Picture of snow costs to emerge

This day-old Southland lamb survived this week’s weather bomb, but most farmers around Southland are still working out the cost of the snow.

Southland Federated Farmers president Geoffrey Young said while some lamb deaths were normal, the snow would have affected the numbers — particularly in high country and foothills where lambing had just begun.

It was too early to tell how many died as the snow was only just clearing, he said.

"It was dry snow and that is not nearly as severe on young lambs as very heavy persistent rain."

There were pockets in Eastern Southland that might have suffered serious lamb losses, but, by and large, it should not have had too much of an impact.