Browsing by Author "Morris, ST"

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    Growth of early weaned lambs on a plantain-clover mix compared with lambs suckling their dam on a plantain-clover mix or a grass based sward
    (NZSAP, 7/07/2016) Cranston, LM; Corner-Thomas, RA; Kenyon, PR; Morris, ST
    Plantain-clover mixes have high metabolisable energy content and have been shown to support greater liveweight gains in lambs both pre- and post-weaning when compared with grass. The aim of this experiment was to determine if a plantain-clover mix could be used as a means to wean lambs earlier. Twin-bearing ewes (n=67) with both lambs at a minimum live weight of 16 kg each were allocated to one of three treatments; 1) ewe and lambs together on grass, 2) ewes and lambs together on plantain- clover mix, 3) lambs weaned at approximately 8 weeks of age onto a plantain-clover mix and ewes on grass. Lambs that were weaned early were lighter (P<0.05) at approximately 14 weeks of age than those which remained with their dam on either a plantain-clover mix or grass (32.3±0.43 vs 34.7±0.44 vs 33.7±0.45 kg, respectively). However, ewes which had their lambs weaned early were heavier (P<0.05; 79.7±1.73 vs 75.5±1.68 vs 75.9±1.64 kg, respectively) and in better body condition score (P<0.05; 3.1±0.05 vs 2.9±0.05 vs 2.9±0.05, respectively) than those which remained with their lambs on either a plantain-clover mix or grass. This suggests early weaning improved ewe condition but did not improve lamb performance
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    Improved extension practices for sheep and beef farmers
    (New Zealand Grassland Association Occasional Publication, 14/04/2016) Gray, DI; Sewell, AM; Hartnett, M; Wood, BA; Kemp, PD; Blair, HT; Kenyon, PR; Morris, ST
    Innovation is critical for maintaining New Zealand’s competitive advantage in agriculture and central to this is farmer learning and practice change. Despite the importance of farmer learning, limited research has been undertaken in New Zealand. In this study, an extension programme was developed based upon educational theory and research and then evaluated over a 3 years to identify the factors that were important for farmer learning and practice change. This paper provides a brief overview of findings of a 3 year interdisciplinary study conducted at Massey University with 23 farmers that investigated the critical factors that support farmers’ learning. The five critical success factors and the seven educational principles identified from this study provide guidelines for how science should interact with farmers to foster effective innovation. These findings are also applicable to other extension approaches such discussion groups, monitor farms and sustainable farming fund initiatives where farmers work with scientists and/or rural professionals.
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    The use of farm-management tools by New Zealand sheep farmers: Changes with time
    (New Zealand Society of Animal Production, 2016) Corner-Thomas, RA; Kenyon, PR; Morris, ST; Ridler, AL; Hickson, RE; Greer, AW; Logan, CM; Blair, HT
    The utilisation of farm-management tools by New Zealand sheep farmers can support on-farm decision making, thus facilitating improvements in productivity and profitability of the farming enterprise. There are numerous management tools available to farmers, for example, a recent report identified 127 tools that were available to New Zealand farmers (Allen & Wolfert 2011). Although a large number of tools are accessible to farmers, a survey of sheep farmers conducted in 2012 by Corner-Thomas et al. (2015) identified many that were utilised by only a small percentage of farmers. This indicates that there is the potential for increased uptake of management tools which, if relevant, may lead to benefits in on-farm productivity. The aim of the current study was to determine for sheep farmers in New Zealand, if use of farm-management tools had changed over a two-year period.