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64
FARMING
dst.co.uk/farming/marts
DARLINGTON & STOCKTON TIMES
FarmingMarket prices
FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2010
Prices at the auction marts
BARNARD CASTLE. – Wed of last
week. Fwd: 1,465 sheep. Lambs: lt to
188.7p av 179.7p; std to 119.5p av
180.5p; med to 197.6p av 183.1p;
heavy to 180.6p av 173.4p. Cast sheep:
Cont to £140; Blue-faced Leics to £100;
Mule to £101; Swale to £60. Wed. –
Fwd: 1,137 sheep. Hoggs: lt to 191p av
174.6p; std to 207.9p av 180.1p; med to
195p av 175p; heavy to 176p av 163.3p.
Cast sheep: Mule £82; Blue-faced Leics
£80; Cheviot £72; Rough £50; Swale
£71; Texel £50; Cont £103.
DARLINGTON. – Thurs of last week.
Fwd: 535 cattle, 2,862 sheep. Young
bulls to 180p. Steers to 205p. Hfrs to
208p. Prime hoggs to 223p. Cast sheep
to £135. Mon. – Fwd: 371 cattle, 999
sheep. Young bulls. – Cont: £785(6),
£765(6) E Parsons; £770(3), £750 L
Raine & Son; £675 JW&J Collin; £645,
£615, £610 A Gregg; £640 W Burton;
£620 C Burnett; £585 SB Hopper.
Steers. – Cont: £930(3) K Cator; £905
TW Thompson; £900(6) M Doorman;
£900, £860 CA&J Skidmore; £890,
£730(2) JR&L Harding; £860 G Balmer;
£850, £820, £765(3) J&VM Bussey;
£850(6), £840, £805(4), £785, £775(5),
£770 BA&C Pearson; £820(2), £735,
£705 L Kidd; £740, £710(2) J Butterfield;
£730 JE&E Dobson. Hfrs. – Cont:
£790(5) E Parsons; £740, £660(2) WF
Love; £740 BA&C Pearson; £660 JE&E
Dobson; £660(2), £640 W Love; £635,
£590 A Gregg; £550(2), £525, £495,
£490 BR Routledge; £430 W Burton.
Rearing calves to £390 AW Sanderson.
Cast cows av £705: Cont to 150p; Dairy
to 113p;. Stock bulls: 145p, 140p, LW
Hugill; 134p TW Thompson; 127p G
Bolton. Store hoggs: £78.50 JJ Horn;
£77.80 NG Beveridge; £77, £74 GC
Sunter & Son; £76.50, £75.20, £67
AWSM Farms; £76 AW Sanderson;
£72.50, £67 R Bradley & Son; £72.20,
£70.80 AWB&J Bainbridge; £72, £67 W
Love; £71.50 J Hird; £68.50, £62.50 C
Binks & Son; £64.50, £64 S Suddes;
£64.50 RW Shann & Sons; £63.50 M
Airey. In lamb 3 shear ewes: £102 M
Airey. Darlington Weigh Direct: lt lambs
to 180p; export lambs to 190p; heavy
lambs to 175p.
HAWES. – Tues. Fwd: 55 cattle, 1,383
sheep. Lim bullocks to £905 (av £770);
hfrs to £630 (av £625). BB bullocks to
£720 (av £672); hfrs to £800 (av £688).
BA bullocks to £885 (av £857); hfrs to
£730 (av £686). Lim steers: TK Styan &
Ptns £905; FD&TW Chapman £750,
£740; T Metcalfe & Son £740; BD&A
Horner £715. Lim hfrs: BD&A Horner
£630; T Metcalfe & Son £620. BB
steers: W&JC Alderson £720, £700;
FD&TW Chapman £700; JG&RM Hall
£620(2). BB hfrs: W&JC Alderson £800;
J Dixon & Sons £700, £680, £670; RMS
Livestock £690. BA bullocks: AT Pratt
£885(2); N Iveson £800. BA hfrs: AT
Pratt £730, £705; N Iveson £690, £640;
RMS Livestock £665. Cull cattle: Cont to
138p av 114.6p; Freis/Holst to 90p av
82.4p. Calves: Lim bulls to £300 JR
Thwaites, Askrigg, av £272; hfrs to £398
DJ&S Stainton, Howgill, av £329. BBX
hfr to £250 M/s Dent, Kirkby Stephen.
