Research and Development
University of WA Trials run by Rob Davidson.
2001 RESULTS
Ewe internal parasite study (with lambs at foot)
| Ewe Breed |
Faecal Egg Count (eggs/gram) Lambs 14 wks old |
Faecal Egg Count (eggs/gram) Lambs 18 wks old |
|---|---|---|
| BL x Merino | 175 | 280 |
| EF x Merino | 267 | 330 |
| Merino | 370 | 350 |
| PD X Merino | 280 | 295 |
| SAMM X Merino | 80 | 85 |
Feedlot performance of Dohne Merino and South African Meat Merino crossbred lambs at Narrogin
Table 1:
The Performance of pure Merino or crossbred Dohne, SAMM or Suffolk lambs lot fed at Narrogin Agricultural College.| Breed | Merino | Dohne | SAMM | Suffolk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Lambs | 40 | 41 | 39 | 30 |
| Entry weight (kg) | 33.9 | 35.2 | 39.0 | 38.0 |
| Final weight (kg) | 47.0 | 47.5 | 48.6 | 47.5 |
| Days on feed | 74 | 61 | 43 | 47 |
| Growth rate (g/day) | 185 | 216 | 232 | 219 |
| Carcase weight (kg) | 19.8 | 19.7 | 20.8 | 20.7 |
| GR depth (mm) | 8.4 | 8.5 | 8.1 | 10.0 |
| Dressing percent (%) | 42.1 | 41.5 | 42.8 | 43.6 |
| Carcase value ($) | 62.74 | 63.93 | 68.60 | 68.27 |
Premium grid prices for crossbred lambs were $3.30/kg, Merino lambs $3.20/kg. Skins were valued at $3/head.
Evaluation of maternal breeds as mothers of crossbred sucker lambs
Table 1.
The pre-joining liveweight and condition score, and the pregnancy scanning results of the five ewe breeds.| Ewe genotype | BLxM | EFxM | Merino | PDxM | SAMMxM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liveweight (kg) | 58.8 | 57.7 | 54.0 | 56.9 | 58.5 |
| Condition score | 2.3 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| Dry ewes | 8 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 0 |
| Single fetus | 43 | 40 | 40 | 37 | 43 |
| Multiple fetuses | 8 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| Potential lambs | 59 | 52 | 50 | 47 | 55 |
| Conception rate (%) | 86 | 84 | 83 | 88 | 100 |
| Potential lambs per ewe mated | 1.00 | 0.94 | 0.93 | 0.98 | 1.1 |
Wool attributes of five maternal breeds of ewes in the Q Lamb Super PIRD
| Ewe Breed | BLxM | EFxM | Merino | PDxM | SAMMxM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Micron | 26.5 | 25.5 | 21.8 | 25.5 | 21.7 |
| Change in micron from 1st mature shearing | -2.2 | -2.6 | -0.5 | -2.8 | -1.1 |
| CV of fibre diameter | 23.8 | 24.2 | 24.3 | 22.2 | 20.5 |
| Yield (%) | 73.4 | 70.8 | 65.2 | 72.7 | 66.1 |
| Strength (N) | 20.4 | 24.4 | 19.4 | 23.9 | 24.3 |
| Length (mm) | 105.6 | 96.8 | 88.0 | 82.0 | 76.9 |
| Comfort Factor (%) | 76.0 | 79.6 | 93.6 | 81.7 | 96.7 |
Value of the wool produced by Merino and first cross ewes in 2001 plus the total return from the wool produced over 3 shearings.
| EWE BREED | BLxM | EFxM | Merino | PDxM | SAMMxM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greasy fleece weight (kg) |
3.2
|
2.9
|
3.9
|
2.7
|
3.0 |
| $/kg greasy |
3.81
|
3.75
|
4.10
|
2.54
|
3.96 |
| $/head greasy |
12.19
|
10.88
|
15.99
|
6.86
|
11.88 |
| $ return over 3 shearings |
21.34
|
28.49
|
44.06
|
22.64
|
32.10 |
Gracefield SAMM
PO Box 726
Katanning WA 6317
Phone: 08 9821 2181 Fax: 08 9821 4240
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