Identifying those ewes which don't rear a lamb is lifting the lambing rate for Michael Lowe on the family property near Crookwell.

Mr Lowe was speaking during the 13^th annual ANZ Agribusiness Crookwell flock ewe competition where his Royalla/Adina-blood maiden ewes, September 2019-drop and October-shorn, were awarded first place in the spring-shorn section.

The Innisvale flock was classed by Rick Power at 34 percent seconds and the fleece measurements for the 2020 fleece line was 18.6 microns while the hogget line was 17.2 microns.

When speaking to the crowd, Mr Lowe admitted his focus used to be 'wool, wool, wool'.

"But since getting Rick here for the second year I have been discussing with him more focus on fertility trying to get more lambs up and running," he said.

"My ewes get into lamb, they scan very well and the twin percentages are pretty good."

But when comparing the lesser marking percentages, Mr Lowe did say that the cold and often bleak weather on the southern tablelands is a factor.

"There is no doubt about that, but I think there is a little bit more to it," he said.

"For the past three years we have been identifying the scanned-dry ewes and the maidens get the second chance.

"And each year I have been tagging the ewes who have lost a lamb with the colour of that year.

"Last year when Rick came here there were some ewes in the race with two coloured discs indication they had lost two lambs."

The question was then put by Mr Power as to the future of those ewes.

"What do you want to do with," he asked Mr Lowe who replied he had two really cold and wet lambings and it might not be their fault so if they are good ewes perhaps they can be given another chance.

Mr Lowe thought there was about 20 in the race and they were given a third chance.

"This year there was 15 of the 20 with three discs in their ear," he said.

"So after three lambings there was nothing and that was when the penny dropped.

"They are out and I put them in with the wethers!"

Mr Lowe pointed out any ewes with two discs were put in the mob to be joined to Border Leicesters in the hope of a third chance.

"I am going to go a lot harder on the ewes from now," he said.

Judge James Barron was impressed with his first vision of the Innisvale ewes and saw no reason to change his view on closer inspection.

"They are good long-bodied ewes, with big heads and good leg under them," he said.

"I think they are a very good mob of commercial ewes, they are good money-making ewes and if you are sticking with the fertility job you are doing I think it will turn around pretty quickly."

Alan McCormack further noted that throughout the competition, no one was getting enough lambs to survive through to weaning and even beyond.

"You are getting them but not keeping them," he said.

"Basically as an industry, we have things down pat, we are getting the ewes in lamb but they are not turning up at lamb marking!"

That is a big concern and Mr McCormack said the weather is a problem but it is not an excuse.

"So congratulations to Michael, he is addressing that issue," he said.

"If you get rid of your dry ewes at scanning, the next step is to get rid of your lambed and lost ewes."

There is little point in carrying passengers and Mr McCormack said it is obvious the more lambs that survive the more options you have.

Craig Pearsall, Elders wool specialist, Goulburn drew attention to recent industry figures highlighting the benefit of culling those ewes who don't or can't rear a lamb as a maiden.

"This study was funded through AWI and it proved that for maidens who lamb and lose [their lamb] in their lifetime they will rear 1.5 lambs." he said.

"So really a second chance is a waste of time because those who lamb as maidens go on to have four five lambs in their lifetime."

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