Weight gain expected for lambs..

[Kazak]

Fattening the last of the lambs.. on 16% good ration.. eating roughly 2 pounds/ head x day.. they are outside, very little grass.. mixed weights but mostly 40/42, but need a bit more to finish..

Roughly they are putting 1 kg x week..

Is that to b expected, weather has not been the best with loads of wet weather.. i know inside would do better but have no room.
Thanks

 

[Sandpit Farm]

If they have mucky bums I’d consider a haylage or sweet hay to add some dry matter. They should take 1% of body weight easily enough. They will get some from the ration but probably not enough. That should help. 1kg/week isn’t too bad but I’d be hoping for at least 300g/day from lambs like this.

 

[neilo]

Breed/genetics would surely make a big difference, what are they?

I have 130 still inside on ad-Lib Alkagrain & hay currently, putting on 2-2.5kg a week once they’re eating well. It is noticeable, every time I weigh them, that the Charollais X are romping on a lot faster than the Beltex x lambs, but I know the Beltexes can be drawn lighter as will KO better (they need to!).

 

[Sandpit Farm]

Straw is the other option but reckon you may struggle to get them to eat it if they are getting any sort of pickings from the grass.

 

[Sandpit Farm]

Breed/genetics would surely make a big difference, what are they?

I have 130 still inside on ad-Lib Alkagrain & hay currently, putting on 2-2.5kg a week once they’re eating well. It is noticeable, every time I weigh them, that the Charollais X are romping on a lot faster than the Beltex x lambs, but I know the Beltexes can be drawn lighter as will KO better (they need to!).

Fair point from Neil here. Acidosis could be an issue if the balance is wrong. Neil is using a high pH buffered feed.

 

[neilo]

Fair point from Neil here. Acidosis could be an issue if the balance is wrong. Neil is using a high pH buffered feed.

We used to see similar growth from lambs on ad-Lib nuts too, but Alkagrain is/should be safer to get them on to initially.

 

[Agrivator]

Weighing lambs never improved their weight gain.

It's their carcase gain which is more important. And the appearance of their heads and improvement in their general bloom will tell you if they are doing or whether or not they need a bit more concentrate feed.

 

[yellowbelly]

Fattening the last of the lambs.. on 16% good ration.. eating roughly 2 pounds/ head x day.. they are outside, very little grass.. mixed weights but mostly 40/42, but need a bit more to finish..

Roughly they are putting 1 kg x week..

Is that to b expected, weather has not been the best with loads of wet weather.. i know inside would do better but have no room.
Thanks

Just checked our load that went this week, (16% ration, 2lb/hd/day) - they averaged 250gms/head/day, but these were inside.

Our FCR was 4.55:1 compared to your 6.3:1. In this wet manky weather yours are eating quite a bit just to keep warm.

In addition to this, you say they are the 'last of your lambs' - you have to bear in mind that all your 'good doers' have already gone. The last ones to finish, by definition, never perform as well.

I'd put 'em up to 2.5lbs/day. If you're worried about acidosis, mix a bit of sodium bicarbonate in with it.

 

[yellowbelly]

I have 130 still inside on ad-Lib Alkagrain & hay

What do you reckon it's costing a day to feed them?

Our 16% ration is currently 15.39p/hd/day. Feed rep says next load of protein will be dearer in the new year.

 

[neilo]

What do you reckon it's costing a day to feed them?

Our 16% ration is currently 15.39p/hd/day. Feed rep says next load of protein will be dearer in the new year.

I haven’t worked it out tbh. The group has been fluid in that a big group came in 6 weeks ago, quite a lot have gone and another 75 came in ten days ago. Weights of current group are spread between 36 and 45 kg, so intakes will vary across the group.
Before the last lot came in, when they were all eating/motoring, I estimated they were getting through about 2kg/day. Alkagrain +minerals costing about 34p/hd/day at that.
Also nibbling through about 200g/hd/day of hay and then expensive straw for bedding/nibbles of course.

 

[yellowbelly]

Roughly the same price per tonne then.

I've stuck with my ration for the last 4 or 5 years (found it to be relatively cheap and efficient) but always keen to see what you guys at 'the cutting edge' are doing to see if we can improve

 

[neilo]

Roughly the same price per tonne then.

I've stuck with my ration for the last 4 or 5 years (found it to be relatively cheap and efficient) but always keen to see what you guys at 'the cutting edge' are doing to see if we can improve

If I was near any cutting edge I’d have more root crops in to keep all those lambs back until April/May. It’s never a cheap or efficient system feeding sheep a lot of concentrates imo, but keen to reduce risk by having a good number away sooner rather than later, for obvious reasons.
My lamb contract means that I’m happy enough to put feed in to get lambs to 21.1kg this year too.

 

[michael N123]

Send them dead weight at 40-42

 

[neilo]

Send them dead weight at 40-42

With dw prices at 470p+ surely it’s worth feeding them up to the maximum weights, as long as they don’t go over fat?

Obviously a potential crash in price in a few weeks might alter opinion on that though.

 

[michael N123]

With dw prices at 470p+ surely it’s worth feeding them up to the maximum weights, as long as they don’t go over fat?

Obviously a potential crash in price in a few weeks might alter opinion on that though.

We’ve sold everything over

With dw prices at 470p+ surely it’s worth feeding them up to the maximum weights, as long as they don’t go over fat?

Obviously a potential crash in price in a few weeks might alter opinion on that though.

Anything over 40kg of ours goes fat what would be a good lamb for auction is to fat dead weight

 

[neilo]

We’ve sold everything over

Anything over 40kg of ours goes fat what would be a good lamb for auction is to fat dead weight

I do similar usually, but everything going that bit heavier this year. Average carcass weight up about 2kg so far, same genetics.