Spring and Average Daily Gains

Originally published THE SHEPHERD Magazine August 1985

Dispatch From Mormon Trail Farm

Clark BreDahl

Spring came early and stayed this year!
After three consecutive “washouts” in
which we battled both abnormally cold
and wet conditions through the planting
season, weather patterns took a drastic
change this year. Record-breaking warm,
dry conditions followed closely on the
heels of a relatively snow-free winter. Most
oats were seeded in March, and I know
of one farmer who started planting corn
April 2-exactly two months earlier than
he had started two years ago.
I never cease to be amazed at the “folk
wisdom” possessed by some of the old-
timers in the community. In an era of high
powered technology and over-paid “ex-
perts,” the simple knowledge honed by
years of observation and experience
seems precious indeed. The unusual
weather this year brought another exam-
ple to mind.
In early May, with all my corn planted
and most of the soybeans in, I heard an
older farmer friend comment that the
season was “early enough we could plant
everything twice.” I hadn’t heard that one
before, and found it curious. But by late
May, the words proved prophetic (as is
usually the case) as a deluge of problems
ranging from cutworms and armyworms
to dry soil, and yes even hailstorms,
forced the most widespread replanting of
crops in years.
Our second annual Midcrest Area
Lamb Performance Contest reached the
halfway point last week as we weighed the
lambs after 33 days on test. The program
was started a year ago as an addition to
a lamb carcass show that after 14 years
needed a bit of rejuvenating. Since
superior carcasses seldom, if ever, put
any extra money in the producer’s pocket,
we thought we would shed some light on
two things that do-rate of gain and feed
efficiency. Results both last year and so
far this, have been enlightening, to say the
least. For example, two extremely similar
Suffolk lambs were weighed on test this
year. Both had the stylish look of super
show lamb prospects. But after 33 days
under identical feeding and care in a
nearly ideal slatted floor environment, one
is gaining at the rate of 1.25 pounds per
day, the other at four-tenths … For what-
ever its worth, they both still have that
long, lean, stylish look of a show lamb …

Also, we have found that a lamb’s face
does not necessarily need to be black to
be a “good doer.” A Rambouillet lamb last
year placed fourth overall, and surpassed
all other lambs in rate of gain above 100
pounds.

Most people it seems, tend to over
estimate the rate of gain of their lambs.
Pound-a-day gain and above are tossed
around pretty lightly in conversation near-
ly everywhere sheepmen gather. But I am
convinced much of that alleged gain is
comprised of hot air, and not duly re-
corded on a scale.
Perhaps that’s to be expected in a state
with 12,000 sheep operations. Probably a
lot of those with “weed burner” flocks
really don’t know, while many with “hobby” flocks really don’t care!