conn-Mayo Scottish Blackface Wether 18 45 38
Conn-Mayo Scottish Blackface Ram 20 43 44
Texel x Scottish Blackface Wether 21 47 42
Texel x Scottish Blackface Ram 23 46 47
Evidenceto-datesuggeststhatKO%is1to2percentagepointslowerforPerthandLanarktypeScottishBlackfacelambs.Consequently,draftingweightcanbeincreasedby1to2kgforsuchtypes.Iflambsarerecentlyshornminimaldraftingweightcanreducedby1kg.Lambscanbedraftedatlowerweightbutwillresultinlowercarcassweights.Theremayalsobealackoffatcoveronramlambswhendraftedatlowerweights.
Lambs that refuse to eatIt’sbeenourexperience thatasmallproportion (<2%)ofhill lambsrefuse toeatoravery shy feeders.Usually they standat the rear of thepenwhenmeal is fedandgetprogressivelythinnerwithtime.It’sbesttoremovethemandputthemonpasture.Goodstockmanshipisvitalasisavoidingovercrowdingandhavinglargenumbersoflambsinasinglepen.
Lamb health Ifpurchasinglambs,itisalwayspreferabletopurchaselambsfromaknownsourceandwithknownflockhealthandvaccinationrecords.Purchasedlambsshould,onarrivalonthe farm,begivena“quarantine”dose forgastrointestinalwormsand liverfluke, footbathedandhousedfor48hours.Theyshouldbevaccinatedagainstclostridialdiseasesandpasturellapneumonia. Lambsshouldremainsegregatedfromothersheeponthefarmforatleast4weeks.Anthelminticresistanceinwormpopulationsisarealthreatandsoquarantinedrenchingisimportanttoavoidinadvertentlyimportingresistantwormsandfluke. For instance,resultsfromastudyinAthenrywhichscreenedthepurchaseof350storelambsfrom32farmsrecordedliverflukein9%offlocks.Lamenessisalsosignificantandcan lead toverypoorperformance in store lambs. Whenanimalsarehoused,lamenessspreadsquicklyassheepareincloseproximitytoeachother.Themostfrequentwaythatfootrotorcontagiousovinedigitaldermatitis(CODD)entersafarmisthroughtheimportationofinfectedsheep.Alllambsshouldbefootbathedonarrival(seeTable9)Anylamelambsmustbetreatedasaseparategroup.Regularfootbathing,suchaseverytwotothreeweeksisadvisableduringthehousedperiod.
Withdrawal datesWhenadministeringanyproductstofoodproducinganimals,producersmustbecognisantofwithdrawaldates.Forsomeproductsthewithdrawaldatesarelong.Thecurrentweightofthelambandexpectedslaughterdatesmustbeconsideredwhenselectingproductstobeadministered.
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ReasonTopreventtheintroductionofresistantroundworms
Topreventtheintroductionofresistantliverflukes
TopreventtheintroductionofmorevirulentfootrotstrainsorContagiousOvineDigitalDermatitis(CODD)‡
Topreventtheintroductionofscab
Vaccinationstopreventclostridialdiseasesandpasturellapneumonia
Orf
Treatment †Option 1 Moxidectine.g.Cydectin0.1%,Moxigroplusmonepantel(Zolvix)
Option 2Derquantel(STARTECT)
Option 1ClosantelegFlukiver
Option 2NitroxynilegTrodaxOption 3Rafoxanideeg.Ridafluke
Examinesheep.Alllamesheepshouldbesegregated,maintainedasonegroupandtreatedaccordingtoclinicalpresentation/diagnosis.Allanimalsshouldbefootbathedzincsulphate/coppersulphatesolutions);AnyofthesewillcureScald,preventandcontrolfootrotbuthasnoeffectonCODD.ThereisnolicensedproductavailableforCODDalthough“lincomycinandspectinomycinsolublepowderortylosinsolublepowder(100gper200Lofwater)havebeenusedinearlycasesofCODDwithsomesuccess.Thiscanberepeatedafter48hoursifnecessary”‡.
Treatwithplungediporfromthemacrocycliclactonegroup(injectableformulation)
Usemultivalentvaccinesaccordingtomanufacturer’srecommendations.Unvaccinatedlambsorlambsofunknownstatusrequireaprimarycourseconsistingoftwoinjectionsfourtosixweeksapart.
