Learn old school skills to lift lamb numbers

Local sheep producers have been invited to a free half-day workshop at Cowra on Tuesday October 23 to update their skills and learn how to identify ewes with wet and dry udders.

Department of Primary Industries (DPI) livestock officer, Megan Rogers, said the wet and dry technique may be a skill from the past, yet the use of this low-cost, old school tool was a sure way to boost lamb survival. 

“The best way to select competent mothers capable of rearing lambs is to identify ewes with wet udders from those with dry udders at marking or weaning,” Ms Rogers said.

“It’s a simple tool which can easily be integrated into the operation at practically no cost.”

DPI staff will demonstrate how the skill can be easily applied in the field during the hands-on workshop in the Cowra Agricultural Research and Advisory Station (CARAS) yards.

CARAS research showed that identifying wet and dry ewes offered significant opportunities to improve short-term and long-term lamb weaning rates.

DPI livestock researcher, Gordon Refshauge, said 60 per cent of lambs which died were born to 27 per cent of ewes.

“Weaning rates can be immediately improved by removing ewes which lose lambs,” Dr Refshauge said.

“Selecting the most fertile and competent mothers over ewes who lose lambs also delivers long-term genetic gains for the flock, with higher lamb survival rates into the future.

“Producers can expect to see a significant impact on weaning rates due to their selection of the most fertile and competent mothers.

“They will also be increasing the number of young animals available for selection every year.

“In Merino flocks, dry ewes with no udder tissue and ewes with small amounts of udder tissue, who have lambed and lost, should be identified and if they are found to be dry for a second time in their life they should be removed from the flock.

“The only exceptions are udder breakdown and ewes requiring assistance to lamb - these ewes should be let go without a second opportunity.

“In crossbred flocks emphasis on reproduction needs to be higher and dry ewes should be removed after one failure.”

The Making More from Sheep workshop will run from 9.30 am until 12 noon and producers should register by contacting Megan Rogers, 6850 1905 or megan.rogers@dpi.nsw.gov.au

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