FE disease clips back pregnancies
Manawatu and Rangitikei farmers are facing fewer lambs than expected as facial eczema takes its toll on ewes.
Federated Farmers Manawatu/ Rangitikei Meat & Fibre chairman, Richard Morrison said scanning was back about 10 per cent and ewes were carrying fewer lambs. ’’And dry rates [ewes not in lamb] varied a lot across the regions. We had 2 per cent, but some people were probably as high as 20 per cent.’’
Veterinarians and farmers were concerned, as pressure came on ewes and cows last summer and autumn’s high facial eczema levels resulted in them failing to get in calf or lamb in large numbers.
Morrison said farmers were also concerned about the impact of facial eczema, but stock were in otherwise good condition from a kind winter, lately turning wet.
‘‘Beef cows are probably half a condition score lighter than people would like. There wasn’t the rough feed around in autumn for cows. People have to realise there wasn’t the cattle feed, and prioritise their cows, not just run them around with ewes.’’
Morrison said lambs had appeared on Manawatu’s flat land, but ewes in the hills were still a month away from lambing.
‘‘Quite often it is milder now. Then later we get those big weather patterns with low temperatures which come through.’’
He said it had been a good winter in the hills so far and at his farm near Marton. ’’We have had maybe four frosts here. Better than last year’s winter which was cold and the spring was cold and wet too.’’
Pasture was growing and nitrogen fertiliser was well priced so some farmers were putting it on to lift growth.
He said farmers were hoping the warm weather would continue and there would be a dry spring, to help make sure lamb survival was good.
Morrison said he was philosophical about the fewer ewe pregnancies.