August 12, 2026 • 9 mins
Dave Stevens has some advice around feeding ewes in the lead up to lambing time.
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
The Muster Events Diary brought to you by Beef and
Lamb New Zealand. Click beeflambendz dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Dave Stevens joins this afternoon. I'm in the Beef and
Lamb slot talking about lamb survival is the big issue.
Lambing isn't too far away for a few people, the
first of the early lambs almost hitting the ground now,
actually where is the time gone? He's based on a
research and I'm going to give some figures and some
tips today around past, your management and the lead up
(00:36):
to September. Dave, welcome to the muster.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
He you thanks Andy much appreciated. Great dav beyond the
radio and have a chat about this.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Well, it's a massive topic for a lot of people.
You're trying to work to your past, your management, into
your into your farm rotation, the big A couple of
big things to consider around this straight off the cuff
as well. You know what, what's your ground conditions like?
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Yeah, you Andeed in previous history tells us that if
you make sure that you do get your drainage right
and keep that ground as dry as possible at Lemming,
you're going to improve your lamb survival. Quite significantly. That's
that's just just the start of the process.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Would you say, over all the farmers are pretty good
at passion management and the lead up to lemon overall.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
I suppose there's a couple of there's a couple of
features in there.
Speaker 4 (01:27):
One is how much feeds you've got, and then.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
The other one is how you allocate that feed And
I think we're getting a head around how much we've
got in front of us. But I still think a
lot of our farmers are set.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
Stocking too early.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
They're sort of letting go of their control of.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
That intake a wee bit too early.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
If you are stocking, set stocking reasonably early in the
grass disappears very fast. It's a very rapid indicator that
you possibly weren't feeding them quite enough up until that point.
So just keep that in mind when you are thinking
about what you're going to do next.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
So how early people set stocking, then if you think
they need to hold off a bit.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Well, quite often they may be set stocking nearly a
month out from lambing. But I would say I'll be
keeping my control, especially if you know the conditions in
the spring, conditions are not going away. You'd like I
mean temperatures are fifteen degrees is great on a day
like today, but if it's not there, I would be
(02:38):
controlling their intakes up till maybe the last week before lambing.
Because what we find here, Andy is that it's actually
most of our losses come from what you did to
the you up until that point, rather than the lamb
dying on the day. If it dies on the day,
that's just a week but unfortunate. But it's how we
(02:59):
look after the use. It's the really important factor.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
As far as singles, people tied them right up and
the lead up to lamming. Is there the right philosophy
philosophy to have in the scheme of things.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
With singles, they become a little bit of your relief valve.
So if you need, for example, you need a bit
more feed for the triplets, then that's an opportunity certainly.
But I would say that once they go to lambing,
especially if you've got a fair few triplets, I would
mix my singles and my triplets together at lamming, which
(03:33):
is a game. Why you'd say, let's not. Let's keep
control of their intakes up until that point, and then
what you're doing is you're set stocking at the number
of lambs to be born per hectare, not number of
us per hectare. And if you mix the singles and
the triplets together, there's more space for the triplets and
the singles will grow flat out under those circumstances and
(03:55):
you'll be able to sell them early. So it's a
win win situation. They're all around.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Is there a chance locating too much feed to your
singles though, that there could be birth problems perhaps like
big heads?
Speaker 3 (04:05):
Not in that instance, No, No, it's sort of the
differentiation between head and body weight is probably more likely
to be underfeeding early on. So so at that point
in time, I mean, we've fed singles ad lib, giving
them as much feed those triplets, and all we get
is a really good lambs at weaning time.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
So for people are holding their singles back, leaving them
on the swedes or the beat till the very last
moment you think they can perhaps think again, and the
other two parts of this question I suppose, and the
rise of triplets too, it's another area that needs addressed
as far as feed allocation.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Yeah, it's and it's not just feed allocation there, and
it's actually the protein concentration. So if you've got a
really good sweet crop with big bulbs, there's not very
much protein in that in those in that feed, and.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
Protein is really important in.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
That last month. So yes, we understand that sometimes the
singles need to stay on the swedes a.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
Week bit longer.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
But what I would do in that sort of really
late pregnancy time is not certainly don't put any pressure
on them to clean up the bulb, make sure that
they're still getting plenty of top as they go across there,
and don't worry too much about the bulb that's left behind,
And that way you'll start to balance the diet out
a week bit better and make it more appropriate for
(05:32):
a heavily pregnant Ye.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
What would you say about the correlation between too much
feed and bearing issues?
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Bearings? We love the bearing issue, one of We were
talking about this this morning actually amongst the colleagues, and
we've done a lot of work in this space over time,
and probably the key would be no sudden changes. So
if you suddenly change from one feed to another, or
(06:02):
from low quality feed to high quality feed, there is
a tendency to have some serious issues. So the first
first port of call, no sudden changes. So if they
were on a reader reasonably moderate allowance, don't allow them
to gorge themselves. That's not a good look. The rest
(06:23):
of that question goes, when we do provide them with
high allowances, then we have no more bearing issues than
when they're on low allowances.
