WOOL growers looking to capitalise on big lambing percentages should make weaner management a priority.
And one veterinarian has suggested grain supplements, despite the plentiful paddock feed across southeast Australia.
NSW Tablelands Livestock Health and Pest Authority senior veterinarian Bruce Watt said producers should focus on careful management of spring-drop weaners.
Maximum performance of weaners was achieved by giving them access to high protein, high-quality feed sources.
"Merino weaners must grow after weaning," Dr Watt said.
"The challenge, for spring-drop lambs, is to achieve this on pastures in January and February. We consider that grain feeding can even out variations in pasture quality."
Dr Watt recommended lambs be introduced to grain before they were weaned.
This "imprinted" the concept of grain on the lambs, which would then take to it more easily if it needed to be introduced to boost feed supplies.
"Even though you have plenty of feed at the moment, consider trailing out small amounts of grain to ewes and lambs three to four times, to train the lambs," Dr Watt said.
"Given that some of the grain will be lower in protein this year, consider adding lupins to the mix."
Dr Watt said the importance of weaner management had been highlighted by a colleague, John Webb-Ware, from the Mackinnon Project, who said while high lambing percentages have offered producers an opportunity, there were challenges associated with the bigger lambings.
These include smaller weaning weights (due to more multiple births) and worms.
Dr Watt recommended all weaners be drenched at weaning, regardless of whether they seem to need it.
He said producers should aim to keep weaner weights as high as possible.
"We know smaller weaners have a much higher mortality rate than larger weaners," Dr Watt said.
"But we also know that given adequate nutrition, even lambs weighing 10-12kg can grow into sheep."