Prime hogg: lt to 183p av 173.6p; std to
196p av 172.4p; med to 190p av
170.4p; overall av 173.2p. Ltwt hoggs:
Cont to 192p av 174.9p; Mules to 177p
av 166.5p; horned to 172p av 162.5p.
Cast ewes: horned to £73.50 av £42.07;
polled to £138 av £87.26. Cast rams:
horned to £68 av £55.75; polled to £120
av £75.54.
HEXHAM. – Last Fri. Fwd: 532 store
cattle, 1,602 sheep. Cattle 23-30 m-o:
Char X steers to £1,150 West Shipley;
hfrs to £860 Rare Dene & Lunns House;
Lim X steers to £1,100 Blackburn; hfrs
to £935 Rare Dene; Brit Blue X steers to
£965 Old Ravensworth; hfrs to £850
Woodhall; Simm X steers to £900 Old
Ravensworth; Mont X steers to £780
Hedley West Riding. Cattle 17-22 m-o:
Char X steers to £1,065 Todburn; hfrs to
£920 Springwell; Lim X steers to £1,180
Stotsfold; hfrs to £930 Bavington
Mount; Brit Blue X steers to £1,050 Sunniside; hfrs to £920 Intake; BAX hfr to
£675 East Newham; Simm X hfrs to
£750 East Moor; AA steer to £940 Close
House; Herefd X steer to £785 Kiln Hill.
Cattle 11-16 m-o: Char X steers to
£1,020 Woodhead; hfrs to £705 Claywalls; Lim X steers to £990 Dykehead
(LC); hfrs to £875 Dykehead (LC); Brit
Blue X steers to £850 Woodcroft; hfrs to
£760 Crowhall; Simm X hfrs to £835
East Moor; AAX hfr to £682 East Moor.
Cattle up to 10 m-on: Char X steers to
£810 Wydon; Lim X steers to £750 The
Lee; hfrs to £668 The Lee; Brit Blue X
steers to £780 Halfway House; BAX
steer to £505 Barley Cottage; hfr to
£438 Barley Cottage; BA steer to £600
Barley Cottage. Store sheep. Feeding
ewes: Texel X to £49 Sweethope; Suff to
£44 Sweethope; Mule to £50 Sweethope; Swale to £31.50 Sweethope.
Store lambs: Texel X to £76 Duddo Hill;
Suff X to £76 Leadgate& Duddo Hill;
Mule to £69.80 Ellfoot; Lleyn to £67
Thistleyhaugh; Char to £66 Thistleyhaugh; Blackface to £54 Haining Head;
Leics to £50 Carry House. Tues. – Fwd:
113 prime cattle, 1,784 prime sheep.
Lim hfrs to 178.5p; Char hfrs to 165.5p;
steers to 176.5p; Lim steers to £177.5p;
BA steers to 175.5p. OTM: Lim to
154.5p; Char to 141.5p; BAX to 124.5p;
Brit Blue to 115.5p; AA to 113.5p.
Lambs: Texel X to £94; Suff X to £90;
Beltex to £97; Char X to £90.50; Mule to
£78; Blackface to £74.20; Swale to £65.
Cast ewes & rams: Texel X to £130; Suff
X to £108; Mule to £94; Leics to £86;
Cheviot x to £57; Blackface (rams) to
£70; Blackface (ewes) to £57; Swale to
£60; Zwartbles to £66.
KIRKBY STEPHEN. – Tues. Fwd: 1,970
prime sheep. Hoggs: Texel to £96.80;
Beltex to £94.30; Suff to £86.30; Swale
to £82.30; Mule to £80.80; Masham to
£76.80; Cheviot to £75.30. Cast ewes &
rams: Texel to £158.50; Char to
£106.50; Mule to £100.50; Blue-faced
Leics to £98.50; Beltex to £92.50; Suff
to £92.50; Rough Fell to £83.50;
Teeswater to £81.50; Scottish Blackface
to £76.50; Cheviot to £75.50; Swale to
£70.50; Herdwick to £59.50.
LEYBURN. – Last Fri. Fwd: 148 cattle.
