Effect of shearing once-yearly in October or twice-yearly in February and October on ewe performance

R.M.W. Sumner and L.D. Willoughby

Whatawhata Research Centre, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hamilton

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production. 1988, 48: 213-218

Production data were collected over 3 years from a flock of 600 mixed-age ewes (approximately equal numbers of Romney, Coopworth and Perendale) shorn either once-yearly in October or twice-yearly in February and October. They were grazed as a single mob throughout the year, except over mating when they were divided into breed groups and joined with rams of their own breed.

Twice-yearly shearing depressed total annual greasy wool production but did not affect total annual clean wool production. Twice-shorn ewes weaned 7% more lambs because of a reduction in barrenness. Shearing treatment did not affect live weight either pre-shearing in February or post-shearing in October, nor did it affect ewe and lamb survival. Incidence of casting was less than 1%.

Overall economic returns for the 2 groups of ewes were similar with the greater net wool returns of the once-shorn ewes offsetting the greater net returns from the extra lambs weaned by the twice-shorn ewes. Extrapolation of the observed production trends suggested the net returns from once-yearly shearing pre-joining would be greater than the returns from either once-yearly shearing in spring or twice-yearly shearing pre-joining and again in spring.

Keywords: NZSAPAB; Shearing; Romney; Coopworth; Perendale; live weight; lamb production; wool production

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Last Updated 18-03-1997