To our valid clients,

As you may remember here at Rene Stud we were conducting a trial using maiden merino ewes joined to Charollais Rams, due to their growing popularity especially with maiden ewes we thought we would see for ourselves how they would perform.

Our aim was to lamb maiden ewes out unassisted & take the lambs through to kill weight, and then finally see how they kill out at the abattoir & assess our results.

We have tagged the lambs with electronic tags so that we can accurately monitor their weight gains.

The details of the trial are below:

  • Purchased                                                              22/12/2019
  • Shorn                                                                      04/02/2020
  • Joined                                                                     31/03/2020
  • Shorn again                                                           12/08/2020
  • Number shorn                                                                    406
  • Started lambing                                                    26/08/2020
  • Marked and tagged bulk of the lambs                14/10/2020
  • Average weight at marking                                         17.6 kg
  • Number of lambs marked                                                 348
  • Number of ewes                                                                 403
  • Number of ewes lost                                                               3

Secondary Weigh & Drench of lambs 8 weeks after marking        07/12/2020   

  • Average weight                                  28.49kg
  • Average daily gain                            217grams per day

Weaning weight on Jan 18th                           

  • Average Weight                                  30.65kg

At 5 months old they were shorn and the wool went 21.4 micron.

Post Weaning weight on April 27th

  • Average Weight                                     49.90kg
  • Average daily gain overall                   160grams per day

LAMB TO CARCASSS TRIAL

  • 158 Ewes

At 7.5 months we separated the Ewe portion to keep for future breeders.

  • 53 Wether’s 56kg +

We weighed the wether portion of the lambs and 56kg + weight were sent to Wagga Wagga markets and sold for $202 per head.

  • 66 Lambs for Slaughter

Lambs weighing 48kg-56kg averaging 49.9kg were taken off all food & water for 24 hours and then re weighed. The average weight on the 28/04/2021 was 46.29. They were then taken to Tallangatta meats.

The carcass average weight was 25.22. Yielding out at an average of 54.49%

The skin value was split 30/31. 30 went as X-B skin @ $2.50 & 31 went as Merino skin @ $6.00

STAND OUT LAMB

Lamb 440 

  • Marking 14th October                     14.6kg
  • Weaning 18th January                    28.8kg
  • Post Weaning 27th April                49.4kg
  • Average daily gain                     160 grams
  • Curfew 28th April                                45kg
  • Carcass Weight 29th April               27.7kg
  • Yield                                                      61.6%

Bill Conroy from “Annievale” went along to Tallangatta meats with Rene Stud and commented on how impressive the Body Shape, Carcass & Yielding was on the lambs. He also said that he was surpised how well the skins came off & the quality of the skins. 

Bill is currently lambing out Charollais/Merino lambs and said “We are lambing out our Charollais/Merino lambs out of our finewool maiden Merino Ewes, the lambs are strong and healthy, there growth rate is huge and there fertility is like something I  havent seen before with many sets of twins.” “I have left the Ewes alone while lambing and have yet not had to pull a lamb out” the quality of the meat is amazing too” Bill said

Will Smith from Tallangatta Meats commented when he saw the Carcass hanging up that he was very impressed with the shape in the hind legs and thickness of the carcass & he was surprised with the yield.

Both Will & his brother Ambrose (lamb buyer for Tallangatta meats) assessed the lambs before slaughter and didn’t believe any would go over 25kg (averaging 25.22kg)

He was also very impressed with the skin type with 50% going through as Merino skin.