DORPER composite lambs have taken out the competitive feedlot trial at Rutherglen.

Held by the Rutherglen Show Society, the trial aims to show how terminal and maternal breeds stack up dollar wise when supplementary grain fed.

Dorper composites entered by Scott Francis, of Rutherglen, averaged 386 grams a day in weight gain over six weeks in a feedlot.

Slaughtered at Wangaratta for an average price of 520c/kg (plus skin), the Dorpers emerged as the grand champion pen.

A past winner in the live classes, Scott Francis was surprised at the high growth rates of the Dorper composites.

"They did a lot better than I thought,'' he said."At the abattoir the Dorpers had a lot more muscle than the others.''

On equal second, was Greg Lumby, of Brimin, and John Fisher, Browns Plains, both with second cross lambs.

This year's competition attracted 20 teams of five lambs from Jerilderie to Wangaratta.

The six week trial produced feedback data on feedlot weight gain, feed conversion efficiency, carcass weight, fat depth and dressing percentage.

Entrants selected their top three lambs for judging at the Rutherglen show on October 16.

They were then slaughtered at Wangaratta, with the balance sold at the Corowa saleyards the same day.

This year's breeds included Dorper cross, White Suffolk cross, Dohne, Prime SAMM cross, Van Rooy cross, Texel cross and the traditional second cross lambs.

Trial co-ordinator Gordon Fisher said a percentage of lambs weighed over 50kg liveweight at slaughter.

"They were unshorn and no set back due to the cold weather,'' Mr Fisher said.

"But people didn't take the 19 day starter period as seriously as they should.

"The casual approach may have cost them with the lambs not gaining the same amount of weight (as the leaders).''

Mr Fisher took out the highest weightgain with a pen of Poll Dorset cross lambs with a total gain of 18.3kg each over six weeks.

This equated to 416 grams a day.

In the junior classes, Rutherglen High School won with a pen of second cross lambs.

Runner up was Matt Mills, of Coreen, with Dohne lambs.

"There seemed to be a trend with the lighter and younger lambs at entry making the better weight gains on the pellets,'' Mr Fisher said.

"Next year we will tag five lambs and leave them in the paddock with the mothers, and compare weight gain with five lambs in a feedlot.''