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2006

Plant Sciences

Animal health

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Feeding And Managing Sheep In Dry Times, Ian Mcfarland, Mandy Curnow, Mike Hyder, Brian Ashton, Danny Roberts Dec 2006

Feeding And Managing Sheep In Dry Times, Ian Mcfarland, Mandy Curnow, Mike Hyder, Brian Ashton, Danny Roberts

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Feeding sheep is a significant cost to any sheep or mixed farm enterprise in southern Australia. The cost is usually managed by annually sourcing feed on-farm. However, this feed source can become scarce when we experience unusual dry spells within seasons (termed a 'dry season', such as a dry winter or spring), a late break to the season, a drought year, or even worse, successive drought years.

Climate change research suggests that southern Australia will experience higher annual temperatures and a decline in mean growing season rainfall (particularly winter and spring) over the coming decades. This will affect the productivity …