“the ability to produce an abundance of offspring or new growth; fertility.”
Lambing Ease
A key component of the Meat Plus Rams is the ability to produce lambs with a low birth weight and small smooth shoulders which greatly reduces lambing complications.
Meat Plus rams give you peace of mind during the lambing season and are ideal for Merino CFA or maiden ewes.
Finished Weight
Meat Plus Rams offer flexibility to produce lambs to suit customers across the entire processing industry.
The industry has traditionally produced heavy lambs however the recent growth of the domestic market has placed a premium on lambs’ weighing 21-23kg (HSCW).
The confirmation and flexibility of Meat Plus lambs allows finished weights from 18 – 40kg HSCW.
Soundness
When developing the Meat Plus genetics an emphasis was placed on producing a sheep that was sound and required low maintenance. The attention to detail when selecting our Rams is extreme and ensures continuous improvement.
Meat Plus lambs have:
• A clean breech to avoid flystrike
• Limited foot scold
Self Replacing
The advantage of Meat Plus Rams is the ability for you to join to numerous breeds which reduces the capital required to build your mob. This, combined with the high lambing percentage, allows you to rapidly increase numbers.
Replacing ewes through a self-replacement strategy also eliminates the bio-security risk that is always associated with buying outside sheep
Carcase Shape
Our Genetics have targeted a confirmation that places an emphasis on the cuts that matter – the middle/loin section of the lamb.
Smaller shoulders and legs and a large eye muscle on the loin cuts is exactly what retailers across the globe are looking for.
Growth
Meat Plus lambs are born with a low birth weight but experience rapid weight gain up to 60kg which ensures a fast turn off from the farm.
Generally, you can expect the following from a Meat Plus lamb during a “normal” season:
| Birth Weight: | 3 -4 kg |
| Weaning (12 weeks): | 36 – 46kg |
| Finished Weight (20 weeks): | 60 – 70kg |
Twinning
The Meat Plus breed has been designed to produce twins. Genetics have been carefully selected and refined during the past few years to ensure all Rams are part of a twin family.
Lambing percentages of 150 – 170% are considered normal amongst our select group of customers.
Dressing Percentage
Dressing percentages across the industry vary but 46-47% is generally considered acceptable.
Leading processors across Australia are fast becoming aware that Meat Plus lambs consistently average 49-53% which as you can see it can add up to a considerable premium.
Using a Meat Plus Ram can result in a 3-4% improvement in your dressing % which doesn’t sound like much but it can actually add significant value to your farm.
The table below highlights what this improvement equates to:
| LIVEWEIGHT | 50.0 | 50.0 |
| DRESSING % | 47% | 52% |
| HSCW | 23.5 | 26.0 |
| PRICE / kg | $ 7.00 | $ 7.00 |
| TOTAL RETURN | $ 164.50 | $ 182.00 |
| DIFFERENCE | $ 17.50 | |
| TOTAL LAMBS | 500 | 500 |
| TOTAL $ DIFFERENCE | $ 8,750.00 |
