Lamb finishing options and Systems Research

SI results summary M&S 07/08

00.050.1

0.150.2

0.250.3

0.350.4

0.450.5

0.550.6

0.650.7

0.750.8

0.850.9

0.951

17-Dec-

087-J

an-08

14-Jan-0

8

21-Jan-0

8

28-Jan-0

8

4-Feb-

08

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Perc

enta

ge

% in Spec % lambs cw kg 13.3 - 16.0 PM/YM % " F" grade

Chicory & Clovers

Red clover (extra benefit N production & Herbicide option)

SI results summary M&S 07/08

00.050.1

0.150.2

0.250.3

0.350.4

0.450.5

0.550.6

0.650.7

0.750.8

0.850.9

0.951

17-Dec-

087-J

an-08

14-Jan-0

8

21-Jan-0

8

28-Jan-0

8

4-Feb-

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11-Feb-

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Perc

enta

ge

% in Spec % lambs cw kg 13.3 - 16.0 PM/YM % " F" grade

HunterSown early Nov

Becomes late to sow other options

Hunter & Italian ?Sown early Nov

SI results summary M&S 07/08

00.050.1

0.150.2

0.250.3

0.350.4

0.450.5

0.550.6

0.650.7

0.750.8

0.850.9

0.951

17-Dec-

087-J

an-08

14-Jan-0

8

21-Jan-0

8

28-Jan-0

8

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Perc

enta

ge

% in Spec % lambs cw kg 13.3 - 16.0 PM/YM % " F" grade

WinfredSown Oct 20th

Becomes late to sow other options

Winfred & red clover or Tonic ?Sown Oct 20th

SI results summary M&S 07/08

00.050.1

0.150.2

0.250.3

0.350.4

0.450.5

0.550.6

0.650.7

0.750.8

0.850.9

0.951

17-Dec-

087-J

an-08

14-Jan-0

8

21-Jan-0

8

28-Jan-0

8

4-Feb-

08

11-Feb-

08

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08

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08

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5-May-

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Week

Perc

enta

ge

% in Spec % lambs cw kg 13.3 - 16.0 PM/YM % " F" grade

Spring sown Italian Autumn Sown ItalianSown Jan

SI results summary M&S 07/08

00.050.1

0.150.2

0.250.3

0.350.4

0.450.5

0.550.6

0.650.7

0.750.8

0.850.9

0.951

17-Dec-

087-J

an-08

14-Jan-0

8

21-Jan-0

8

28-Jan-0

8

4-Feb-

08

11-Feb-

08

18-Feb-

08

25-Feb-

08

3-Mar-

08

10-Mar-

08

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08

25-Mar-

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31-Mar-

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14-Apr-

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21-Apr-

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28-Apr-

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5-May-

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Week

Perc

enta

ge

% in Spec % lambs cw kg 13.3 - 16.0 PM/YM % " F" grade

Late spring sown perennial pasture / NEW GRASS

Tetraploid ryegrasses

Hybrid ryegrasses

Late heading ryegrasses

Chicory & clovers

• On-farm experience

• 250-350 g/day

• 35-45 lambs/ha in summer• 2-3 times more meat production than

pasture

Management of chicory as crop

• Sub-divide to six paddocks with water

• Rotate every 20-30 days (3-4 days per break)

• Keep lambs on chicory diet till sold to works

• Apply regular N-based fertiliser• Only use certain herbicides.

Fractional degradation rate of different forages(/hr) Hrs to

Fresh Forage 50 %

Perennial ryegrass 0.114 6

Kikuyu 0.071 10Paspalum 0.068 10

White clover 0.195 3

Chicory 0.260 2.5Plantain 0.246 2.5

Adapted from Burke et al. 2000 Proc. NZ Soc. An Prod.

What makes herbs so effective

Very effective lamb finishing forage systemNot difficult, just different

Focus on …• weed elimination and control• time of sowing• pre-emergence and early post-emergence herbicides• accurate sowing depth and spread• care in first six months• good rotational grazing• nitrogen use

SummaryChicory Clover systems

Red clovers • On-farm experience developing in last 2-3

years

• 250-350 g/day• 35-45 lambs/ha in summer

• Large amount of Nitrogen build up in soil

Where does red clover fit?

1. Special purpose finishing feed.In herb mix, monoculture, or with grasses like

timothy or tall fescueSite selection – moist fertile flats and valleys.Restrict winter grazing

2. Permanent pasture with ryegrass or tall fescue good for silage or hay highly preferred feed by deer how about with dairy cows!

Red Clover SystemsSummer

(Dec – Feb)

Hunter Red clover Pasture

Pre mass (kg DM/ha) 3000 5850 2250Growth (kg DM/ha/day) 72 90 ?Stocking rate (lambs/ha) 45.9 75.5 29.8

LWG (g/day) 224 197 117LWG/ha (kg /ha/day) 10.3 14.9 3.5

Utilisation (%) 48 51 21

Apparent Intake (kg DM/l/day) 1.34 1.33 0.54

Red Clover SystemsAutumn

(March – April)

Italian Red clover Pasture

Pre mass (kg DM/ha) 0 1900 1900Growth (kg DM/ha/day)Stocking rate (lambs/ha) 0 27.3 28.2

LWG (g/day) 0 268 110LWG/ha(kg/ha/day) 0 7.3 3.1

Red Clover SystemsAutumn(April-May)

