FonterraFarmer
Member
- Location
- Waikato, New Zealand
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New Zealand lamb - how do they do it?
- Thread starter Doing it for the kids
- Start date
CopperBeech
Member
- Location
- A Welsh man lost in England
You've never cut a sheep throat?
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
I would expect most of the overweight lambs go for export, or into catering, rather than putting big cuts on any shelves.
If the extra weight isn't being paid for, it's fairly simple for farmers to sell them at more sensible weights, assuming the genetics & management aren't geared to producing those big lambs in the first place. If they are, and it's not paying, then change one or both of those to suit the farm.
It doesn't matter where they go. Unless they get binned they are taking the place of an in spec lamb that would receive payment for every kg of meat.
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
So sheep farmers should kill them in spec, as the main markets require, rather than try to squeeze extra kilos out of them then moan they aren't getting paid fully for producing out of spec?
Obviously everyone will have some out of spec, but to produce everything like that is asking for a kicking on occasion surely?
I feel we have crossed communications, I agree with you. Sell in spec, stop giving away 50+kg hogs.So sheep farmers should kill them in spec, as the main markets require, rather than try to squeeze extra kilos out of them then moan they aren't getting paid fully for producing out of spec?
Obviously everyone will have some out of spec, but to produce everything like that is asking for a kicking on occasion surely?
FonterraFarmer
Member
- Location
- Waikato, New Zealand
Was in Southland, two years ago . Go from Balclutha to Invercargill via the coast Think most of you from the UK would be quite amazed not only at the size and scale of these farming operations, but the time and effort these sheep farmers put in with sheep and lambs. Like most things, pass judgement on personal experience and interaction than merely repeating what someone else said or media mislead.
spin cycle
Member
- Location
- north norfolk
f**k no
I've been, surprised what I saw, in a good way. Nothing like some believe
spin cycle
Member
- Location
- north norfolk
sorry all i obviously missed the part in the op where it said 'only comment if you've been to nz'....poor uneducated fool that i am i'll leave you to your kiwi 'love in'
CopperBeech
Member
- Location
- A Welsh man lost in England
Its not overly nice, but needs must on occasion. I don't think anyone would do it to save bullets, but id rather do that than leave it suffer.
The reason I asked was because you said that we are world's away in scale and climate. I don't think are as far apart as many think.
FonterraFarmer
Member
- Location
- Waikato, New Zealand
FonterraFarmer
Member
- Location
- Waikato, New Zealand
I missed that bit too
- Location
- Bedfordshire
No, but don't criticise a country on bullshine that you've read on the Internet.
From my experience, the lambs were uniform, sold at 17kgs dead, finished on grass, swedes were grown for the ewes. I didn't see any difference in welfare over there, the parlour I milked in was the cleanest I've been in.
The whole attitude is different, I worked with a chap who must have been 70, he had 1100 ewes sheared them with a mate, lived a very modest life like most people I met, and I think they were some of the happiest people I've known.
I was near balclutha @FonterraFarmer
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- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
I just got takeaways from balclutha about 15 minutes ago!! (Hangover fix)
We live in Owaka
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
I think sheep eid usage is going up all the time, depending on scale and system. It's not much use to me on a little farm and a fairly big cost if you've got 12000 ewes too, but getting used more all the time I believe.
We don't have half the crap that you have to put up with really.
I won't go into much detail about how my audit went here, let's say I could have just about done it via text message.
Where do you keep farm chemicals? I don't have any, mate...
OK where do you keep your drench and stuff? I don't have any of that either, mate, but I'd lock it up in that shed.. hey must be time for a brew, let's go to the house.... lol the guy was more interested in my pigs than filling out his checklist. Hope I don't pay for it next time round... I think we are permitted to exercise our common sense 100%more than the UK, from what I've read on TFF
- Location
- Bedfordshire
I was near tioro @Kiwi Pete the family were contractors aswellI just got takeaways from balclutha about 15 minutes ago!! (Hangover fix)
We live in Owaka
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
Main points of contrast, you must understand that I'm probably still years off getting to the UK for a trip:
Most of the NZ farms in my neck of the woods, have a covered set of sheepyards attached to the shearing shed and that's the extent of infrastructure. Maybe something for cattle built about 50 years ago and that's all. An implement shed and a farmhouse..
Nearly all lambing beats around here are a twice a day check on a 2 wheeler bike, so you can get 170km on a ten litre tank of fuel instead of taking a quad around.. I saw my neighbour out 5 times over lambing, not to say he wasn't out in other paddocks.. but only saw him or tracks 5 times over 3 months.
Low cost pasture systems, permanent pasture is exactly that, 20-30year old pasture around me here. Nothing very high tech in the mix, but it's what's underneath that counts
Most of the NZ farms in my neck of the woods, have a covered set of sheepyards attached to the shearing shed and that's the extent of infrastructure. Maybe something for cattle built about 50 years ago and that's all. An implement shed and a farmhouse..
Nearly all lambing beats around here are a twice a day check on a 2 wheeler bike, so you can get 170km on a ten litre tank of fuel instead of taking a quad around.. I saw my neighbour out 5 times over lambing, not to say he wasn't out in other paddocks.. but only saw him or tracks 5 times over 3 months.
Low cost pasture systems, permanent pasture is exactly that, 20-30year old pasture around me here. Nothing very high tech in the mix, but it's what's underneath that counts