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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

TEAGASC | Finishing Store Lambs on Autumn Pastures and on All-Concentrate Diets

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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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• 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.


• 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


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


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

finishing store lambs on autumn pastures and on all-meal ... · tagasc finishing store lambs on...

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