Vertical gains in the lambing pen: It’s not just about the numbers

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

• It has become more important than ever for red meat producers to raise lambs that not only benefit the producer but also add value throughout the entire supply chain.
• Producers in the Hanover district were able to launch a sheep feedlot project aimed at exploring ways to add value to marketable weaners.
• By 2025, the project had expanded substantially, with 62 group entries and a total of 372 lambs.
• Among other analyses, they compared weaning weight to final slaughter weight, revealing potential added value of between R200 and R500 per lamb.
• While price and cost remain important, producers now have tools to optimise production efficiency.

In a world where rising input costs and increasing consumer demands play a decisive role, it has become more important than ever for red meat producers to raise lambs that not only benefit the producer but also add value throughout the entire supply chain.

The common perception that farming is unprofitable, or that other stakeholders in the value chain reap greater financial rewards, has prompted producers in the Hanover district to take a closer look at the situation. With the right support, they were able to launch a sheep feedlot project aimed at exploring ways to add value to marketable weaners, moving beyond the traditional focus on quantity alone.

This initiative also serves as a collaborative platform, bringing together all role-players – from producers to feedlot operators and abattoirs – to share insights and clarify their respective contributions within the value chain.

Growth under finishing conditions

Data collected at the Hanover feedlot is transformed into valuable insights that help producers better understand their animals’ performance and identify opportunities to increase profitability. This eliminates the need for guesswork or generalisations.

In 2024, each participant entered groups of six lambs. Each producer selected six or more lambs to be finished in a shared feedlot environment alongside those from other producers, divided into four pens. By 2025, the project had expanded substantially, with 62 group entries and a total of 372 lambs.

The lambs were kraaled on one of the participating producer’s farms. They were weighed every two weeks, and fleece weights were recorded at shearing. Fibre diameter was assessed using an optical fibre diameter analysis (OFDA) wool test to determine fibre thickness. In addition, each carcass was weighed individually, and feed intake was measured.

Table 1: Data collected during the Hanover sheep feedlot project.

Trends in lamb production

• The value chain increasingly demands lambs that reach market readiness earlier, particularly A-grade animals. In some regions, it is not possible to finish lambs on veld alone, leading producers to use finishing facilities. Rising input costs, such as fuel prices, and a decline in abattoir numbers due to reduced animal availability mean that livestock must be transported greater distances to reach markets.
• Each farm’s carrying capacity limits the number of ewes that can be farmed, making optimal production essential. Key factors include wool yields and the number of weaned lambs available.
• Wether farms are becoming smaller, and fewer ram lambs are being reared as wethers.
• Producers aim for optimal carcass size to ensure lambs reach slaughter readiness as quickly as possible.
• In dual-purpose breeds, there is a growing focus on meat production, driven by drought conditions, price fluctuations, and disease challenges.

Better management, better value

Everyone in the value chain must take responsibility for their products by:

• Understanding the product they produce, market, or sell.
• Identifying market demand.
• Recognising how the previous link in the value chain contributes to the product.
• Determining how to deliver the best possible product for the next link in the value chain.

To achieve optimal production, producers can leverage the expertise of a sheep and wool advisor, and of a nutritionist, make use of data, and implement technology and comprehensive animal health programmes.

Production-driven decisions

The project, with mutton as the primary income source, is grounded not in general theory but in practical information that directly affects a farm’s bottom line. For example, while it is easy to label something as ‘expensive’, a product that costs R5 and generates R15 profit is clearly an investment. The focus, therefore, should shift from cost-driven thinking to production-driven progress, emphasising strategies to increase the value of each lamb and the producer’s efficiency per hectare.

This does not imply that all producers must now finish their lambs. The key is to sell lambs that hold value for both the producer and the next link in the value chain.

The Hanover sheep feedlot project helped producers identify the potential of their animals under specific circumstances. Among other analyses, they compared weaning weight to final slaughter weight, revealing potential added value of between R200 and R500 per lamb. While price and cost remain important, producers now have tools to optimise production efficiency. Vertical growth is not merely about increasing the number of weaners in the kraal but about producing a high-quality product that meets market requirements.

Key findings from the project

• Extra kilograms of meat can increase profit when feed conversion is efficient.
• Environmental factors, such as cold and heat, affect feed intake and lamb growth more than commonly recognised.
• A lamb’s final weight is crucial; achieving a good average daily gain (ADG) is essential. Lambs slaughtered too early can reduce the producer’s profits.
• Wethers in the trial grew slower than rams, which is expected. It will be insightful to evaluate profitability if wethers are slaughtered at 48kg rather than alongside other animals.
• Profit is determined by multiple factors, such as starting weight, dressing percentage, ADG, and market price.
• Where mutton production may result in a loss, wool production could generate a profit.
• Overall, profitability depends on a combination of factors, not just a single feedlot profit driver.

Practical adjustments

Several practical adjustments can help producers achieve better results in such a trial. For example, wethers and rams should ideally be kept in separate pens due to differences in their social behaviour. Wethers are generally calmer, while rams approaching sexual maturity may jump on each other. If rams jump on wethers, it can negatively affect the wethers’ growth.

Similarly, horned and polled sheep should be kraaled separately. While opinions differ, it is important to assess whether combining these groups could create space or growth challenges.

Animals should be slaughtered as soon as they reach the appropriate weight. Different breeds and sexes have varying ideal slaughter weights, so timing is crucial. Slaughtering too early can result in losses, while delaying slaughter may prevent the animal from reaching its optimal growth potential.

It is also advisable to shear all animals at the same time. This allows for a meaningful comparison of wool growth and meat production across groups.

In closing

Projects like this offer continuous learning opportunities. Each season brings new challenges and chances for improvement, reminding us that agriculture is an ongoing process of adaptation and growth. No matter our age, there is always something new to learn. This project demonstrates that knowledge, combined with practical experience, is key to taking the industry forward. – Carin Venter, Plaas Media, and Hannelet Jordaan, DSS manager, BKB

For more information, contact Hannelet Jordaan at hannelet.jordaan@bkb.co.za or 060 500 8190.