2006/S07 - Co-products Lamb Finishing Ration Trial

Summary

The Tatiara Co-products Lamb Finishing Ration Group saw an enormous opportunity within their local area for lamb producers to tap into newly available feed sources from the emerging bio-fuels and existing milling and cereal industries. Crushing oilseeds such as canola for bio-fuel production is taking off in the Tatiara district with already three small scale, cold pressed bio-diesel plants in operation, or about to take off. These plants aimed to source seed from local farmers and produce oil. Significant amounts of co-product will therefore be available from these plants. The TCLFG saw potential to use this high energy canola meal product, in conjunction with other, local feed sources, such as oat husks from Bordertown's Blue Lake Milling and wheat or barley from local farmers to produce a ration suitable for finishing lambs to a high and consistent standard to meet market specifications. The group formed to fully investigate the cost effectiveness of using such a ration on farm and to optimise the cost, versus weight gain, of using such co-products in controlled finishing units.