A SHEEP specialist has urged farmers to make the most of their store lambs.

John Hickson, from Dugdale Nutrition, believes that far too often store lamb production is the Cinderella of sheep farming.

Store lambs are often what is left after faster growing lambs have been finished and sold off grass. To some extent they are an after thought but, he said, a little extra care and attention can pay dividends.

When producing store lambs output /ewe is crucial so a high lambing percentage is very important as two store lambs sold at £55/head is better than one finished lamb at £80.

Mr Hickson gave 10 tips:

o Finished lambs are normally sold in small batches, but store lamb buyers are looking for much larger batches of evenly matched lambs to suit their individual finishing systems. A little extra time spent preparing and sorting store lambs into even batches is well worthwhile.

o Store buyers are placing increasing emphasis on health status and will look for records of worming, vaccinations and regulatory requirements including pre-sale dipping. They will be concerned not only about the performance of the lambs themselves, but to minimise risks of introducing health problems to their farms.

o Check for, and deal with, any mineral/trace element issues BEFORE they leave your farm. Remember to tell your buyer this has been done.

o Buyers always like well presented, clean lambs that have been dagged – dirty wool clipped off – as necessary and any dirt removed.

o Remember that store lamb finishing systems vary, from those aiming to finish over a few weeks to those up to about 150 days.

o Store lambs are widely used for grassland management on dairy farms so may well need to be finished and away in time to ensure spring grass for the dairy herd.

o Similarly, there is increasing interest from large scale arable units making greater use of grass breaks for weed control and soil structure and fertility. A modern version of the 'golden hoof'.

o Grass will always be the cheapest feed, but there may also be a case for a little creep feeding or final finishing in sheds.

o It is important when housing to feed some of the housed ration outdoors for a week or two before housing to make the transition as smooth as possible.

o Remember a satisfied customer with confidence in you and your sheep is most likely to be a return customer and, hopefully, pay a premium for your store lambs. A simple follow up phone call can make a big difference and can also work as a little market research.

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