Update August-September 2017

On a stocking rate basis, 25% of lambs have been drafted from the 11 ewes/ha groups with 15% from the 13 ewes/ha groups up to mid-August. There is approximately 5% more lambs drafted from the grass clover treatments compared to the grass only pasture treatments. Average liveweight for lambs drafted to date (August 16^th) was 43.8 kg with average carcase weight 18.8 kg. This represents an average kill out percentage of 43%. Kill out over the last month has been disappointing with kill out percentages as low as 41% recorded. Lamb growth rates for the past month have been in the region of 165g/day (grass only) to 175g/day (grass + white clover) although this has been variable with growth as low as 120g/day recorded in early August. This corresponded with the period of very poor weather conditions and we also observed a very rapid rise in parasite burden in lambs with egg counts rising to as high as 2000 eggs per gram from 100-200 two weeks previously in early August. Grass growth rates have been strong averaging 50-70 kg DM/ha/day. To date 113kg N/ha of the 145kg N/ha total allowance for the grass only and grass + white clover high nitrogen treatments has been spread and 78kg N/ha of the 90kg N/ha allowance for the grass + white clover low nitrogen treatments has been spread. Final applications of between 12 to 32 kg N/ha (depending on treatment) will be applied in late August/early September. Maintenance dressings of K are also being applied based on soil test results. Up to mid-August total grass grown (grazing and silage) on the grass only treatments was 9.1 tons DM/ha with 9.2 tons DM/ha grown in the grass + white clover treatments. The grass + white clover high nitrogen treatments grew 9.3 tons DM/ha and the grass + white clover low nitrogen treatments grew 9.1 tons DM/ha.