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Table 1 details the results of a trial undertaken with light- and medium-weight Scottish Blackface and Texel-cross-Scottish Blackface lambs at two starting weights of about 25kg and 30kg.
Performance and food conversion efficiency was higher, as expected, for the Texel-cross lambs.
However, satisfactory levels of performance was still achieved for the Scotch lambs, with over 96% hitting target French carcase weights in excess of 16kg.
Starting lambs on an intensive finishing diet at a lighter weight than 25kg is probably not feasible, as lambs will end up going overfat before reaching the target liveweight/carcase weight for slaughter.
This is a consideration that needs to be taken into account with lambs weighed and drafted on a weekly basis as they approach slaughter weight.
Lamb finishing study 2: starting at heavier weights
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