Speaker 4 (06:33):
Right.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
So it's not the allowance per se, it's the sudden
change from one condition to another that appears to be
associated with it. Having said all that, Andy, we really
don't know what causes bearings as yet.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
And the reesting you talk about the feed needs of
twins in the life. Do you think transitioning off swedes?
You hear about it in cattal all the time. Should
it be applied to shape, for example, a bit better
than how we do it?
Speaker 3 (07:00):
And all we do is don't from on pasture? Rightah,
If you're going to do that, I would say you
put them onto a moderate quality past You're not a
really high quality pasture for a start, and it would
it would be rather nice to be able to transition them.
They transition over about the course of five days, so
(07:21):
transitioning back to pasture is less traumatic than going from
pasture to crop. And the problem is even a four
or five day period in this really late pregnancy where
they are their intakers restricted may well impact on lamb survival.
So some sort of trying to transition them back would.
Speaker 4 (07:44):
Be a good idea if it's practical for far.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
I suppose the last question of God as well as
regarding stocking rates, you talked about it briefly before. Do
we need to look at stocking rates on farm during
lambing time over lambing time again?
Speaker 4 (07:59):
I would.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
I would think about it as lambs being born perhected,
not about use perjectare. And a lot of farmers will
make that stocking rate core based on how much grass
they have and how far they can spread the user,
and they will try to get the stocking rate as
low as possible to avoid some of those complications. But
(08:23):
we certainly now have the experience and all the experiences
that we have had reflected to us from farmers is
asually lambing triplets on their own, regardless of stocking rate
is hard work, I'd have to say, which is why
we're coming back to going we'll mix them at the
singles and dilute that effect quite significantly. Yeah. So overall,
(08:48):
and it depends on the scenario if farmers are going
through and doing a lambing beat, et cetera and shedding out,
then they'll be able to run slightly high stocking rates
than somebody who's just sit stop, because they'll be able
to identify the US and lambs move the US that
haven't lamb on. If you're in hill country where you
(09:10):
can't do that, then you're very much trying to stop
according to how much feed is growing under their feet.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
It's a fascinating it's a fascinating subject this, Dave, I
could talk about it for a lot longer, but time
is of the years since. But nonetheless very interesting, especially
around the triplets and the singles. Thanks to your time
on the muster. Certainly a conversation starter.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
All good. Hopefully there's some good results out there.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
This year, Dave Stevens. There are some very interesting thoughts
regarding triplets and singles. Beeflamin z dot com slash events
to receive the Beef and Them Eboch diary into your
ebos every Friday morning. Drift Stark's up next, talking Southern
intoor charity dog trials.
The Muster Events Diary brought to you by Beef and
Lamb New Zealand. Click beeflambendz dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Dave Stevens joins this afternoon. I'm in the Beef and
Lamb slot talking about lamb survival is the big issue.
Lambing isn't too far away for a few people, the
first of the early lambs almost hitting the ground now,
actually where is the time gone? He's based on a
research and I'm going to give some figures and some
tips today around past, your management and the lead up
(00:36):
to September. Dave, welcome to the muster.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
He you thanks Andy much appreciated. Great dav beyond the
radio and have a chat about this.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Well, it's a massive topic for a lot of people.
You're trying to work to your past, your management, into
your into your farm rotation, the big A couple of
big things to consider around this straight off the cuff
as well. You know what, what's your ground conditions like?
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Yeah, you Andeed in previous history tells us that if
you make sure that you do get your drainage right
and keep that ground as dry as possible at Lemming,
you're going to improve your lamb survival. Quite significantly. That's
that's just just the start of the process.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Would you say, over all the farmers are pretty good
at passion management and the lead up to lemon overall.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
I suppose there's a couple of there's a couple of
features in there.
Speaker 4 (01:27):
One is how much feeds you've got, and then.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
The other one is how you allocate that feed And
I think we're getting a head around how much we've
got in front of us. But I still think a
lot of our farmers are set.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
Stocking too early.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
They're sort of letting go of their control of.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
That intake a wee bit too early.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
If you are stocking, set stocking reasonably early in the
grass disappears very fast. It's a very rapid indicator that
you possibly weren't feeding them quite enough up until that point.
So just keep that in mind when you are thinking
about what you're going to do next.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
So how early people set stocking, then if you think
they need to hold off a bit.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Well, quite often they may be set stocking nearly a
month out from lambing. But I would say I'll be
keeping my control, especially if you know the conditions in
the spring, conditions are not going away. You'd like I
mean temperatures are fifteen degrees is great on a day
like today, but if it's not there, I would be
(02:38):
controlling their intakes up till maybe the last week before lambing.
Because what we find here, Andy is that it's actually
most of our losses come from what you did to
the you up until that point, rather than the lamb
dying on the day. If it dies on the day,
that's just a week but unfortunate. But it's how we
(02:59):
look after the use. It's the really important factor.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
As far as singles, people tied them right up and
the lead up to lamming. Is there the right philosophy
philosophy to have in the scheme of things.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
With singles, they become a little bit of your relief valve.
