Hitting the market right makes a large amount of difference in the value of a lamb. The recent sudden drop saw around £20 or more wiped of the value of old season lambs as the effects of the Coronavirus sent shockwaves through the supply chain.
Markets have since bounced back and are looking reasonable for standard lambs. Nobody knows how long this will last, but with current prices still trading within the five year average, quick finishing of new season lambs makes economic sense.
The chart below shows the high, average and low points of the market over the last five year's throughout the year. The vertical bars show where the lambs growing at three daily growth rates would be finished and hit the market.
As shown, the faster finished lambs command the best prices. It is also worth noting that the lower price for the fast grown lambs (350g/day) delivers a similar price to the slower growing lambs (200g/day) at the market high.
Feeding programs should therefore reflect this and be designed to hit the market at the right time, in order to give you the best margins.
Our team can run your figures based on your mean lambing date and work with you to look at the optimal finishing program for your lambs this season.
Please contact your local manager, alternatively you can call our team on 0330 678 0982 or you can send us an online enquiry here.
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Read this year's Focus on Sheep newsletter which covers sheep production, performance, market dynamics and changes in population.
With the lambing season underway, nutrition needs to be a priority to ensure that lambs are provided with high quality colostrum and milk in the crucial first few weeks of life.