Target setting ahead of lambing

With another lambing season fast approaching, or even underway for some, thoughts turn to how to ensure an efficient and profitable year. 

As we look ahead to this year’s lambing, it is often a time to reflect how last year’s flock performed and what we can capitalise on this season. For the majority, weather was on their side both during and post-lambing. And, despite many predictions for market turmoil post-Brexit, we had a welcome and surprising surge in sheep trade, meaning for many, 2021 finished in a positive light.

However, this season may not follow suit, with exceptionally high fertiliser prices and higher feed prices are causing a large concern. Therefore, to ensure businesses stay on a profitable trajectory, plans, and most importantly targets need to be in place now, ahead of the busy lambing period.

As a British lamb producer, we’re very often competing for space on the supermarket shelves against imports from New Zealand, but, like all good competitors, it’s worth taking note of what they’re doing to get lambs finished and shipped across the world.

Ten years ago, the New Zealand sheep industry carried out an exercise to review and analyse lamb growth rates and daily liveweight gains (DLWG). The results were interesting, the average lamb growth was below 150g/day, way below what the industry thought they were achieving. Consequently, a country-wide initiative was created, with an ambitious target of achieving 400g/day DLWG. They haven’t achieved it yet but are improving and it’s a path that has many advantages for New Zealand sheep producers, particularly when put into context for British systems.

For example, with this target, a lamb born at 4.5kg would leave the farm at 44.5kg a 100 days later. So, if born on the 20th of February they would leave the farm on 30th May. The advantages are numerous, less feed is required overall as the proportion of feed for maintenance is a lot less, and any spare feed can be used for the breeding ewes to set them up for the next season.

Labour is also reduced, with less work required long-term as most lambs would be sold before weaning. Added to this are the health benefits, such as reduced chance for parasite build-up, on paper, it seems simple! But we all know sheep farming isn’t that easy. What’s needed is to take the principles and adapt them to your business.

However, the big difference compared to New Zealand is UK sheep farming comes in many shapes and forms, so setting an industry standard target is unrealistic. Some run extensive systems, others opt for intensive. Our breeds are varied, all with their own merits, and the UK lambing season ranges from December through to May. Therefore, what needs to be done is individual farm benchmarking

There’s time to get this set out ahead of this season, it’s never too late to start. Start by initially reviewing the average DLWG for the flock, as it is a measurement influenced by a number of factors. It’s a task that can be done one evening. It’s calculated by adding up all the sale weight from last season’s flock and dividing by number of lambs and the number of days on-farm. 

Also review your sale records and take the average lamb birth weight from the average finishing weight and divide by the number of days it too. By analysing these figures it’ll give a good benchmark to start from, and you can then create a strategic plan to improve this over time.

Whatever the target for your business, what’s key is to start with a figure and work backwards to understand how this can be achieved, and what realistically can be done this season to influence the bottom line later in the year.

For further advice on target setting for your flock, please contact your Wynnstay Representative.