Who will win the bragging rights of being named Australia’s top performing lamb producer in a first of its kind competition?
All will be revealed when the winners of what has been dubbed “Sheep of Origin” will be announced during LambEx next month in Adelaide.
A total of 1,500 lambs across 16 different breeds from Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria were entered in the first Australian commercial focused lamb feedlot carcase initiative - officially called the LambEx AMPC Feedlot Carcase Competition.
The vendor-bred wooly lambs, in lots of 50, were inducted into the Thornby Feedlot in South Australia on December 1, 2023, where they were shorn, fleece weighed and appraised before entering the feedlot, and given the same feed ration and conditions for 60 days.
They were then processed at Thomas Foods International's Stawell abattoir in February, where the lambs were hook tracked through the plant. A hot standard weight was recorded for each lamb carcase along with lean meat yield measured with the DEXA technology and intramuscular fat from the MEQ Probe.
The lambs were processed at Thomas Foods International's Stawell abattoir.
LambEx Chair and South Australian sheep producer Jason Schulz said the competition results, including the most profitable team, were a close guarded secret – and the results may be surprising.
"What I can say is that there is as much variation in carcase traits within a breed as there is comparing the different breeds, meaning there's great opportunity for improvement through genetic selection based on information provided through MSA feedback, once commercially available," he said.
The results have also shown that MSA grading for lamb – similar to what is widely utilised for beef – is possible.
"Recording individual carcase traits against the lambs using eID has demonstrated MSA grading in lamb is possible, but not without its challenges," Mr Schulz said.
The competition attracted a lot of attention, with entries closing two weeks early due to the high demand.
“Producers have really embraced and appreciated the chance to profile their genetics and put themselves up against other producers from across Australia,” he said.
“Aggregated results will inform and substantiate breeding profiles to determine what makes profitable lambs presenting a great opportunity for lamb producers.”
AMPC Chief Executive Chris Taylor said the commercial focused feedlot competition was a perfect fit for AMPC to be involved in profiling and determining desirable yield attributes for the lamb sector.
“The LambEx Feedlot Carcase Competition is a great initiative to delve deeper into what makes a profitable lamb and we are pleased to support and profile recognised production qualities that enhance and improve lamb eating quality,” Mr Taylor said.
“Benchmarking provides invaluable insight and analysis in producer performance and this contribution in developing desirable lamb genetic profiles will be immeasurable.”
The AMPC LambEx Feedlot Carcase Competition has been a collaborative effort between key partners AMPC, Thomas Foods International, Thornby Feedlot and Meat & Livestock Australia to deliver a Meat Standards Australia (MSA) cuts-based graded commercial focused lamb feedlot carcase competition across Australia.
The LambEx AMPC Feedlot Carcase Competition Awards will be announced at LambEx 2024, which is being held in Adelaide from August 7-9. Ticket sales close soon – don’t miss out.