So if you need, for example, you need a bit
more feed for the triplets, then that's an opportunity certainly.
But I would say that once they go to lambing,
especially if you've got a fair few triplets, I would
mix my singles and my triplets together at lamming, which
(03:33):
is a game. Why you'd say, let's not. Let's keep
control of their intakes up until that point, and then
what you're doing is you're set stocking at the number
of lambs to be born per hectare, not number of
us per hectare. And if you mix the singles and
the triplets together, there's more space for the triplets and
the singles will grow flat out under those circumstances and
(03:55):
you'll be able to sell them early. So it's a
win win situation. They're all around.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Is there a chance locating too much feed to your
singles though, that there could be birth problems perhaps like
big heads?
Speaker 3 (04:05):
Not in that instance, No, No, it's sort of the
differentiation between head and body weight is probably more likely
to be underfeeding early on. So so at that point
in time, I mean, we've fed singles ad lib, giving
them as much feed those triplets, and all we get
is a really good lambs at weaning time.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
So for people are holding their singles back, leaving them
on the swedes or the beat till the very last
moment you think they can perhaps think again, and the
other two parts of this question I suppose, and the
rise of triplets too, it's another area that needs addressed
as far as feed allocation.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Yeah, it's and it's not just feed allocation there, and
it's actually the protein concentration. So if you've got a
really good sweet crop with big bulbs, there's not very
much protein in that in those in that feed, and.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
Protein is really important in.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
That last month. So yes, we understand that sometimes the
singles need to stay on the swedes a.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
Week bit longer.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
But what I would do in that sort of really
late pregnancy time is not certainly don't put any pressure
on them to clean up the bulb, make sure that
they're still getting plenty of top as they go across there,
and don't worry too much about the bulb that's left behind,
And that way you'll start to balance the diet out
a week bit better and make it more appropriate for
(05:32):
a heavily pregnant Ye.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
What would you say about the correlation between too much
feed and bearing issues?
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Bearings? We love the bearing issue, one of We were
talking about this this morning actually amongst the colleagues, and
we've done a lot of work in this space over time,
and probably the key would be no sudden changes. So
if you suddenly change from one feed to another, or
(06:02):
from low quality feed to high quality feed, there is
a tendency to have some serious issues. So the first
first port of call, no sudden changes. So if they
were on a reader reasonably moderate allowance, don't allow them
to gorge themselves. That's not a good look. The rest
(06:23):
of that question goes, when we do provide them with
high allowances, then we have no more bearing issues than
when they're on low allowances.
Speaker 4 (06:33):
Right.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
So it's not the allowance per se, it's the sudden
change from one condition to another that appears to be
associated with it. Having said all that, Andy, we really
don't know what causes bearings as yet.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
And the reesting you talk about the feed needs of
twins in the life. Do you think transitioning off swedes?
You hear about it in cattal all the time. Should
it be applied to shape, for example, a bit better
than how we do it?
Speaker 3 (07:00):
And all we do is don't from on pasture? Rightah,
If you're going to do that, I would say you
put them onto a moderate quality past You're not a
really high quality pasture for a start, and it would
it would be rather nice to be able to transition them.
They transition over about the course of five days, so
(07:21):
transitioning back to pasture is less traumatic than going from
pasture to crop. And the problem is even a four
or five day period in this really late pregnancy where
they are their intakers restricted may well impact on lamb survival.
So some sort of trying to transition them back would.
Speaker 4 (07:44):
Be a good idea if it's practical for far.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
I suppose the last question of God as well as
regarding stocking rates, you talked about it briefly before. Do
we need to look at stocking rates on farm during
lambing time over lambing time again?
Speaker 4 (07:59):
I would.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
I would think about it as lambs being born perhected,
not about use perjectare. And a lot of farmers will
make that stocking rate core based on how much grass
they have and how far they can spread the user,
and they will try to get the stocking rate as
low as possible to avoid some of those complications. But
(08:23):
we certainly now have the experience and all the experiences
that we have had reflected to us from farmers is
asually lambing triplets on their own, regardless of stocking rate
is hard work, I'd have to say, which is why
we're coming back to going we'll mix them at the
singles and dilute that effect quite significantly. Yeah. So overall,
(08:48):
and it depends on the scenario if farmers are going
through and doing a lambing beat, et cetera and shedding out,
then they'll be able to run slightly high stocking rates
than somebody who's just sit stop, because they'll be able
to identify the US and lambs move the US that
haven't lamb on. If you're in hill country where you
(09:10):
can't do that, then you're very much trying to stop
according to how much feed is growing under their feet.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
It's a fascinating it's a fascinating subject this, Dave, I
could talk about it for a lot longer, but time
is of the years since. But nonetheless very interesting, especially
around the triplets and the singles. Thanks to your time
on the muster. Certainly a conversation starter.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
All good. Hopefully there's some good results out there.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
This year, Dave Stevens. There are some very interesting thoughts
regarding triplets and singles. Beeflamin z dot com slash events
to receive the Beef and Them Eboch diary into your
ebos every Friday morning. Drift Stark's up next, talking Southern
intoor charity dog trials.
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