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Key performance indicators (KPIs) for lamb sector
Breeding flock
| Key Performance Indicators | Performing well | Room to improve | Review performance | ||
| Lambs reared | Outdoor lambing ewes and shearlings only | 170-155% | 155-135% | 135-125% | |
| Outdoor lambing ewes, shearlings and ewe lambs | 160-145% | 145-125% | 125-115% | ||
| Indoor lambing ewes and shearlings only | 175-160% | 160-140% | 140-130% | ||
| Indoor lambing ewes, shearlings and ewe lambs | 165-150% | 150-130% | 130-120% | ||
| Ewe mortality | 0 - 2.5% | 2.5 - 5% | 5 - 7.5% | ||
| Ewes sold | 1-16% | 16-22% | 22-31% | ||
| Flock replacement rate | 25-15% | 15-10% 25-30% |
10-0% 30-45% |
||
| Lamb losses from scanning to reared | 10-12% | 12-20% | 20-30% | ||
| Daily liveweight gain - Reared lambs | 500-350g/day | 350-150g/day | 150-100g/day | ||
| Full economic cost of production | Per lamb reared | £50-60/hd | £60-80/hd | £80-100/hd | |
| Per liveweight kilo of lamb reared | £1.25-1.50/kg | £1.50-2.00/kg | £2.00-2.50/kg | ||
| Per deadweight kilo of lamb reared | £3.15-3.70/kg | £3.70-5.00/kg | £5.00-5.90/kg | ||
Breeding flock KPI definitions
| Key Performance Indicators | Why you should do this KPI | Definitions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lambs reared | This is a good indicator of flock performance to the end of the production year, as it measures the performance of input efficiency by looking at lamb output from all the sheep put to the ram. This is also an indicator of environmental impact. | Lambs sold finished, store, breeding or retained as a percentage of Ewes and Shearlings (and ewe lambs as appropriate) put to the ram last year. | |
| Ewe mortality | High levels of ewe mortality can indicate health and welfare problems within the flock as well as having an impact on farm profitability. | The number of females that died on farm as a percentage of females put to the ram last year. Calculated using the difference between females put to the ram last year and this year plus any females purchased or transferred in minus animals that were sold for breeding or slaughter. | |
| Ewes sold | Related to replacement rate, ewes sold is an indicator of ewe longevity, productivity and condition. | Ewes sold for breeding and for slaughter as a percentage of females put to the ram last year. | |
| Flock replacement rate |
Studies have shown that on average, flocks replace 20–25% of their ewes every year, depending on their culling policy and ewe mortality. Underperforming ewes consume feed, take up space, and require additional labour, while generating less profit than their counterparts. The Challenge Sheep farmers have proved that consistently using data to identify and remove underperforming ewes from the flock is one way to improve overall performance and help make sheep production more profitable, sustainable and viable. |
The number of females needed to replace those leaving and maintain flock size. Calculated using the difference between females put to the ram last year and this year plus any females purchased or transferred in as a percentage of females put to the ram last year. | |
| Lamb losses from scanning to reared | Scanning is the first indicator of the flock’s maximum potential. Success is measured by how few lambs are lost between scanning and rearing. This is also an indicator of environmental impact. | Total number of lambs scanned in all females minus total number of lambs reared, as a percentage of the total number of lambs scanned in all females. | |
| Daily liveweight gain - Reared lambs | An indicator of lamb growth which reflects ewe condition and feeding, ewe and lamb health. Your DLWG target should consider lambing date and the market/s the lambs are intended for. This is also an indicator of environmental impact. | Average weight gained from birth to sale divided by average age (days) at sale. | |
| Full economic cost of production | It is important to calculate your Cost of Production (COP) as just changing physical performance is unlikely to impact your profitability unless it is achieved at the same or lower cost. Calculating your full economic cost of production (cash costs and opportunity value of family labour and owned land) ensures that you both reward yourself and the result can be compared to others and market prices. | Total livestock (breeding flock, lambs and replacements) costs, including home-grown forage, plus total overheads, including value of unpaid labour, depreciation for machinery and property, rent and rental value of owned land divided by number of lambs reared or kg of lambs reared. | |
Purchased store lambs
| Key Performance Indicators | Performing well | Room to improve | Review performance | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mortality - Purchased lambs | 0.5 - 1% | 1 - 2% | 2 - 2.5% | ||
| Daily liveweight gain - Purchased lambs | 300-250g/day | 250-150g/day | 150-100g/day | ||
| Full economic cost of production | Per lamb sold | £70-80/hd | £80-85/hd | £85-100/hd | |
| Per liveweight kilo of lamb sold | £1.20-1.50/kg | £1.50-2.00/kg | £2.00-2.40/kg | ||
| Per deadweight kilo of lamb sold | £2.60-3.20/kg | £3.20-4.20/kg | £4.20-5.00/kg | ||
Purchased store lamb KPI definitions
| Key Performance Indicators | Why you should do this KPI | Definitions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mortality - Purchased lambs | Higher mortality rates could indicate health and/or nutritional issues. This is also an indicator of environmental impact. | Number of lambs deaths (of those purchased) as a percentage of the number of lambs purchased. | |
| Daily liveweight gain - Purchased lambs | Indicator of lamb growth. Good indicator of lamb health and nutrition. | Average weight gained during time spent on farm divided by average age at sale. | |
| Full economic cost of production |
It is important to calculate your Cost of Production (COP) as just changing physical performance is unlikely to impact your profitability unless it is achieved at the same or lower cost. Calculating your full economic cost of production, cash costs and the opportunity value of family labour and owned land ensures that you both reward yourself and the results can be compared to others and market prices. |
Total livestock costs, including cost of home-grown forage plus total overheads, including value of unpaid labour, depreciation for machinery and property, rent and value of owned land divided by number of lambs sold or kg of lambs sold. | |