Problems in flushing ewes on North Island hill country

D.C. Smeaton, T.W. Knight and G.W. Winn

Whatawhata Hill Country Research Centre, Hamilton and Ruakura Agricultural Research Centre, Hamilton

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production. 1981, 41: 183-188

In 1979 and 1980 two trials were carried out in which ewes were offered a range of pasture allowances over a 7-week period prior to joining. There was a high proportion of dead dry matter in the sward in both years; 75% in 1979 and 40% in 1980 which was a wet summer. This was associated with a low level of green herbage mass (600 kg/ha in 1979 and 1100 in 1980). Even at high allowances of green DM the ewes gained less than 20 and 70 g liveweight/d in 1979 and 1980 respectively. These values are considerably less than the 150/200 g/d achieved in flushing trials at Ruakura.

Ovulation rates were higher in 1980 than in 1979 and reached a maximum average of 1.6 eggs/ewe. Extrapolation of the data suggests hill country ewes should show higher ovulation rates at higher liveweights than in these studies but would need better pasture to obtain them.

Keywords: NZSAPAB;

Last Updated 12-09-1998