Sheep Flocks: Useful Targets

20 December 2017

Rearing % on the hill	100%
Rearing % in bye	130%
Rearing % low ground (outdoor lambing)	160%
Wool produced per ewe	2.2 kg
MJ ME required 8,6,4,2 pre lambing	12 rising to 17 MJ ME/kg DM
Minimum weight to wean	25 kg
Kill out % for lambs	45%
BCS at lambing inside March	3 BCS
BCS at lambing outside May	2-2.5 BCS
Hay reserve hill sheep DM	35 kg DM/ewe
Silage for wintering hill hogget inside kg fresh weight @ 30% DM	300 kg fresh
Silage for wintering Mule ewe 150 day winter kg @ 25% DM	500 kg fresh
Silage for 55 kg ewe for winter outdoors	350 kg fresh
Lowest silage % DM for sheep for normal intakes	18 % DM
Ewes wintered on 1 ha of lowland pasture after beef/dairy	0.4 ewes
Ewes wintered on 1 ha rested upland pasture	0.8 ewes
High hill stocking rate eg Scottish Borders	0.4-0.8 ha/ewe
Low hill stocking rate Scotland eg west coast /north	2.5 ha/ewe
Year round carrying capacity lowland	10 ewes/ha
% ewes lame	< 3%
% ewes lame welfare issue	over 5%
Ewe annual mortality good	2%
Ewe mortality – something wrong	>5%
Lamb mortality as % of lambs scanned good	>5-10%
Lamb mortality as % of lambs scanned poor	>15-20%