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Eradicating Footrot From Western Australia - A Farmer's Guide, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Agriculture reports

Virulent footrot can occur on any farm in the medium to high rainfall zone. Persons who regularly buy and sell sheep take a greater risk, but even properties with a closed breeding flock are at risk from stray sheep. People often associate footrot with properties managed by inefficient farmers. This is a false belief. Many good farmers have found the disease in their sheep, including high profile studs. Footrot can strike anywhere and often without warning. It is important to remember that once it is found; getting to know and understand the disease will help you to beat it. A …

Maximising The Lamb Drop, Don Moir

Bulletins 4000 -

Although reproductive rates vary greatly between individual properties, the average marking percentage in Western Australia still hovers around 75%. In the absence of disease it is possible to improve on this figure by undertaking some straight forward management practices at different stages of the reproductive cycle.

Dealing With A Dry Season, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

Bulletins 4000 -

Farmers' approaches to adverse seasonal conditions whether they be frost, flood or low rainfall should be to acquire as much information as possible on the immediate agronomic and financial situations and make a judgement on the longer term implications for the following seasons. Once the information has been acquired, in consultation with advisers, it is necessary to construct and implement agronomic and business strategies to deal with individual situations.

The agronomic and stocking options for the dry season supplied in this booklet deal with questions and issues arising from the Year 2000 season, which has been characterised by a mid …

Eradicating Virulent Footrot From Western Australia, R K. Mitchell

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Western Australia has a unique opportunity to eradicate virulent footrot from the State's sheep flock, with only 62 properties or 0.6 per cent of sheep properties currently in quarantine. The majority of Western Australian flocks are now free of virulent footrot, with targeted on-farm and abattoir surveillance used to detect the remaining properties affected by the disease. Bob Mitchell reports on how farmers, industry, and government are working together, with research playing an important part in the eradication campaign.

Virulent Footrot : Mild Or Severe?, Laurie Depiazzi

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The footrot eradication scheme in Western Australia has resulted in a low prevalence of severe footrot.

To appreciate the achievement, we need to understand what exactly is being eradicated. 'S' strains of Dichelorbacter nodosus, the infectious bacterium of footrot, are the target of footrot eradication. Laurie Depiazzi examines the basis for eradicating 'S' strains.

Ai : Artificial Insemination Of Sheep, David Windsor

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Artificial insemination (Al) is used widely in the dairy and beef industries and often performed by farmers themselves. By contrast, sheep breeders generally require assistance from vets when frozen semen is to be used. However, recent experiments with frozen semen are indicating that do-it-yourself Al may soon become a reality.

Lupin Stubbles : Getting The Best With Weaner Sheep, Keith Croker, Colin Mcdonald, Jeremy Allen

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Sweet lupins are now grown on about a million hectares in Western Australia each year. If half of the State's seven million weaners were grazed as recommended on half of the lupin stubbles, it could generate about $15 million from reduced supplementary feeding, greater wool production and other advantages. But correct management is important, particularly knowing when to take weaners out. Research by the Department over the last five years is now indicating how this should be done.

Quality Wool Production At Lower Cost, Peter Metcalfe

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Low wool prices are forcing farmers to reduce their sheep management costs but, fortunately, cost cutting is not resulting in lower wool production, poorer wool quality or lessened sheep care on the best wool growing properties.

Do Farmers Really Want To Eradicate Sheep Lice?, Chris Hawkins

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

With the termination of Western Australia's Sheep Lice Eradication Campaign in 1993 farmers' views about the eradication of sheep lice are of greater relevance now than in the past. Lice control now rests with individual farmers and continuing local lice cell groups .

A recent survey of producers in the Moora Shire provides some key insights into farmers' thoughts about sheep lice and their eradication.

Progress Toward Eradication Of Virulent Footrot, Bob Mitchell

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Western Australia is well placed to eradicate virulent footrot from the State's sheep and goat populations.

Between 1950 and 1993 the proportion of sheep flocks with footrot fell from about 15 per cent to less than 2 percent, and the 1990-92 outbreak has been turned around. One hundred and eighty properties (]. 7 per cent) of flocks, mostly in the high rainfall South-West, are in quarantine for footrot today.

This high level of footrot control is the result of strong support from the sheep industry and years of good cooperation between farmers and the Department of Agriculture.

