09/13/11
Pasja - good weight gain
"I put our smallest store lambs on Pasja - usually under 26kg - because its very high ME allows them to catch up with the others," says Peter, who farms an East Chatton sheep, beef and arable property in partnership with his parents Graeme and Elspeth.
Pasja is planted in late October/early November, with the first grazing pre or post-Christmas, depending on the season. Lambs are rotationally grazed at a rate of 60-70 lambs/ha for three to four rounds until mid-April, with lambs slaughtered at 19.5kg carcass weight.
The Pasja crop is divided into four blocks, each separated by a double electric fence (six wires), with lambs rotated around, spending about one week on each block. "So it is easy to manage, with six to seven days on each break. Pasja regrows well.
"Lambs are gaining 300g to 400g a day on Pasja and we find lambs also achieve a very high dressing out percentage on the crop," says Peter.
