The economic optimum mob size at lambing for triplet-bearing Maternal and Merino ewes across southern Australia

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dc.citation.issue2
dc.citation.volume65
dc.contributor.authorYoung JM
dc.contributor.authorKenyon PR
dc.contributor.authorKubeil LJ
dc.contributor.authorThompson AN
dc.contributor.authorTrompf J
dc.contributor.authorLockwood A
dc.contributor.editorGreer A
dc.date.accessioned2025-09-10T03:13:32Z
dc.date.available2025-09-10T03:13:32Z
dc.date.issued2025-01-16
dc.description.abstractContext: Lambing triplet-bearing ewes in smaller mobs significantly increases lamb survival. Aims: This paper reports economic analysis to assess the optimum mob size for triplet-bearing ewes during lambing. Methods: The analyses considered scenarios for Merino and non-Merino (Maternal) flocks where producers subdivided lambing paddocks using permanent fencing or where ewes were re-allocated within existing paddocks on the basis of pregnancy status. Key results: The optimum mob sizes for triplet-bearing ewes during lambing were affected by ewe breed, stocking rate, lamb price and the target return-on-investment if subdividing paddocks. The optimum mob size for triplet-bearing Maternal and Merino ewes was between 27% and 40% of the optimum for twin-bearing ewes and this was similar for scenarios where paddocks were subdivided, or where ewes were re-allocated within existing paddocks. At the standard lamb price of AUD$7/kg carcass weight, the economic return from adjusting the relative mob size of triplet-bearing ewes was AUD$2.05 per multiple-bearing or AUD$14.20 per triplet-bearing Maternal ewe and AUD$0.54 per multiple-bearing ewe or AUD$5.70 per triplet-bearing Merino ewe. Conclusions: Overall, these analyses demonstrated that reducing mob size at lambing can be a profitable strategy for improving survival of triplet-born lambs, depending on the current size of lambing mobs. Implications: As reported previously for single- and twin-bearing ewes, it is difficult to provide generic recommendations to producers for the optimum mob size of triplet-bearing ewes at lambing because optimum mob size was dependent on several enterprise-specific factors.
dc.description.confidentialfalse
dc.identifier.citationYoung JM, Kenyon PR, Kubeil LJ, Thompson AN, Trompf J, Lockwood A. (2025). The economic optimum mob size at lambing for triplet-bearing Maternal and Merino ewes across southern Australia. Animal Production Science. 65. 2.
dc.identifier.doi10.1071/AN24334
dc.identifier.eissn1836-5787
dc.identifier.elements-typejournal-article
dc.identifier.issn1836-0939
dc.identifier.numberAN24334
dc.identifier.urihttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/73524
dc.languageEnglish
dc.publisherCSIRO Publishing
dc.publisher.urihttp://publish.csiro.au/AN/AN24334
dc.relation.isPartOfAnimal Production Science
dc.rights(c) 2025 The Author/s
dc.rightsCC BY-NC-ND 4.0
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
dc.subjectlamb survival
dc.subjectlambing paddock
dc.subjectmarking rate
dc.subjectmultiple-bearing
dc.subjectnon-Merino
dc.subjectpermanent fencing
dc.subjectreallocation
dc.subjectsubdivision
dc.titleThe economic optimum mob size at lambing for triplet-bearing Maternal and Merino ewes across southern Australia
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.elements-id503019
pubs.organisational-groupOther
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