Note: It is common within the industry for weaning rates to vary within mobs and from year to year, despite having similar conditions. The results in this trial showed a 28% increase in marking rate however the sample size of the trial group is only one. The average increase in weaning rates from twin bearing ewes would more conservatively be 15%

1. Calves per feed input which was increased from 25 calves to the commercial application of 50 calves per feeder

2. The outputs used the calculator from www. advantagefeeders.com.au/calculating-return-on-investment

3. The outputs includes the costs associated with filling, monitoring and depreciation.2x NGF1800 feeders for the Supplement mob. This also assumes that this application of feeders accounts for 50% of their use throughout the whole year.

There are a number of challenges facing profitable lamb production farms. These include:

• Increasing the stock/Ha during the winter feed gap
• Reducing the amount of supplementation
• Increasing lamb survival
• Reducing mis-mothering
• Increasing lamb growth rates

Ways the trial will attempt to address and overcome the above challenges

• Farms (especially mixed grazing and cereal farms) have their biggest deficiency in pasture availability and livestock consumption when ewes are in late pregnancy and early lactation. If stocking rates are increased during this period (based on lambs growing efficiently), the farm can often sustain this higher stocking rate for the remainder of the year. Stocking rates can be increased by supplementing stock with little and often amounts of starch based feeds as microbe populations increase and ensure high pasture utilisation. The stocking density of the Advantage Feeders group within this trial is the same as the trail fed control groups. Several other trials have shown a 50% higher stocking rate can be achieved.
• Supplement can be reduced by feeding little and often. It provides an environment where microbes thrive. Trials have shown that the feed required to supplement mature stock can be reduced by more than 30%. As the control group had ceased being supplemented by the time the trial started, this doesn’t affect the profitability of this trial period.
• Supplementing ewes with starch at lambing thins its colostrum increasing the chance of its lamb receiving enough to survive past the first few days of its life.
• Supplementing ewes through lambing makes them run away from their lambs to receive their feed, leading to mis-mothering. It is often the lesser of two evils to choose not to supplement them. The trail fed control mob in this trial has not been supplemented after lambing has commenced.
• Lamb growth rates are increased from the higher milk production from ewes.Beans substituted for lentils at $400/tonne; and