Lamb finishing – choices?
Lamb finishing – choices?
By Marianne Curtis
LACK of forage and poor prices mean sheep producers must carefully cost out options for lamb finishing this winter.
For producers with root crops, keeping lambs rather than selling them as stores is a sensible option, believes Peter Crichton of Hill Farm Sheep. "Many who would usually regard keeping lambs over winter as an inconvenience are choosing to finish them this year, rather than accept current low prices. I hope that it will be possible to export lambs from foot-and-mouth free counties next spring."
But for those without root crops who usually sell lambs as stores, decisions must be made quickly about whether to finish these animals, says Lesley Stubbings. "Work out how far these lambs are off finishing, how much it costs and what the finished price is likely to be.
"Question whether it is worth accepting £20/store lamb now or the hassle and risk of finishing. Some, particularly with small numbers of lambs, are deciding to sell them."
Feeding hogget nuts at £120/t, assuming a feed conversion ratio of 8:1 works out at 96p/kg of gain, says Ms Stubbings. Cereals mixed with a protein supplement work out slightly cheaper at 75p/kg gain, but labour involved in moving feed around the farm should be considered.
For those forced to sell lambs, prices are shocking, according to Farmer Focus contributor Gordon Capstick. "I avoided selling lambs for a month, but needs must and I sold some last week. To avoid having too many when grass growth stops, I must move 70-100 lambs a week. Last season Suffolk cross Mule heavy lambs were making more than £60 a head; now they are in the mid £30s."
Moving lambs off grass is important to avoid compromising supply for ewes later in the season, agrees Ms Stubbings. "Grazing land is becoming wet in some areas and cutting up underfoot."
This problem could become particularly acute in hill areas, as lack of uptake of the light lamb scheme means forage stocks will be tight, fears Alastair Davy of the Hill Farming Initiative who farms in Swaledale, North Yorks.
"The £10/head offered for light lambs on the scheme doesnt cover producers bills, so many are attempting to keep lambs longer than usual in the hope of increasing their value.
"This is fine as long as grass continues to grow, however, adverse weather could cause welfare problems as farms run out of feed and dont have the money to buy more.
"Also, many lowland producers who normally take store lambs havent sown root crops and dairy producers who would take sheep on tack dont want them this year."
NFU chief beef and sheep adviser Kevin Pearce agrees that there appears to be less lowland capacity for wintering ewes and lambs. "Movement restrictions in high risk counties mean lambs cannot move outside the county.
"But even in F&M free counties, at the current low price there is a lack of incentive for finishers to buy lambs, particularly those who normally move lambs around outlying land which could require numerous movement licences."
Hill farms wishing to sell lambs as stores are also hampered by blood testing requirements, adds Mr Davy. "In North Yorks, lambs cant be moved until they have been blood tested and it is difficult to obtain answers from DEFRA about when blood testing will take place."
NFU is pressing for a lifting of movement restrictions as soon as it is safely possible to improve the number of outlets for lambs. But DEFRA must also improve the speed with which movement licences are issued after blood testing in areas where this is required, says Mr Pearce.
"After sheep are confirmed F&M negative after blood testing, producers have 14 days within which to move them. Although there appears to be no problem with the capacity for blood testing, we are receiving reports that movement licences are not being issued quickly enough after testing and are taking this up with DEFRA." *
LAMB OPTIONS
• Cost out finishing.
• Movement restriction difficulties.
• Prioritise ewes for feed.