BREEDING FAT LAMBS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 736, 8 April 1910, Page 10

BREEDING FAT LAMBS.

~:;•■:".: some'bxpeeiments.,-. ',■;'•■ ■ ;■■.•';.-..'■ An interesting summary of the result of ;%■•:..." Mr. Gillanders's series.of experiments at • ■ , Moumahakr as,": to;' thcrbest. crosses for producing fat /lambs'"appears in' this ■;" month's 'Tarmei" During each of tlioi .. .four seasons from. 1905 about.' 200, ewes/. .;■'•.". principally Komney-Lincoln cross, were' ,:..■ ;divided .into four lots and mated on or :'.;. about March sto purebred rains of the following breeds:—Border Leicester, Eng- - ; lish. Leicester,' Shropshire, and.-So'uth-i'.'. ;,■ iown. .-..,.'.; ;., ..,;.;;:■<: The average returns for.' the four sea-.'■i'i'-.'mns-work out as follows:— '. .■ >■ -.■. ..- Border Leicester—Percentage of lambs, ,315; percentage fat at first draft;''G7.9;J :-V. average live.weight, 82.11b.; ■'average''dead: .v'vweight, 38.51b.; percentage.;of 'meat to •■,;'-,,■;-live .weight, *G.Blß'.'"■' ,; .-.;■. ■; .'•;;,''■ '-' '.i. '-:'■/■ English Leicester—Percentage : 'lambs;* .'118;. fat _at'. first\draft,.64.o per.;.cent;, average live weight," 77;51b'.";'average-dead-'■:v. weight,. 35.31b.; .percentage of live to ;■- dead ;weight,'lo.B.-'; .'X' ' '■■.-. .'i ••'-.''.'■ Shropshire Down—Percentage-- of lambs I ,' 129; fat at-first'draff,'6B per. cent.; aver- ■■■■ age', live;- weight,, 78:51b.; average dead . jye gilt,, 37>1I1);; percentage of meat to ■V,-;; :-nTb',freiSllt,':47.2. ...■■.- . '.'.;:."' ; : ;■ ■__ Southdown—Percentage ,of , lambs, 11G; i, .'.: ftt at first 74.2; average: liva't weight,;76.slb.; dead weight, 37.11b.; per- ._- ,centage of meat to live weight, 48.30. ■■- r j."•";-The above show's that the Southdown-

"■•■ cross came out on top .with 74.42 per cent. r- <, .; Df-its lambs fat. at;:the~ first-drafting,' -;,."->'i*rnile.. the dead weights averaged 37.11b. ...'■;>• ; per. carcass, thus giving a:48.30 percent- ■■-;-.'... ageof meat. to.live weight.. ..;<".;.•■■ The Shropshire-cross comes next with ~;• ;«8.07 per cent .of..its>lanibs fat- at-, the; ,V ■■■■ .first drafting,' but v.as J the .-English f;Lei;,raster: cross.ishows■ a_V- sinaller J-avera'gei . weight per , carcass"X36.3tb.); the latter' ;..,.-■ breed would-; "perhaps' take ■ second place . .....for the: purpose in view. 'The freezing ;.:.: -.companies;.report that:. : -.' ■-:. "The .Southdown-cross lambs are . in- , variably, the. best freezing carcasses, be- ■.-••■.:. wg also excellent in colour and confor- ..-'■: mation"."'.'•'.:■■,.■ ;<■■'!'■' >'•■ ""!•■? j. ... "The English Leicester-cross is a good" "-"' i r ! e^in S lamb, but is not of the'same , ,•■ *nght colour.; as the Southdown." ■■;■;■;.■■' 'The Shropshire Down-cross is also a : good class /of. freezing . lamb, will cut , . .well, but !is a shade. coarser than the' -,- houthdown,.'and does ■■ not -exhibit the .-",..,, same quality/' .'...-..- . ■■':':- 'JTho Bprder-leicester-cross is a rather ..coarse type-of lamb, heavy 1 carcass of ■ 'tallowy appearance, and well-cut fat." :;-."From this'.it. will be seen that of these - four -breeds,; .the Southdown 'has proved v u. the j most ideal crossbred for the fat-lamb >• ytrade. At.-Mbumahaki the*' Southdown. ..cross has.vbeeh found'a real good : doer ;; and is also fairly hardy. .-: :