Canterbury farmers are hoping the weather does not take a turn for the worse before lambing.
Federated Farmers Mid Canterbury meat and fibre chairman Michael Salveson said most stock was ''on the slim side of ideal''. A climate challenge in the final stages of pregnancy could cause difficulties.
In the hill country, where most sheep in the region were now located, grass had not yet started to grow, Mr Salveson said. Much of the early winter snow had receded, but soil temperatures were still cold.
He had heard lamb scanning results were slightly below last year, partly because of the dry conditions before mating. However, the rainfall total had been ahead of last year's all this year, apart from two weeks in February.
North Canterbury Federated Farmers meat and fibre chairwoman Lynda Murchison said her district had been ''very lucky'' with ''a lovely window of weather in the last two to three weeks, after all the snow''.
The hill country farmers were just getting to their lambing dates, while those on the plains were well into it, she said.
Scanning showed expected lamb numbers were ''down a wee bit, especially in the hill country'', but she hoped if quantity was lower, quality would be high.
''It would be nice for August not to do her fickle thing,'' Mrs Murchison said.
South Canterbury Federated Farmers meat and fibre chairman Miles Anderson said there had been ''a very good run of weather'' in his area.
Sheep farmers who were lambing early, including himself, were extremely pleased with conditions. Most of the big runs were not due to lamb until September.
There had been good pasture growth throughout July, after the heavy rain and snow early in the winter, and farmers were happy with the cover they had.
Scanners had shown a lower conception rate than last year and there were fewer ewes around. The industry was always cyclic, but wool prices were adversely affecting it, Mr Anderson said.
Even those relying on taking in cattle for grazing had been ''staring down the barrel'', but the good end to the winter had been a relief.
''So far, so good,'' he said. North Otago Federated Farmers meat and fibre chairman Ross Ewing said things were ''looking pretty good'' in his district.
''The feed is coming away nicely.''
Most farmers were about four weeks away from lambing, he said.
Scanning had been about 10% below last year, conditions having got dry towards the end of summer.