Calved cows. – A&AJ Lambert £1,460
£1,340; TE&J Wren £1,280. Rearing
calves. – Char bulls av £370: HM Dent
& Sons £405, £395; A Sowray & Sons
£310; hfrs av £243: A Sowray & Sons
£245, £240. BB bulls av £306: M
Mckenzie £350; JD&E Clarkson & Son
£350; WP&E Dobbing £345; HM Dent &
Sons £340; AS&JK Leggott £335, £320;
K&M Sowerby £320; WC Porter & Son
£310; JJ&AA McGregor £295; hfrs av
£260: AF Dinsdale £360; WP&E Dobbing £345; F&S Iveson £320; A Sowray
& Sons £315; J Sunter & Sons £245;
HB Smith & Son £242; K&M Sowerby
£240. Lim bulls av £308: F&S Iveson
£350; JL&MR Umpleby £345; G Sidgwick £340; JB Harker & Sons £340; DT
Dinsdale £322; A Backhouse £310;
JA&MA Houseman £300; hfrs av £251:
JE Holliday & Son £290; JA&MA
Houseman £260, £250; G Sidgwick
£255; JB Harker & Sons £250; R&J
Ford £235; W&SL Robinson £220. Mont
bulls av £303: JE Holliday & Son £305,
£300. Simm bulls av £268: M Mckenzie
£280, £255. AA bulls av £219: ER Terry
& Sons £252, £245; T Dent & Son £190,
£188. BW bulls av £94: AS&JK Leggott
£205; A&AJ Lambert £205; AF Dinsdale
£200; ER Terry & Sons £182; T Dent &
Son £165; JD&E Clarkson & Son £158;
HB Smith & Son £155; J Dinsdale £152;
JE Holliday & Son 150. Stirks. – Char
bulls: RI Capstick £360; hfrs: RI Capstick £345. Holst bulls: W&SL Robinson
£288. Store sheep. – Mule hoggs: J
Pearson & Sons £48.50. Swale hoggs:
J Pearson & Sons £40.50. Wed. – Fwd:
32 cattle, 851 prime sheep. Prime B&W
bulls to 130p av 127.5p; prime steer to
160p; prime hfrs to 165p; av 135.8p;
Cont cast cows to 110p av 106p; B&W
cows to 103.5p av 86.3p; Guer cows to
82p av 80.7p; Herefd cow to 81p.
Hoggs. – Suff & Cont: lt to 174.1p av
173.6p; std to 205.9p av 189.8p; med to
201.3p av 186.4p; heavy to 181.5p av
171.7p; owt to 159.4p av 153p. Mule,
Masham & horned: lt to 161.3p av
Prices at the special livestock sales
PENRITH. – Mon. Fwd: 1,225 store cattle & feeding bulls at Bonanza show &
sale. Judge: W Timms, Goole. Champion: Limousin X heifer, D Mallinson,
Lodge Farm, £1,110 to judge. Res & first
prize British Blue heifer: E Wood, Waters
Farm £1,110 to AJ&FM Harrison,
Grange Hall. Av £821.50, £6 up on year.
Prizes. – Lim bullock: 1 DE&AM Hodgson, Green Farm, £1,045 Dent, Elm
House. 2 W&HI Watson, Sanders Close,
£825 to Messrs Bowness, Galemire. Lim
hfr: 1 champion; 2 Messrs Hutchinson,
Hebblethwaite Hall, £1,100 to Messrs
Wilcox. 3 Messrs Wales, Thackwood,
£1,000 to D Barker, Scarborough. Brit
Blue hfr: 1 res champion; 2 Messrs E
Wood, Waters Farm, £985 RW&G Dickinson, High Knipe. Any other breed hfr:
1 DE&AM Hodgson, Green Farm,
£1,000 to Messrs Wilcox, Wigan.
Prices. – Bullocks. – Brit Blue (15 m-o
up): £1,235, £1,190 Countess Farm;
£1,175, £1,145(2), £1,050 Milburn
Grange; £1,160 Fawcett Park; £1,115,
£1,080, £1,070, £1,065 Annfield Farm;
£1,035(2) Wickerfield; £1,005
Blandswath Farm; £1,005 Hawkrigg
Farm. Lim (15 m-o up): £1,220,
£1,090(2), £1,070, £1,020(2) Prospect
House; £1,200, £1,080, £1,065,
£1,060(2), £1,035 Terry’s Farm; £1,080
Harbour Flatt; £1,030 Low Borrow
Bridge; £1,030 Thackwood; £1,030 Annfield Farm; £1,030 Park House Farm;
£1,025 Well House; £1,020 Ranbeck;
£1,020 Bomby. Lim (up to 15 m-o):
£1,045 Green Farm; £1,040 Asby Hall
Mews. Char (15 m-o up): £1,140 Low
Borrow Bridge; £1,140 Nether House
Farm; £1,000, £970(3), £900, £820
Mount Pleasant; £850 Park House
Farm. Char (up to 15 m-o): £1,025,
£960, £870, £840(2) Hawkswell Farm.
