CONVEYANCE OF LAMBS.

Shannon News, 6 May 1924, Page 4

CONVEYANCE OF LAMBS.

LORRY droving. V experimental results. / Experiments have recently been e conducted by the New Zealand Meat t Producers’ Board with a view to de- d termining the difference in the con- i dition of lambs arriving at freezing ( a works by motor lorry as compared J ‘ with lambs which have been driven, j J These tests have been made on lambs j 1 delivered by Mr Frank Wall ,of Mar. £ tinborough, who very kindly offered » to allow these experiments to be made J on lambs from his property, and the ; results should be of great interest to * •farmers throughout the Dominion. The drafts of lambs' tested were weaned lambs—the board had. earlier in the season, made tests on lambs *(jf£ their mothers,” but as the season was too far advanced they were not satisfactory, and further tests will be made at the commencement of next season with the first draft of 1 off their mothers.” , , . , The first line of weaned lambs tested consisted of 88 Down Cross and 140 Romneys. T hese lambs, which were off turnips, were drafted on tMarch Ist, and after they were dratted they were put back on the turnips until 3 p.m. the next day, when they were placed in a bare sheep,-yarn and kept there until 5 o’clock next morning (March 3rd). One hundred and fourteen were then despatched by lorry and 114 by drover. In order to I' get the two lots as even as possible the lambs were first divided into two lots —Down Cross and Romneys—and then each lot put through the race separately and each lamb drafted off alternately into the motor lorry and the driven! **• .. Mr Walls’ property is 25 miles dis- . tant from the, Waingawa freezingworks, where both lots were slaugh- j tered. The lot by motor lorry was killed on "the afternoon of the same • day as delivered, viz., March 3rd, am ■killed out as follows:—One hundred I arid four primes, 421 b and under, I 38161 b, at 9!d. £155 0/6; 4 primes, 431 b and bver, 178U> at 9id, £6 17/3: 6 second class, 2071 b, at B§d, 10/11; tkal, £169 8/8; less lorry u charges. 25 miles at 1/2 5 perjamb £l6 ; 17/9;- tot.il, £162 10/11: It may be noted that if it were possible to have railed these lambs straight from the ( drafting yards to the works the mil. age for 2j5 miles would work out at . approximately 4d per lamb, as against r 1/25 p.er lamb by motor lorry. The 114 driven lot arrived at Waingawa. oh ;March 6th and were killed on the following day:—Ninety-two » primes, 4121 b and under, 32971 b, at 95d, £lß3i 18/10; '4 primes, 431 b and oyer, 1771 b, at 9*d. £6 16/5; 18 second clasi|, 6171 at Sijd, £22 9/11; total, £163 5/2; less estimated share •of, drovinjg for the 25 miles, £1 5/-; V total, £162 0/2. These driven lambs were actually four days on the road, and the total coSt of droving was £5. Under ordinary circumstances, however. a sihali lot of 114 lambs would hot be driven this distance, but would be linked'up with other lots of lambs ' and the size of the mub would govern the cost of droving, so in actual practice 25/. jwould be a fair estimate to i place against them as a droving- cost. ' During the time these lambs were being driven to the works, the weather was norihalj a careful drover had ’ charge of them, and'there was a fair picking bf feed on the road and plenty of! water. As compared with a larger mob, a. small lot of lambs i HUc these would travel much better on the road and would probably ar- ’ .rive in better condition. A further test was made on lambs from this same station at the end of March and the results are as follows; Lorry lot-killed March 31st: One hun- > • dred and'nine primes, 421 b and under, 38061 b, at 92d, £154 12/4; 1 second class, 321 b, at 82d, £1 3/4; total, £155 15/8; lorry charges, 25 miles at 1/25 peri lamb, £6 12/11; total, £149 2/9.” , Driven lot killed April 4th: One hundred and five primes, 421 b and under, 35511 b,, at 9?d, £144 5/2; 1 prime. 431 b and over, 45, at 95d, £1 14/8; 4 second class, 1201 b, at 82, £4 7/6; total, £l5O 7/4; less estimated share of drovihg for the 25 miles, £1 5/-; total, £1 : 49 2/4. The grading of both tests . was superintended by the board’s supervising grader. For the purposes of making com. ■ parisons in values, both drafts have been treated as woolly on the basis of woolly prices. .