On the 12th Dec 07, we consigned 104 purebred ram lambs for slaughter. These animals were all “culled” from our 2007 lamb drop. The average liveweight was 53.8kgs with the average dressed weight22.38kgs. The average of the lambs was 219 days of age and were only run on pasture with no supplementary feeding.
Table A below represents the results and illustrates that Dorper/White Dorper Ram lambs can be taken through to a heavyweight carcase and also the remarkable “lean meat yields”.
48% of the ram lambs dressed at > 22kgs with only 2 heavyweights (> 32kgs) being more than Score 3.
Table A
| Weight range | Score 2 | Score 3 | Score 4 | |
| 15.1 to 16kgs | 2 (1.9%) | 0 | 0 | |
| 16.1 to 18kgs | 4 (3.8%) | 0 | 0 | |
| 18.1 to 20kgs | 18 (17.3%) | 1 (1.9%) | 0 | |
| 20.1 to 22kgs | 26 (25%) | 3 (2.9%) | 0 | |
| 22.1 to 24kgs | 12 (11.5%) | 7 (6.7%) | 0 | |
| 24.1 to 26kgs | 9 (8.6%) | 14 (13.5%) | 0 | |
| 26.1 to 28kgs | 1 (1.9%) | 2 (1.9%) | 0 | |
| 28.1 to 30kgs | 0 | 3 (2.9%) | 0 | |
| 30.1 to 32kgs | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 32kgs plus | 0 | 0 | 2 (1.9%) | |
| Total (22.37kgs) | 72 (69.2%) | 30 (28.8%) | 2 (1.9%) |
Lean meat Yields as assessed by the Viascan machine installed at WAMMCO – A higher percentage indicates more recoverable meat. The 93 animals scanned had an average carcase meat yield of 57.6%
| Category | Number | % |
| High (Above 54%) | 80 | 86% |
| Average (49 – 54%) | 13 | 14% |
| Low (below 49%) | 0 | 0% |
| Not scanned | 11 | |
| Average for the 93 animals scanned | 57.6% |