Western Australia leads …

Are Foxes Serious Predators Of Stock?, Peter Mawson, John Long

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Commercial farming of goats for mohair, cashmere and meat production is a rapidly developing industry in the south-west of Western Australia.

In this article, the authors discuss the results of two studies conducted by the Agriculture Protection Board in which the levels of predation of kids and lambs by foxes in commercial goat flocks, and an experimental multiple-birth genotype sheep flock in the southwest of Western Australia, were measured.

Understanding The Importance Of Eperythrozoon Ovis Infection In Sheep, Marc Kabay

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Assigning priorities for research on sheep diseases relies in part on understanding the prevalence and economic impact of each disease.

Eperythrozoon ovis infection in sheep, for example is a common, but not costly, disease.

Getting The Best Out Of Weaner Sheep In The Eastern Wheatbelt, Sally Revell

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

A study of the growth of Merino weaner flocks over summer and autumn in Western Australia 's eastern wheatbelt during 1989 and 1990 has identified efficient weaner management strategies, and provided a basis for future research and extension needs of this area. The average liveweight of several weaner flocks was unexpectedly low at the start of summer. Weaner flocks may need to be supplemented before the start of summer to prevent undue weight loss at this time.

Phomopsis-Resistant Lupin Stubbles As Feed For Weaner Sheep, Colin Mcdonald, Keith Croker, Jeremy Allen

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The breeding of sweet, narrow-leafed lupins with increased resistance to Phomopsis leptostromiformis, the fungus that causes lupinosis in sheep, is a breakthrough for the summer nutrition of weaner sheep. The new resistant varieties, Gungurru for the medium (325 to 450 mm) rainfall areas and Yorrel for low rainfall areas (less than 325 mm), were released by the Department of Agriculture in 1988.

This article discusses progress in a four-year project which is examining liveweight and wool production of weaners grazing Gungurru stubbles.

The Accumulation And Run-Down Of Dieldrin In Wethers Grazed On Paddocks Previously Treated With Dieldrin, Tony Albertsen, Roy Casey, Keith Croker

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

In mid 1987, the organochlorines (O/Cs) DDT, dieldrin, heptachlor and chlordane were deregistered for agricultural and horticultural use in Australia. These chemicals had been used widely, and land on several hundred Western Australian farms, particularly where potatoes had been grown, was contaminated with chemical residues. Livestock grazing pastures on such land was also contaminated, and our beef exports were threatened. In 1988, the Western Australian Department of Agriculture started a two-year project to collect information from sheep which were grazed on land that had previously been treated with O/Cs, particularly dieldrin. The levels of O/Cs in body and wool fats …

Economic Impact Of Growing Phomopsis-Resistant Lupins, J M. Warren, Jeremy Allen, Wallace Cowling

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The planting of Phomopsis-resistant lupins will increase net farm income. They will also alter the traditional blend of pastures and cropping, depending on grain and wool prices. In mixed farming areas of Western Australia's southern wheatbelt, they will allow more land to be sown to lupins rather than cereals on farms in which the lack of sheep feed over summer severely restricts wool production.

The benefits of Phompsis-resistant lupins arise from a reduction in sheep deaths due to lupinosis, a longer safe grazing period (free from lupinosis) on lupin stubbles, a decrease in the need for supplementary sheep feed over …

The Sandplain Lupin : Its Nutritional Value And Grazing Management, P W. Morcombe

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The sandplain lupin or Western Australian blue lupin (Lupinus cosentinii) was introduced to the West Midlands at the turn of the last century. Since that time it has been used as a self-regenerating summer forage for sheep and cattle.

Being deep rooted, it has adapted well to the sandy soils from Perth to Northampton, and plantings now cover more than 100,000 ha.

As few other improved pasture species will persist on these deep sands the sandplain lupin provides an important source of summer feed for grazing livestock. A stand can be grazed throughout summer at stocking rates of 10 to …

Farmers' Estimations Of Sheep Weights To Calculate Drench Dose, R B. Besier, Diane Hopkins

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Undersosing with drenches is a mojor cause of anthelmintic (drench) resistance in worm parasites of sheep.

