Sheep
Norman Hurcomb
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Greater productivity equals profits in bolused flock
Animax boluses have succeeded where drenches failed when a farmer sought to improve fertility in his flock of breeding ewes.
He experimented by boluses, mineral pails and drenches to selected hefts. “The liquid drenches didn’t alter anything. The mineral pails did but it was selective. They helped the ones that ate the most,’’ says Mr Hurcomb, who runs 2,000 ewes at Newlouse.
Norman Hurcomb said he had used a variety of drenches, ranging in price, but he was still getting too many barren ewes.
“We found the Animax boluses helped a lot. We knew every animal in the heft was getting a dose. We now use the boluses on all the ewes and only get on average one barren ewe to the score (20).’’
One in 20 is regarded as an acceptable rate of barren ewes in the flock but Mr Hurcomb was getting double this number.
Mr Hurcomb says more productive ewes has meant greater profitability. “We are now toying with the idea of giving the lambs a bolus to get a healthier and bigger lamb at fattening,’’ he says.
Animax Ltd. Shepherds Grove West, Stanton, Sufolk, IP31 2AR