Prime lamb production in relation to time of mating

Abstract

Over 3 years, we examined the possible benefits of moving the joining date from mid March to early February for the productivity of a prime lamb system based on Border Leicester x Merino ewes on the southern tablelands of New South Wales. The proportion of ewes with >1 lamb (fertility) was affected more by year and by age of ewe than by joining date. The mean proportion of fertile ewes with >1 lamb (fecundity) was reduced from 0.28 to 0.15 at the earlier date, while immunisation against androstenedione increased fecundity at both mating times to 0.42 but significantly reduced fertility in the earlier group. Over the 3 years, the earlier joining produced 12 fewer lambs per 100 ewes mated and immunisation increased lamb number by 17, but flushing (for 3 weeks with sunflower meal) had no significant effect. Immunisation did not have a consistently greater effect at the earlier joining. Groups of these ewes, balanced for fetus number, grazed at 6.5, 10, or 13 per ha on pastures based on phalaris and subterranean clover. Ewe liveweight after lambing, lamb birth weight, and perinatal mortality were not affected by joining date, but mean daily weight gain by later born lambs over the first 90 days of life was 44 g greater than for earlier born lambs. However, earlier joining enabled 17 more lambs per 100 ewes to reach a marketable weight of 31 kg within the pasture season. Twins grew more slowly and relatively few reached sale weight. With a mean 1.4 lambs per ewe, the optimum stocking rate on these pastures appeared to be 6.5-10 ewes/ha. Superphosphate application to half of the experimental area, after 17 years without treatment, increased pasture weight, lamb growth rate, and numbers sold. The increase was such that a treated pasture could have carried an extra 3 ewes/ha without depression in individual productivity, relative to an untreated pasture. Supplementation of ewes in late pregnancy and early lactation benefited only twin lambs at the higher stocking rates. The results suggest that a prime lamb system in this environment is more likely to succeed with the earlier joining date. The lower lambing percentage, resulting from a decrease in fecundity, is likely to be of benefit, rather than detriment, to the efficiency of a system in which single- and twin-bearing ewes and their lambs are given equivalent treatment.