Weekly Update: 30/06/17

CPT weaning weights and Ultrasound Scanning

This week we have been busy visiting our CPT flocks to collect lamb weaning (100 day) weights. Heavy lambs are also being ultrasound scanned for muscle and back fat. All CPT lamb carcase data is being captured in the abattoir and this allows us to assess the ability of the ultrasound measurements to accurately predict carcase traits.

Since Tues of this week, close to 5,000 ewes and lambs have been weighed, condition scored, scored for lameness, dag, and mastitis. Additional flock visits are planned for early next week and this will complete our weaning weight collection. Additional flock visits will be required in a number of weeks to carry out another round of ultrasound muscle and backfat scanning. Ideally lambs should weigh in excess of 35kgs in order to maximise the benefit of collecting ultrasound measurements for backfat. A portion of lambs during this round of weighing were simply not heavy enough to justify scanning.

Some images below from the CPT farms over the past few days.