Effect of stocking rate and liveweight on production from crossbred ewes

Abstract

Clean wool and dressed meat production from Border Leicester x Merino ewes mated with Southdown rams were measured for three years in an experiment conducted in Central Victoria. Improved pastures stocked at 9.9, 11.1, 12.3, 13.6, 14.8, 16.0 and 17.3 ewes per hectare were continuously grazed except for a period of seven weeks after the opening autumn rains. For this period the ewes were restricted to one-sixth of their plot areas and fed a supplement. Mean minimum or maximum liveweight of the ewes was closely associated with wool and meat production in each year. Maximum liveweight was more closely associated with production in the drought affected season and minimum liveweight in the other seasons. Wool production per ewe and average rate of liveweight gain for lambs decreased as stocking rate increased.