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Know the market specifications for lamb and sheepmeat.
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Select a target market to suit the production environment.
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Use the Lamb Growth Predictor to plan the growth pathway to the point of sale.
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Monitor and evaluate the productivity and profitability of the production system. | |
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Key decisions, critical actions and benchmarks
Set annual production targets and timelines to monitor that the business is on-track and profitable in terms of quantity of meat sold (kilograms per hectare), cost of production (cents per kilogram dressed weight) and price received at sale (cents per kilogram). The key decisions in a profitable system are (1) know what you aim to produce, and (2) decide on a target market.
Know the specifications you aim to produce
Know your product and production system by measuring and recording details and evaluating performance. Use tool 3.1 to plan the average lamb growth rate to point of sale. Aim to segregate the lamb turnoff into top, middle and bottom thirds to account for the variation in the mob and apply the appropriate pasture management to achieve growth targets. Where possible, benchmark production performance and consider using a livestock adviser to increase performance and profitability.
Use the Lamb Growth Predictor to calculate individual growth rates and then use them to predict future weights of the animals (see signposts). The growth predictor tool helps with the forward planning of dates and numbers for marketing. It also determines whether the slower growing animals will reach the specifications within a specified time or whether early sale might reduce costs.
Modern, automated, easy-to-use weighing systems have also been developed for rapid weighing and sorting.
The Cooperative Research Centre for Sheep (Sheep CRC) E‑sheep® program aims to speed up the transition from manual, time-consuming, imprecise flock management to high-tech, fast flowing, accurate individual animal management (see signposts).
Calculate your cost of production
Calculating your cost of production (measured in cents per kilogram) is important to identify options for improving enterprise performance. It can be the first step in making changes to the production system (see tool 1.6 in Plan for Success).
Figure 3.1. The segmented supply chain for lamb
To calculate whether lot feeding lambs is a viable and economically sound management decision use the Feedlot Calculator available on the Sheep CRC website (see signposts). This gross margin feedlot calculator enables you to enter different real time production, economic and feeding scenarios to estimate likely profit for lot feeding lambs.
Decide on a target market
The specifications for lamb vary depending on the market segment being targeted. Tool 3.2 provides a summary of the specifications for a range of markets for lamb and sheepmeat. Crossbred lambs are more favoured for the lamb trade but market acceptance of Merino lambs is increasing.
Table 3.1 provides a summary of the important features of a range of lamb categories. All of life growth rates for lambs can vary from 400g/day (fast growth), 250g/day (medium growth) 150g/day or lower (slow growth). The minimum requirement for high eating quality is a growth rate of more than 100g/day for crossbred lambs.
Table 3.1 Key features of lamb market categories
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Lamb category |
Liveweight (kg) |
Hot Standard Carcase Weight (kg) |
Market segment |
Estimated growth rate (grams/day) |
|
Weaned
(4–6 months) |
35 |
- |
Store lamb |
200 |
|
Weaned
(3–3.5 months) |
33 |
|
Feeder |
310 |
|
Unweaned
(4 months) |
40 |
18 |
Supermarket |
300 |
|
Carryover
(8 months) |
45 |
20.25 |
Diverse |
170 |
|
Carryover
(8 months) |
55 |
24.75 |
Heavy export |
210 |
|
Merino
(11 months) |
47 |
20.21 |
Diverse |
180 |
Demand for hogget (1 or 2 erupted permanent incisor teeth) and young Merino mutton (1-4 erupted permanent incisor teeth) may eventually compete with live export.
Meeting weight and fat score specifications for sheepmeat is important for successfully supplying a target market and best financial returns. Figure 3.2 provides a summary of the range of markets for lamb in terms of carcase weight and fat score. See tool 3.3 for how to fat score your lambs.
Under the Meat Standards Australia™ (MSA) carcase fat guidelines, lean (fat score 1) lambs and sheep are not eligible for MSA grading. Producing fat score 4 and 5 lambs uses too much pasture. Table 3.2 describes the fat scores and tool 3.3 shows you how to assess your lambs in the yards.
Figure 3.2 Guide to lamb processor specifications
Decide on the finishing system
Pasture forage
A high energy / high liveweight gain pasture for lambs contains 11 megajoules (MJ) of metabolisable energy (ME) per kilogram of dry matter (DM) at 17% crude protein (CP). High energy legume based pastures, cereal forage or special purpose lucerne or chicory pasture all give good daily liveweight gains (see procedure 8.2 in Turn Pasture into Product).
Lot feeding
Lot feeding to finish lambs may be a viable management consideration, especially when relatively low-priced grain and roughage are available.
Be sure to calculate carefully the cost versus financial gain before starting a lot feeding program. The Sheep CRC Feedlot Calculator will assist in this assessment (see signposts).
Aim for 2 kg or more liveweight gain per week and monitor progress to ensure the lambs are gaining weight. Use an entry liveweight and weigh after 4-5 weeks to check on progress towards target sale weights.
Feeder lambs
There is increasing demand for highquality feeder lambs from specialist lamb finishers and lot feeders who have developed production systems that grow lambs to around 30kg sale weight at 12–14 weeks average age.
Explore market options (see procedure 3.3), build a supply chain relationship with finishers and use high genetic merit sires for carcase attributes (see procedure 9.2 in Gain from Genetics). Aim for a turn off weight (33kg liveweight minimum – see table 3.1) and ensure health management processes suit the production system (see procedure 11.2 in Healthy and Contented Sheep).
To maximise turnover and profit, maintain a focus on production efficiency and turn-off (kilograms of lamb produced per hectare).
Match the production system to land capability
Matching target markets to the land capability and production environmentcan be achieved by:
- Matching the genetic merit to the availability of pastures and crops, the pattern of rainfall and the length of the growing season (see procedures 9.1 in Gain from Genetics and 8.3 in Turn Pasture into Product).
Then, by:
- Matching the proposed target market to the breed and type of lamb.
- Planning the finishing phase (use of pasture versus fodder crop or grain feeding) and matching this to the choice and specifications of target markets.
Table 3.2: Carcase descriptions
|
Fat Score |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
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GR tissue depth in mm |
0 to 5 mm Not eligible for MSA |
6 to 10 mm |
11 to 15 mm |
16 to 20 mm |
20 mm and over |
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Feel at the 12th long rib |
Individual ribs felt easily. Cannot feel any tissue over the ribs |
Individual ribs easily felt but some tissue present |
Individual ribs can still be felt. Can feel more tissue over the rib |
Can only just feel ribs. There is fluid movement of tissue |
Ribs cannot be felt. Tissue movement very fluid |
Signposts  |
Read
Making the Most of Mutton: a user’s guide to maximising the value of mutton to an enterprise which includes specifications, live assessment, marketing systems and quality assurance. Purchase a copy from MLA by:
View
Sheep CRC Lamb Growth Rate Predictor Tool: calculate individual growth rates of lambs and predict finishing times. Visit: http://www.sheepcrc.org.au/index.php?id=300.
Sheep CRC E-sheep®: includes autodrafting and auto-weighing technologies for remote individual animal management. Visit: http://www.sheepcrc.org.au/index.php?id=35
Feedlot Calculator Tool developed by the Sheep CRC: enter different real time production, economic and feeding scenarios to estimate likely profit for a lamb feedlotting enterprise. Visit: http://www.sheepcrc.org.au/index.php?id=301 |
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Quantity of product produced per hectare;