At a Victorian farm, ewe lambs below 40 kg are now held back from joining.
Joining weight lifted in stages
Meat & Livestock Australia reported on 16 September 2026 that producer Nick Baulch at Branxholme, Victoria, had raised the minimum weight for joining ewe lambs. The flock previously joined some ewe lambs from around 36 kilograms. The cutoff first rose to about 38 kilograms and reached 40 kilograms in 2026, with an average near 45 kilograms sought before rams enter. The farm keeps about 8,500 composite ewes.
Recovery between lambings
Baulch said mature ewes weigh 65 to 70 kilograms and he aims for ewe lambs to reach about 65% of mature weight at joining. Lambs from these young ewes are weaned at around eight weeks so the mothers have more recovery time before the next breeding cycle. The article gives historical scanning rates of roughly 106% to more than 150% and dry rates of 10% to 31%; it does not report a controlled comparison showing the new 40-kilogram cutoff caused a change in these rates.