Cold snap hits newborns

Although these lambs, pictured between Waipukurau and Ongaonga, survived the frigid, wet conditions the weekend before last, many weren't so lucky.

An icy blast across Hawke's Bay that brought snow to northern parts of the region was not as dramatic in Central Hawke's Bay, but was bad enough to put a sizeable dent in the local lamb population.

Local man John Reisma, along with Justin Ward, collects slink lambs for Wallace Corporation and says that at least 5000 lambs perished in the wintry weather that hit on Friday, August 5.

"They were only the early lambs and it's quite common to have this number of deaths in nasty weather like we've had," he said.

"Anything born over that weekend in Central Hawke's Bay struggled to survive, and the deaths were pretty widespread across the district."

From about Tuesday onwards last week, however, the number of deaths was starting to tail off, but the losses won't help the current decline in the New Zealand sheep flock, this year at the lowest level seen since the 1930s Depression.

Sheep numbers reduced to 28.3 million as at June 30 from 29.1m a year earlier, marking the lowest level since 1934, according to the latest survey from the Economic Service of farmer-owned industry organisation Beef + Lamb New Zealand.

Lamb numbers this spring are forecast to drop 2.9 per cent to 23.3m. New Zealand now has about seven sheep for every person, down from 22 per person in 1982 when there were more than 70m sheep.

All regions reduced sheep numbers in the latest year as farmers chased higher returns for cattle, facial eczema impacted flocks, farmers reduced stock due to dry conditions, and as a result of fewer lambs the previous spring.

The number of breeding ewes fell 3.1 per cent - the 10th consecutive annual decline.

"North Island ewe numbers decreased 2.9 per cent to 9m with drought conditions and facial eczema a significant cause," said Beef + Lamb New Zealand chief operating officer Cros Spooner.

- The Economic Service noted that farming practices were more efficient than in the 1930s, with lamb production 1.7 times greater, mutton production 60 per cent greater, and the average lamb slaughter weight up 23 per cent.