Towards Optimum Fat Lamb Mating Strategies on the Northern Tablelands

An attempt was made to quantify some of the variables which affect mating strategies on the Northern Tablelands in the high rainfall zone of New South Wales. A single year linear programming model was developed which permitted the determination of the optimum date of lambing of a Merino X Border Leicester ewe flock (composed of four tooth, six tooth, and full mouth ewes and mated to Dorset Horn rams) for a range of prices and seasonal conditions. It was found first, that generally a staggered lambing is most profitable; secondly, that it pays to lamb early for the Christmas-New Year market if premiums are adequate; and thirdly, that it pays to buy considerable quantities of oaten grain for winter feeding.