The SLP Project - Evaluating Sustainable Lamb Production

An exciting new project, ‘Evaluating sustainable lamb production’, aims to combine the advances in sheep breeding and strategic use of different grassland types. Grazing less improved areas with breeding ewes and capitalising on the benefits of the latest varieties of grasses and clover for lamb finishing, the project is working with commercial farmers across Wales jointly with industry partners.

Looking to minimise cost and maximise returns through strategic use of the different grassland areas on the farm during the sheep year, the work will help farmers to evaluate and develop efficient and environmentally friendly systems of sheep production that meet market needs.

Traditionally, many ewes are flushed pre-tupping to achieve optimum lambing percentage by increasing ovulation rate and minimising early embryonic death. Ewes carrying the Inverdale gene, recently introduced into Wales, do not have the same need for an increased plane of nutrition over the pre-tupping /tupping period.

The project aims to find out more about the genetic and environmental factors involved in systems based on the sheep with the Inverdale gene and to benchmark management information on both the sheep and the grassland production efficiency by taking a good look at the costs and returns. 

Detailed studies at the IBERS university farms comparing two breed types and lambing systems will complement work with five commercial farmers across Wales with a range of systems and breed types. Working with the Grassland Development Centre and the Farm Business Survey, the commercial farmers will be working together and monitoring their sheep systems from tupping to slaughter to be able to quantify the benefits of including the Inverdale gene, and of applying the best practice management techniques to both ewe types and to lamb finishing from home grown high quality forage on their farms.

A key element of this project is to link the research development at IBERS with commercial farm practice and to make sure all involved are able to fully participate in developing sustainable lamb production systems for Wales.

 

Acknowledgements

This project is part funded through the Rural Development Plan for Wales 2007 – 2013, which is funded by the Welsh Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development