Sheep farmers pushing the boundaries for better production and improved efficency are well worth supporting and the Ballance Environmental judging team believed this work by the Whites on 8 months lambing was one such project.
In a competitive landuse enviroment the sheep industry needs to keep looking past the square to improve the returns from their sector.
Significant gains have been made to fertility and lamb growth rates and the introduction of these breeds may enable them to lamb more frequently.
For many top farmers lambing their hoggets is now the norm and adds to the bottom line profit and this exercise may now not be as wayout as it seems.
Farmers are now growing quality out of season feed through use of different cultivars so feeding milking animals in the winter will now be possible and should enable young stock to be marketed at times of year when little product is available.
With the backing of Massey University for further trials farmers will soon see whether this project is commercially viable.
Wairarapa farmers Tim and Belinda White are trying to breed a ewe that will lamb three times in two years reports Scoop. For the past five years they have been running a trial on their 440ha farm at Matahiwi, about 10km west of Masterton, with the aim of identifying ewes that are capable of lambing every eight months. 'Upperwood Farm’, which also grazes dairy heifers and finishes weaner bulls, runs about 2000 Poll Dorset- Dorper ewes – about half of which are mated soon after their spring-born lambs are weaned.
Tim White says the goal is to lamb these ewes again in May/June and then mate them in July while their lambs are still at foot.
He says the aim of the trial is to lift sheep production by breeding an elite flock capable of an extra lambing every two years.
His calculations show that out-of-season lambing results in a 23-30% lift in profitability per kilogram of drymatter consumed.
But the tricky part is getting ewes in lamb again every time, and he says finding the right genetics is a crucial part of this. Tim and Belinda’s trial work won them a Massey University Discovery Award in the 2012 Greater Wellington Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
The Discovery Award recognises new innovations and the successful implementation of economically and environmentally sustainable farming systems. The Award acknowledges farmers and farming families who have been proactive in seeking new knowledge and applying that knowledge to move their farming business to a more sustainable state. The Whites were pleasantly surprised when Massey University recognised their work and offered to assist with future trials.
Tim says the next step is to work with his discussion group and Massey University “and find out if this concept is going to be commercially successful or just a hobby”.
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