LAMBS FOR EXPORT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1566, 9 October 1912, Page 10

LAMBS FOR EXPORT.

AN AUSTRALIAN ON CHOSSBRED&. Speaking the other day at an agricul. tuinl conference in Adelaide, 011 tlio ynoslion of breeding lambs for export, Professor i.ouTie said that the use of halfbreil ewes for lamb production would prove to be, much more profitable than llie utilisation of-merino ewes, even if these should be obtained direct from the stations. The crossing of the short-woolltd ramovith' the merino ewe had l.?en found to bo a mistake in all the States as well as in New Zealand. He strongly advised farmers to use the English Leicester ram 011 the merino ewes as a beginning. The best of the ewe lambs which resulted should be kept, and upon these should be put either the Shropshire. Southdown, or Dorset Horn rams. The I.eicester-merino ewes made excellent and prolific mothers —under average conditions and with proper care a.percentage of between 130 and 110 could be confidently expected—and the colour of the meat of the lambs secured from them with the aid of the shortwoolled ram would leave absolutely nothing to be desired. That was a most important consideration in the sale of the carcases in England. He was satisfied that bv adopting the course outlined they could raise lambs even-superior to.those grown at Canterbury. The Southdown ram, in his opinion, was preferable to "the Shropshire, but tho resultant lambs took n fortnight longer to come to the same condition.