B&W (15 m-o up): £1,015(2), £935(4),
£815(6) Wickerfield; £885(2), £835(3),
£720 Midtown; £810(5), £790(5) Espland; £775(3) Greenhow; £770, £755
Bank Farm (Mason); £720(4) Low Row;
£705(3) South Dyke. Highland (15 m-o
up): £1,015 Wickerfield. Herefd (15 m-o
up): £985, £920(3) Midtown (Strong).
Cont (15 m-o up): £965 Nook; £765,
£715(2) Bowness Farm; £725 Mount
Clifton Farm. BA (up to 15 m-o):
£880(2), £835(2), £735(2) Sleddale Hall;
£865 Hunger Hill. BA (15 m-o up): £860
Midtown Farm (Thompson). Simm (up
to 15 m-o): £770, £750 Town Foot Farm
(Holliday). AA (15 m-o up): £755, £725
South Dyke. Hfrs. – Char (15 m-o up):
£1,110, £1,000(2), £975(2), £975(2),
£915(3) Hill Top (Taylor); £1,080(2) Low
Borrow Bridge; £870 Nether House
Farm; £870 Ploveriggs. Lim (15 m-o
up): £1,110 Lodge Farm; £1,100,
£950(2) Terry’s Farm; £1,100 Hebblethwaite Hall; £1,085, £1,055 Villa Farm;
£1,060 Green Farm; £1,050 Skelling
Farm; £1,015(2), £975 Hill Top (Taylor);
£1,000 Raughton Head; £990 Laypool;
£980(2) Ranbeck; £970 Nook Farm;
£960(3) Helm Croft. Brit Blue (15 m-o
up): £1,110, £1,005, £985 Waters Farm;
£1,070, £860 Milburn Grange; £1,050,
£870 North Netherscales; £965 Nook
Farm; £940 Sunny Gill; £940 Raw Foot;
£940 Abbey Park; £930, £870 Halton
Park; £925 Moss Dyke; £915 Bank Farm
(Bowness); £910 Helm Croft; £850 Park
House Farm. Brit Blue (up to 15 m-o):
£890 Raw Foot. BA (15 m-o up): £1,000
Green Farm; £955 Eamont Bridge Farm;
£950 Askham Gate; £860 Midtown Farm
(Thompson); £845 Park House Farm
(Brown); £810 Hollins Farm. BA (up to
15 m-o): £965 Maisongill; £885, £840,
£815, £800 Sleddale Hall. Cont (15 m-o
up): £880 Raw Foot; £785(2) Home
Farm (Metcalfe); £705 Nook Farm.
Herefd (15 m-o up): £870, £830(2), £755
Milburn Grange. Simm (15 m-o up):
£800 Midtown (Strong); £790 Thackwood; £710 Home Farm (Metcalfe). AA
(15 m-o up): £790, £740(3) South Dyke.
Bulls. – Lim: £1,015 Fawcett Park;
£945(2) Hawkswell Farm; £940, £920
Bank Farm (Mason). Lim: £885(5)
Hacra; £865 Fawcett Park; £860 Ravenwood; £860 Park House Farm (Hodgson). Char: £850 Ravenwood. Cont:
£840 Raw Foot. Brit Blue: £835, £780,
£770(3), £750 Lodge Farm; £730 Walloway; £715 Little Blencowe Farm; £705
Stoneriggs.
155.4p; std to 184.6p av 173.1p; med to
181.7p av 170.4p; heavy to 159.6p av
153.4p; owt to 120.7p. Cast ewes: Cont
£92.50; Mule £82.50; Suff £81; Leics
£69; Swale £75. Cast rams: Leics £97;
Suff £87; Cont £86; Tees £76. Cast goat
£63.
MIDDLETON IN TEESDALE. – Tues.
Fwd: 76 bullocks & hfrs. Store cattle. –
Lim X bullocks: £830 Forcegarth; £805
Hield House; £755 Toft House; £750,
£730, £715, £700 Brockersgill; £745
Friar House Farm, Fellowship Farm;
£735(2), £720 South Welhope; £700
Wythes Hill. Char X hfrs: £680 Revelin;
£670 East Friar House. Brit Blue X bullocks: £760 Friar House Farm; £720
Parrick House. Lim X hfrs: £790 Wythes
Hill; £765, £680 Fellowship Farm; £760,
£705, £660 Hield House; £705, £650(2)
Forcegarth; £695, £690 Toft House;
£685, £670 The Pry; £660 Parrick
House. BAX bullocks: £795, £780 Newton Lodge; £715, £705(2) Valance
Lodge. Char X bullocks: £830, £800
Revelin. Brit Blue X hfrs: £770 Forcegarth; £750, £730, £690 Newton Lodge.
