Getting a handle on lamb drafting

Sheep Specialist, Michael Gottstein, joins Ciarán Lynch on this week’s OviCast to discuss some important aspects of lamb drafting at this point in the season. Michael discusses the national kill and type of carcass being supplied and he discusses the expected kill out percentage in lambs and what can influence it. He also explains the issues with under-fleshed carcasses, both in terms of delivering returns to the producer and the type of carcass they produce. Michael then highlights the key areas to focus on for lamb finishing and how to trouble shoot some of the problems. Finally, Michael emphasises the importance of not only drafting at the correct weight but also ensuring there is adequate cover when drafting lambs. For more episodes from the OviCast podcast, visit the show page at: https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/sheep/ovicast-sheep-podcast