Hill lambs finished intensively indoors have a significant risk of getting overfat with wether and ewe lambs presenting a much greater risk than ram lambs.
Lambs should be drafted weekly once they approach slaughter weight with drafting decisions based on a combination of weight and fat cover. Wether lambs will kill-out 1% to 2% higher than ram lambs. Trials on hill lambs carried out in Teagasc Athenry suggest an average kill-out for Scottish Blackface ram lambs of 44%, rising to 46% for wether lambs with Texel x Scottish Blackface ram lambs averaging 46%, about 1% lower than wether lambs. This should be borne in mind when deciding on the optimum drafting weight with most plants generally favouring a minimum carcase weight of 16kg and imposing price reductions for lambs killing less than 15kg carcase weight. It is also important to keep in mind withdrawal dates when carrying out any health treatments as forward store lambs can reach finishing condition quickly, in as little as a four- to five-week intensive feeding period.
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Title: Sheep management: drafting hill lambs
Hill lambs finished intensively indoors have a significant risk of getting overfat with wether and ewe lambs presenting a much greater risk than ram lambs.
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Lambs should be drafted weekly once they approach slaughter weight with drafting decisions based on a combination of weight and fat cover. Wether lambs will kill-out 1% to 2% higher than ram lambs. Trials on hill lambs carried out in Teagasc Athenry suggest an average kill-out for Scottish Blackface ram lambs of 44%, rising to 46% for wether lambs with Texel x Scottish Blackface ram lambs averaging 46%, about 1% lower than wether lambs. This should be borne in mind when deciding on the optimum drafting weight with most plants generally favouring a minimum carcase weight of 16kg and imposing price reductions for lambs killing less than 15kg carcase weight. It is also important to keep in mind withdrawal dates when carrying out any health treatments as forward store lambs can reach finishing condition quickly, in as little as a four- to five-week intensive feeding period.
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