Another year of feed which we can hopefully convert to lambs in the belly. We know for many of you there is still a lot of work to do. We hope you are all managing and we are only a phone call away if we can help. Let us start helping by locking in your scanning.
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A silver lining through 2023 is that scanning was up and dry rate was down. This increase in lamb numbers has definitely helped bridge the financial gap with reduced returns in the 2023/24 season. Last year MA ewes scanned 172.8% with a 4.1% dry rate and 2th scanned 163% on average with a 4.7% dry rate across Hawkes Bay.
How can we repeat this?
Ewes are in good condition but like always where there is grass there are bugs. At this point in time facial eczema is knocking at the door, so prior to ram introduction consider checking where your spore counts are at on farm. If overnight temperatures are above 12 degrees everything else is set for facial eczema spores to grow. The dead matter in the sward, the warm and wet weather are all waiting for warmer nights. Also before ram introduction consider whether or not your MA, 2th and hoggets are fully protected against fly and any upcoming worm challenges which may be ahead of them. If you may be struggling for feed quality consider body condition scoring off your ewes prior to mating and if possible (pending stock proof paddocks), consider mating a light and good conditioned ewe mob.
In terms of our overall service, there are no big changes. Expect excellent communication around your jobs, top operators with modern equipment. We provide a marker with scourable or non-scourable marker products all in the one price, free faecal egg counts, and veterinary back up for any queries or discussion on your sheep scanning.
Note also:
- the most important date for us is the ram joining date and by now you will know your ram date. An estimation of the hogget joining date will be fine.
- We have continued with the tick box for weekend work. If you are happy to scan your ewes on weekends we would appreciate you indicating this on the booking form.
- Please also ensure you have enough staff available on scanning day, this ensures a smooth and efficient day for all. This means 3 people behind the sheep before we arrive. Emptying out the sheep properly will also ensure the most accurate results for you, this means off grass 12hrs before your scanning booking. Also beware if your ewes are 1-3 weeks off shears accuracy may be reduced due to contact issues from dry skin grease post shearing.
We appreciate working with you, we can imagine this year has been yet another challenging one for many. We remain dedicated to our farming community and are here to help.
Kind regards,
Your Vet Services Team.