BAX hfrs: £675 Parrick House; £660
Standing Stones.
NORTHALLERTON. – Tues of last
week. Fwd: 210 cattle, 1,121 sheep.
Hfrs: med to 216.5p av 174.60p; heavy
to 209.5p av 172.44p. Steers: med to
172.5p av 132.53p; heavy to 171.5p av
140.59p. Bulls: med to 174.50p av
133.67p; heavy to 181.5p av 140.13p.
Prime hoggs: lt to 219p av 208.96p;
med to 235p av 200.47p; std to 215p av
191.27p; heavy to 195p av 184.91p.
Cast sheep to £160 av £96.47. Wed of
last week. – Fwd: 103 store cattle, 80
OTM cattle, 110 hoggs. Steers av
£724.04: Lim: £825 AE Merrian. Fries:
£795 JW Wilkinson. Holst: £790 W
Brass. Simm: £940 JM Tate. BB: £740
AE Merrian. AA: £960 JM Tate. Hfrs av
£661: Lim: £930 RR Garbutt. AA: £645
JD Stockil. BB: £714 CA Stobbs. BA:
£840 LW Hugill. Simm: £825 LW Hugill.
Bulls av £488.96: Lim: £760 C&JA Birkbeck. Fries: £545 WMP Hutchinson.
Store hoggs av £65.40: £71, £67.50 RR
Garbutt; £65 J Richmond. OTM cattle
av £619.98 to £1,079.70 Hugill Partners.
PENRITH. – Mon. OTM cattle: Brit Blue
to 163.5p; Lim to 154.5p; B&W to
118.5p; Herefd to 96.5p. Clean cattle:
Lim to 196.5p; Brit Blue to 179.5. Prime
bulls: Lim to 168.5p; Brit Blue to 146.5p;
B&W to 129.5p. Wed. – Fwd: 572 store
sheep. Lambs. – Beltex: £82 Mill Cottage (Dawson). Suff: £78.50, £70 Nixon
Terrace; £68, £66.50, £65.50, £65 The
Mains; £66.50 Newsham Farm; £65 Tod
Bank. Cont: £77.50, £68 Moss Dyke;
£67 Crewgarth; £64.50, £63 Hornby
Hall Farm; £61 Grange House (Allen);
£60 Tod Bank. Texel: £74, £72, £70,
£69, £65, £61 Nord Vue Farm; £73.50
Moss Dyke. Mule: £58.50 Grange
House (Allen); £49 Newsham Farm.
Swale: £49, £46.50 Hegdale. Wed. –
Fwd: 2,735 prime sheep. Hoggs: Beltex
(av £92.10) to £125; Texel (av £86.32) to
£120; Rouge De L’Quest (av £100) to
£100; Cont (av £75.68) to £98.50;
Cheviot (av £77.28) to £92; Char (av
£74.59) to £92; Suff (av £76.14) to
£84.50; Mule (av £76.93) to £84.50;
Swale (av £66) to £77.50; Herdwick (av
£59.38) to £76; Scottish Blackface (av
£68.08) to £73.50 Greenhow. Cast
ewes: Texel (av £97.85) to £130; Suff
(av £91.56) to £128; Blue-faced Leics
(av £98.83) to £125; Beltex (av £100) to
£118; Cheviot (av £78.09) to £105; Mule
(av £84.97) to £100; Masham (av £91)
to £91; Cont (av £70.78) to £78; Swale
(av £53.62) to £72; Blackfaced (av £69)
to £69; Rough Fell (av £63) to £63.
Rams: Blue-faced Leics (av £73) to
£123; Texel (av £84) to £117; Suff (av
£88) to £88; Blackfaced (av £79.50) to
£85; Swale (av £58) to £70.
THIRSK. – Tues of last week. Fwd: 178
cattle and 61 sheep. Cattle: BB X steers
to £830, hfrs to £750, bulls to £658; Lim
X steers to £738, hfrs to £775, bulls to
£820; Simm X hfrs to £750, steers to
£618, BAX steers to £700; AAX steers to
£740, hfrs to £750; Herefd X bulls to
£692; Fries steers to £540, bulls to
£590; Devon X bulls to £545; Shorthorn
X bulls to £535, Ayr X steers to £435.
