The economics of finishing store lambs can be greatly improved through diet and management improvements. One of the studies outlined at the recent Teagasc open day in Athenry concerned light lambs.
Table 1 details the results of a trial undertaken with light- and medium-weight Scottish Blackface and Texel-cross-Scottish Blackface lambs at two starting weights of about 25kg and 30kg.
Performance and food conversion efficiency was higher, as expected, for the Texel-cross lambs.
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However, satisfactory levels of performance was still achieved for the Scotch lambs, with over 96% hitting target French carcase weights in excess of 16kg.
Starting lambs on an intensive finishing diet at a lighter weight than 25kg is probably not feasible, as lambs will end up going overfat before reaching the target liveweight/carcase weight for slaughter.
This is a consideration that needs to be taken into account with lambs weighed and drafted on a weekly basis as they approach slaughter weight.
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Title: Lamb finishing study 1: light lambs
The economics of finishing store lambs can be greatly improved through diet and management improvements. One of the studies outlined at the recent Teagasc open day in Athenry concerned light lambs.
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Table 1 details the results of a trial undertaken with light- and medium-weight Scottish Blackface and Texel-cross-Scottish Blackface lambs at two starting weights of about 25kg and 30kg.
Performance and food conversion efficiency was higher, as expected, for the Texel-cross lambs.
However, satisfactory levels of performance was still achieved for the Scotch lambs, with over 96% hitting target French carcase weights in excess of 16kg.
Starting lambs on an intensive finishing diet at a lighter weight than 25kg is probably not feasible, as lambs will end up going overfat before reaching the target liveweight/carcase weight for slaughter.
This is a consideration that needs to be taken into account with lambs weighed and drafted on a weekly basis as they approach slaughter weight.
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