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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 feeding management to achieve growth targets. Where possible, benchmark production performance and consider using a livestock adviser to increase performance and profitability.
An alternative tool for calculating individual growth rates and planning dates and numbers for marketing is the Sheep CRC Lamb Growth Rate Predictor tool listed in the signposts at the end of this procedure.
Modern, automated, easy-to-use
weighing systems have also been
developed for rapid weighing and sorting.
The Cooperative Research Centre for
Sheep Industry Innovation (Sheep CRC)
Precision Sheep Management 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. Crossbred lambs are more
favoured for the lamb trade but merino
lambs have a niche in particular markets.
For example they are suitable for live
export in winter. There are also various
markets for hogget and mutton products,
Tool 3.2 provides a summary of the
specifications for a range of markets for
lamb and sheepmeat.
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
|
Lamb category
|
Liveweight (kg)
|
Hot Standard Carcase Weight (kg)
|
Market segment
|
Estimated growth rate
(average grams/day from birth)
|
|
Weaned
(4–6 months)
|
35
|
-
|
Store lamb
|
200
|
|
Weaned
(3–3.5 months)
|
33
|
|
Feeder
|
300
|
|
Unweaned
(4 months)
|
40
|
18
|
Domestic
supermarket
|
300
|
|
Carryover
(8 months)
|
45
|
20
|
Diverse
|
150
|
|
Carryover
(8 months)
|
55
|
25
|
Heavy export
|
200
|
|
Merino
(11 months)
|
47
|
20
|
Diverse
|
150
|
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.
At most processing works, sheep with
less than 6mm of fat - fat score 1 are not
desirable and price may be penalised.
In addition, under the Meat Standards
Australia (MSA) carcass fat guidelines,
lean (score 1 lambs) are not eligible for
classification as MSA product. 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 8.3 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. Record liveweight on entry to the feedlot and weigh after 4-5 weeks to check on progress towards target sale weights.
Feeder lambs
There is increasing demand for high-quality
feeder lambs from specialist
lamb finishers and lot feeders. To supply
this market producers should develop
production systems that grow lambs to
around 30kg sale live weight at 12–14
weeks average age. Aim for a turn off
weight (33kg liveweight minimum – see
table 3.1)
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) 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
|
|
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
|
|
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
|
|
Quantity of product produced per hectare;
