492 



Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [11 Aug., 1919. 



Early Fat Lambs. 



Following the lessons learnt from our recent fat lamb raising experi 

 ments, we have raised 600 Suffolk cross-lambs. These lambs were 

 dropped during the months of April and early May to Lincoln Cross- 

 Merino ewes, and are now from twelve to fourteen weeks old. Twenty 

 young vigorous Suffolk rams were joined on tue 20th of November last 

 with 800 six-tooth cross-bred ewes, the ewes being shorn early; were 

 flushed with good feed only in November and took the rams almost 

 immediately they were joined Six weeks later these Suffolk rams were 

 drawn, and to secure a high percentage a second mating was done, this 

 time to Border Leicester rams in February. 



The results show 596 Suffolk cross dropped in April and May, and 

 163 Border Leicester cross lambs now ready to be marked. Last season 

 the Suffolk cross lambs realized at Newmarket sales from 24s. 8d. to 

 29s. 6d., at from fifteen to seventeen weeks old. The first truck will 

 be ready for market about the middle of August. There is always a 

 ready demand for good quality fat lambs at this time of the year. 



Suffolk Ewes and Lamts. 



Feeding off of Early Sown Crops. 



This practice, although not generally followed in the district, may 

 be successfully and profitably done when the crops — wTaeat or oats — 

 are sown early, and receive normal autumn rains. Oats or wheat, 

 or a mixture of the two, sown in late March or early April on fallowed 

 ground can nearly always be fed off to advantage in June and July 

 when the flocks (particularly ewes and lambs) need a little extra stimu- 

 lating food. 



This month a 60-acre field of shandy hay sown during the first week 

 in April on fallowed land was stocked with GOO ewes and 596 twelve to 

 fourteen weeks old lambs for seven davs. The crop h^s again recovered 

 and looks well. Careful feeding of this kind when the weather is fine 

 and the land firm has nroved to be of great benefit to heavy earlv 

 crops, and the value of the food to the stock can be placed at a high 

 figure, particularly so when the flock owner is raisitig fat lambs for the 

 early markets. 