Sheep: Texel X to £177; Suff X to £137.
Thurs of last week. – Fwd: 577 cattle,
2,433 sheep, 44 pigs. Steers: med to
179.5p/£981.87 av 165.2p; heavy to
196.5p/£1,390.13 av 162.1p. Hfrs: med
to 200.5p/£964.41 av 174.9p; heavy to
215.5p/£1,241 av 172.5p. Young bulls:
med to 178.5p/£906.78 av 138.2p;
heavy to 175.5p/£1,356.62 av 148.1p.
OTM animals to 189.5p/£1,294.92 av
153.8p. Cows to 148.5p/£1,492.80 av
98.6p. Hoggs: std to 225.7p/£87.50 av
190.6p; med to 210.2p/£90.50 av
184.9p; heavy to 200p/£94 av 178.3p;
owt to 177.4p/£105 av 163.7p. Ewes: lt
to £83 av £54.56; heavy to £156 av
£94.42. Pigs: cutters to 107p/£90.95 av
94.3p; bacon to 112p/£109.45 av 98.3p;
sows to 60p/£189.39 av 56.8p; boars to
55p/£173.80 av 54.1p.
Grain prices
Thursday’s prices
GrainCo, Tyne Dock. – Wheat: Jan
£97.50; Feb £98.75; Mar £100. Barley:
Jan £78; Feb £79; Mar £80. Oilseed
rape: Jan £229; Feb £230; Mar £231.
New bull
guide uses
different
scale
DAIRY farmers have been
warned not to compare the latest
bull proofs with previous years.
Both DairyCo and Holstein
UK have issued a joint statement, warning that bull catalogues arriving on door mats
this month are based on a completely different scale from
those of the past five years.
Marco Winters from DairyCo
breeding+ said: “It’s important
not to compare present with
past information as a bull’s genetic indices can go up or down
over the course of time as
daughters add new information.”
He said when there is a base
change as now, it is more important than before not to compare the current with previous
figures as a new average has
been calculated against which
all bulls are compared.
The new average is reset to
zero, meaning that animals
which score above zero are better than average, and those with
negative figures fall below the
average.
The result is that the January
proofs published in the new
2010 AI company catalogues
will generally be lower than the
figures published just a few
months before.
YFC reports
The Young Farmers’ Club reports are on page 24
Scientist advises testing
flock ahead of lambing
A LEADING sheep scientist says
blood-testing a small sample of
ewes a month ahead of lambing
could be particularly beneficial.
Dr Liz Genever of Eblex says
its could help avoid problems
and secure the best lamb
growth rates.
She said: “With 70pc of foetal
growth and the bulk of udder
development occurring in the
final six weeks of pregnancy, ensuring the right nutrition in the
run-up to lambing is one of the
most important essentials of
flock management – especially
where ewes are under the additional stress of persistently cold
winter weather.”
Dr Genever said that failure to
fine-tune late pregnancy energy
and protein intakes to actual
ewe needs compromises lamb
vigour and survival, ewe health
and colostrum production – se-
riously undermining flock performance.
Body condition monitoring
was vital for nutritional management but, she said, it often
fails to pick-up inadequacies in
ewe energy and protein levels
ahead of lambing.
“This makes a simple, vet-organised blood test to indicate
the actual nutritional state of
the ewes invaluable,” said Dr
Genever.
Eblex recommends testing a
group of 10-12 ewes representing a good cross-section of
breed types, diets, litter size and
body condition scores.
Testing should be conducted
three to four weeks before lambing and, ideally, four hours after
the last supplementary feed.
Key parameters to measure are
beta-hydroxybutyrate (BOHB),
urea and serum albumin.
Dr Genever said: “BOHB is a
ketone produced when ewes mobilise body reserves in the absence of sufficient dietary energy.
“Some body fat mobilisation
is inevitable in late pregnancy,
but the Moredun Institute regards BOHB levels of 1.1
mmol/litre or higher in the
blood as a sign that additional
feed energy may be necessary to
guard against twin lamb disease
(ketosis).”
Dr Genever stressed that veterinary advice should always be
sought in interpreting blood test
results and in making any
changes to either diets or groups.
Information is available free
of charge in Eblex’s Sheep BRP
Manual 12: Improving Ewe Nutrition for Better Returns from
0870-2418829
or
at
brp@eblex.org.uk.