Whenorfisalreadypresentinyourflockoritappearsinboughtinlambs,isolatetheaffectedlambsandvaccinateallotherlambs.
CommentsKeepoffpastureforaminimumof24hrandturnouttocontaminatedgroundpreferablythedriestpartofthefarmifflukeisalsoaconsideration(seebelow)
Puttograzeondriestpartofthefarmaminimumof4weeksandrepeattreatment6or7weekslaterforclosantelandnitroxynilbasedproductsrespectively
Standsheeponadrysurfacefor1hourafterfootbathing.Placeonpasturewheresheephavenotgrazedforaminimumof2weeks.Maintainisolatedfromthemainflockforaminimumof4weeks.Continuetomonitorsheepthroughoutthisperiodforanysignsoflameness.Isolateanylamesheepandtreatasnecessary
Maintainisolationfromthemainflock
Mostcasesofclostridialdiseasearefatal.Pasteurellosiscanalsobefatal.Thesevaccinesareprobablythetwomosteffectivevaccinesusedinsheepandwillsubstantiallyreducetheselosses.
Iforfisnotalreadypresentonyourfarmandyoudonotexpectitispresentontheboughtinlambs,donotvaccinateasyouwillbeintroducingtheproblem.
Table 9.Treatment plan for purchased lambs
†All treatments should be administered in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions with attention to with-drawal periods‡ Adapted from O’Leary (2010) Eradication and control of Lameness of Sheep. Veterinary Ireland Journal I Volume 4 Number 7
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Factors affecting margins per lamb. Theimpactofvaryingmealprices,factorylambpriceandmortalityonmarginperlambispresentedinTable10.Theimpactofchangesinmealpricesismostsignificantwhenfeeding lighter lambsandaimingtobringthemto“French”weightsreflectingthefactthat they require larger meal inputs. Increasing factory lamb price has a consistenteffectacrossthedifferentlambweightranges.Theimpactofincreasedlambmortalityisgreatestwithheavierlambsreflectingtheincreasedvalueofaheavierlambatthestartofthefeedingperiod.
TeagaschasdevelopedaStoreLambFinishingCalculatorwhichcanbeusedtoexaminetheimpactofvaryinglambpurchaseandsaleprices,concentrateprice,performanceatpasture,lambmortality,veterinarycosts,lambtype(hillorcrossbred),gender(wetherorram)ongrossmargin.ThisisavailabletoallTeagascadvisersandprovidesmuchusefulinformationonfactorsaffectinggrossmargins.
ConclusionsAdeclineindemandforlighthilllambsbytheMediterraneanmarketsinrecentyearshas led topoorprices for these lambs. However, throughcarefulmanagement, valuecanbeaddedtotheselambs.Everyeffortshouldbemade,throughplannedgrasslandmanagement tomaximiseweaningweight. Thereare thenanumberofoptionsopento dealwith theseweaned hill and crossbred store lambs. They can be sold directlyforslaughterforthelimitedlightcarcassmarket,theycanbesoldasstoresforfurtherfeedingortheycanbesuccessfullyfattenedbytheproduceronahighconcentratediettoachievetheFrenchtypecarcass.Greaterthan95%ofmaleScottishBlackfacelambsarecapableofproducingcarcassesof>16kg.Evenlighthilllambscanbefinishedonanallconcentratediet.Toimprovetheeconomicsofthesystemtheobjectiveshouldbetomaximisethelambgainfromautumnpasture(whichrequiresexcellentsheephusbandrytominimiselamblossandmaximiselambperformance)aswellasobtainingaqualityrationformulatedforintensivefeedingoflambatacompetitiveprice.
Table 10. The impact of varying meal prices, factory lamb price and mortality on
margin per lamb
Lamb starting Weight (kg)
25 30 35
€20 increase in meal price €-1.78 €-1.24 €-0.70
20 cent increase in lamb factory price €3.80 €3.80 €3.80
1 Percentage point increase in lamb mortality €0.56-0.59 €0.63-0.70 €0.69-0.75
Impact of grass quality (August to Mid Oct)
on margins
Poor-Average €4.11 €4.11 €4.09
Average – Good €3.18 €3.18 €4.41
Total Poor-Good €7.29 €7.29 €8.50