Italian Red clover Pasture

Pre mass (kg DM/ha) 2150 0 1250Growth (kg DM/ha/day)Stocking rate (lambs/ha) 29.3 0 18.3

LWG (g/day) 155 0 43LWG/ha(kg/ha/day) 4.5 0 0.8

Red Clover SystemsSpring

(Sept – Dec)

Italian Red clover Pasture

Animal grazing days 588 1120 555

Stocking rate (ewes/ha) 30 21 13

Red Clover Systems2nd Summer

(Dec – present)

Hunter Red clover Pasture

Pre mass (kg DM/ha) 2500 2500 2150Growth (kg DM/ha/day)Stocking rate (lambs/ha) 40 43 35

LWG (g/day) 191 292 72LWG/ha (kg /ha/day) 7.6 12.7 2.5

Red Clover SystemsSummary

• Red clover supports high stocking rates• Red clover supports rapid lamb growth • Capable of 2-3+ years (poa can build with time)

• Less water and no nitrogen• Capable of producing early (Aug) forage

• Nitrogen fixing• Conservation • Chemical control options – Treflan, Tropotox

Italian Ryegrass • Spring sown provides no stem production

through first summer (ideally 18 month only)

• 200-250 g/day possibly higher at times• Autumn sown – outstanding for autumn

lambs – (need to sow January)

Examples of Agricom Systems Work

Maximizing Productivity from Hunter

Benefits of Tonic as a Lactation feed for Lamb finishing

Maximizing productivity from Winfred

Red Clover forage systems (Starting spring 08)

Maximising productivity from Hunter

Low residuals reduce DM production

Effect of Allowance on Lamb Growth Rate

Effect of Allowance on Lamb Growth Rate

0

100

200

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600

0.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00

Allowance (kg DM/head/day)

Liv

ewei

ght g

ain

(g/d

ay)

.

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

Liv

ewei

ght g

ain/

ha (k

g/ha

/day

) .

Grass pastureThompson et al. 1979

Allowances of 2-2.5 Max LWG/ha/day

Residual – Target for maximum LWG/ha

Lambs removed 94% lamina and 50% petiole

Summary

• Low residuals reduce DM production

• LWG/ha maximised at 2 - 2.5 kg DM/h/day

• LWG/ha maximised at utilisation of 60-70%

• Controlling grazing is critical

Maximising productivity from Winfred crops

0.000

0.050

0.100

0.150

0.200

0.250

0.300

0.350

0.400

0.450

0.00 0.50 1.00 1.50 2.00 2.50 3.00 3.50 4.00

Allowance (kg DM/lamb/day)

Liv

ewei

ght

gain

(k

g/da

y)

9

11

13

15

17

19

21

Liv

ewei

ght

gain

/ha

(kg/

ha/d

ay)

Effect of Allowance on Lamb Growth Rate

Residual – Target for maximum LWG/haLambs removed 100% lamina and 100% petiole and 50% stem

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Pla

nt

Su

rviv

al (

%)

0.75 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5

Allowance (kg DM/hd/day)

Effect of Allowance on Plant Number

Hunter

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Pla

nt

Su

rviv

al (

%)

0.75 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5

Allowance (kg DM/hd/day)

Effect of Allowance on Plant Number

HunterWinfred

Effect of Allowance on Winfred Regrowth Yield

0

500

1000

1500

2000

1 1.5 2 3.5Allowance (kg DM/hd/day)

Reg

row

th y

eild

(kg

DM

)

Summary

• Winfred robust under intense grazing

• LWG/ha maximised at 2.5 kg DM/h/day

• LWG/ha maximised at utilisation of 60%

• At maximum productivity 30% stem consumed

•Controlling grazing is critical

Benefits of using Tonic plantain as a feed during lactation

Dr Glenn JudsonPGG Seeds

Tonic plantain

Italian Perennial TonicAv. Mass (kg DM/ha) 1200 1200 1000DM prod. (kg DM/ha/d) 43 72 71Stocking rate (ewes/ha) 14 14 9

Lamb LWG (g/d) 310 296 376 Weaning wt (kg) 34.3 33.9 41.1

Ewe Lwt (kg) 78.0 70.6 86.1Condition Score 3.3 2.6 3.3

Results - 2007

Big lambs!

Conclusions

• Tonic produced similar DM to P. ryegrass

• Daily intake was higher on Tonic

• Tonic increases weaning wt of lambs and ewes

• Tonic reduces faecal egg output of ewes

Practical Management

• Set stock at lambing – 1200 kg DM/ha

• 10-12 twin bearing ewes

• “Rocking” towards conclusion of lambing

• Residuals of 400 - 500 kg DM/ha don’t compromise

Tonic plantain in Western District VictoriaBeing used for early lambing of cull ewes Photo 22 June 2010

Four year old Tonic plantain in Western District VictoriaBeing used for Autumn/Winter Lamb finishing Photo 22 June 2010

Tonic plantain & Lucerne in Western District VictoriaBeing used for stud ram lamb finishing Photo 22 June 2010

Tonic plantain & Lucerne in Western District VictoriaBeing used for stud ram lamb finishing Photo 22 June 2010

Early august lambing triplet ewes set stocked in Seddon Pure Tonic plantain in its 3rd winter Photo 2nd August 2010

Merino ewe hogget's Awtere valley near Dashwood Pure Tonic plantain in its 2nd winter Photo 2nd August 2010

Tonic plantain in its 3rd winterSown @ 6kg into run out AR1 perennial ryegrass North Canterbury

Photo 2nd August 2010