Accelerated Lambing Systems
Twice a year lambing
The most intensive form of
accelerated lambing is twice a year lambing whereby a ewe would produce two
lamb crops per year. Twice a year lambing has the potential to maximize lamb
production, but may not be practical under most commercial situations.
Opportunistic Lambing
Opportunistic lambing is
when rams are kept with the flock on a continuous basis. With the right kind of
ewes, this will result in a lambing interval of less than 12 months. The
problem with opportunistic lambing is you don't know when lambs are due, so the
timing of vaccinations, deworming, and supplemental feeding are more difficult.
Three lamb crops in two
years
The most common system of
accelerated lambing is three lamb crops in two years, resulting in an average
lambing interval of 8 months or 1.5 lambings per ewe per year. The 3/2 system
is usually characterized by a fixed mating and lambing schedule, (pas aan by
jou eie sisteem) such as May mating/October lambing, January mating/June
lambing, and September mating/February lambing (or slight variations). Up to a
40 percent increase in production has been achieved with this type of
accelerated lambing system.
If a
ewe misses a breeding, she can still lamb three times in two years.
The STAR system is a natural
system that does not use hormones or light control to achieve out-of-season
breeding. It involves selecting sheep that breed during any season.
The economics of accelerated lambing must be carefully examined.
The increased income from the sale of lambs needs to compensate for the added
costs and labor inputs. In addition, accelerated lambing requires a much higher
level of management.
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