Potential Industry Impact: Management of non-Merino ewes

Summary

The full potential of non-Merino ewes as prime lamb dams is an untapped resource which provides an opportunity to make transformational changes to the productivity of the prime lamb industry. This project provides the foundations to develop next generation, genotype specific guidelines for the management of non-Merino ewes.
A search for datasets containing both Merino and non-Merino genotypes was undertaken in order to determine the magnitude of difference in efficiency of nutrient utilisation. Few suitable datasets exist, with the Information Nucleus Flock providing the only new source of information. This dataset and an extensive literature search provide evidence that models for assessing nutritional requirements do not take into account breed differences and do not account for changes in the genetics of the ewe base of the prime lamb industry over the past two decades in Australia.
Non-Merino ewes outperform Merino ewes for key lamb production traits when managed under identical conditions. This review concludes that non-Merino ewes have a lower feed requirement per kg bodyweight than Merino ewes. Matching inputs to the actual needs of non-Merino ewes has the potential to increase stocking rates or decrease supplementary feeding costs by 14%, increase reproductive efficiency and increase turn-off rates thereby reducing cost of production.