"The early months of a lamb’s life are a golden window for productivity. If we invest wisely during that period — with the right feed, pasture and management — the returns can be enormous. This is about smarter, earlier action, tailored to each farm's unique conditions."

A Victorian lamb producer is urging the industry to rethink how and when they invest in young stock, with research showing early-stage nutrition and management can deliver the biggest efficiency and profitability gains in lamb production.

Jessica Conlan, a 2022 Nuffield Scholar from Runnymede, Victoria, has released a new report titled Grams on Grass: Strategies to Give Lamb Growers an Edge. Supported by The William Buckland Foundation, Jessica’s research identifies critical growth windows, and how aligning inputs with the unique seasonal and environmental factors of each farm can dramatically improve lamb growth and sustainability outcomes.

“In those first five months, lambs are incredibly efficient at converting feed into weight. That’s the time to go hard,” Jessica says. “Every dollar spent on quality pasture, targeted mineral licks or early supplementary feeding can deliver much bigger gains than trying to make up ground later on.”

Through her global study tour, Jessica investigated a range of practices — from multispecies pastures and customised nutrition plans to soil moisture probes for forecasting pasture flushes — and how these tools can be tailored to suit individual farm conditions. Her travels took her from the UK and Ireland to India, Mexico, and Zimbabwe, visiting high-performing livestock systems around the world.

The report encourages producers to design systems that capitalise on the natural strengths of their own environment, rather than mimicking practices from other regions.

“I used to think farms with more rainfall had it easier,” Jessica explains. “But while those systems can grow more feed, they often have slower growth due to lower nutrient density. Our drier Victorian springs give us dense, high-quality pasture — if lambs are set up well through winter, they can finish beautifully on grass.”

Jessica also highlights the power of data in decision-making, especially soil moisture probes that allow producers to forecast the strength of upcoming pasture growth and plan accordingly.

“Instead of reacting to poor growth or low rainfall, we can make early, informed decisions — weaning, feeding, fertilising — based on real data from our own paddocks.”

Jessica’s report is filled with practical strategies to improve lamb finishing systems, whatever the rainfall zone. She encourages producers to focus less on one-size-fits-all solutions and more on knowing their land, animals and goals.

“This isn’t about chasing perfection — it’s about backing yourself to do better with what you’ve got. It’s a mindset shift.”

Jessica’s full report is now available on the Nuffield Australia website, alongside a video of her presentation at the 2024 Nuffield Annual Conference in Launceston, offering further insights into her research and findings.