When farmers use a drench at less than the recommended dose rate, some worms may survive, and their ability to resist treatment with the chemical involved is passed to their offspring. Over a period of time, matings between worms with different degrees of resistance can produce individuals able to resist the drench at the recommended dose rate or even higher.

Farmers must use adequate dose rates so that worms do not have a chance to survive treatment.

Evaluation Of The Crack Approach For The Control Of Drench Resistance In Sheep Worms, J R. Edwards, Helen Chapman, Jon Dunsmore

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The Department of Agriculture launched the CRACK approach to worm control in September 1985 in response to finding that anthelmintic (drench) resistant worms were present on 68 per cent of a random selection of Western Australian sheep farms.

The high cost of internal parasites in terms of lost production and drench costs, together with the high prevalence of resistant worms of farms, confirmed that changes were needed to existing parasite control measures in sheep.l

Sheep Lice : Prospects For Eradication, F C. Wilkinson

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Sheep biting lice have been controlled over the past 86 years in Western australia by a combination of routine insecticidal treatment after shearing and action by the department of Agriculture officers under legislation.

In July 1987 the sheep industry and the State Government will implement a plan to eradicate lice from sheep flocks in the agricultural areas and eventually in the pastoral areas. To achieve this the co-operation of many sectors of the industry will be required. Assuming co-operation is forthcoming, it is possible that by 1996 wool from agricultural areas will be free of lice and insecticidal treatment form …

Annual Ryegrass Toxicity Research Update, A G P Brown, P. Vogal

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Annual ryegrass toxicity (ARGT) is a complex disease that kills sheep and cattle grazing pastures which contain infected ryegrass. The disease results when a nematode (Anguina agrostis) and a batcerium (Corynebacterium sp.) invade annual ryegrass and cause the seed heads to become toxic as the grass dries off.

The bacterium produces a complex toxin of 18 glycolipid compounds or corynetoxins which have been found to be virtually identical to the antibiotic tunicamycin.

Preventing Lupinosis With Phomopsis-Resistant Lupins, Jeremy G. Allen, W. A. Cowling

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Lupinosis is one of the major livestock siseases in Western Australia. It is caused by stock eating toxins produced by the fungus Phomopsis leptostromiformis which colonises the stems of dead lupin plants.

In 975, the Department of Agriculture started a breeding programme to develop Phompsis-resistant lupins to overcome or control lupinosis. In the previous issue of this Journal the results of small plot evaluations of new lines of Phompsis-resistant lupins developed in this programme were reported. This article describes the first trial involving grazing of Phompsis-resistant lupins.

A Survey Of Drench Resistance In Sheep Worms, J R. Edwards, R. Wroth, G. C. De Chaneet, R. B. Besier, J. Karlsson, P. W. Morcombe, D. Roberts, G. Dalton-Morgan

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Sheep worms which are resistant to chemical drenches have been detected with increasing freuency is Western Australia's south-western farming areas between 977 and 1980. These worms have anthelmintic resistance and such genetis resistance puts essential internal parasite control practices at risk.

This prompted veterinarians in the Esperance, Albany, Bunbury, Geraldton and Northam areas to survey farms to determine the prevalence of resistance to drenches and to define those sheep management practices which encourage its development.

This article describes the survey which was conducted to assess the extent of drench resistance, what causes its build-up and how it can be controlled …

Lupinosis : A Disease Still With Us, Jeremy G. Allen, P. Mcr. Wood, K. P. Crocker, J. Hamblin

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Current research on lupinosis continues to reveal what a complex problem it is, but the improved understanding should help to reduce losses.

Controlling Annual Ryegrass Toxicity, C H. Trotman

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Eight years of intensive work has changed annual ryegrass toxicity from an unknown killer to a manageable problem.

The Philosophy Of Drenching Sheep In Western Australia, G C De Chaneet

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Sheep of all classes are drenched more or less regularly throughout the agricultural areas of Western Australia.

Much of the drench is wasted because it is used in the wrong circumstances. This situation is probably a result of poor understanding of drenching.

This article discusses the philosophy of drenching and attempts to relate this to the epidemiology of parasitism as it is currently understood.

Ryegrass Disease Could Spread, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The disease annual ryegrass toxicity kills sheep and cattle grazing pastures which contain infected annual ryegrass. In Western Australia the first confirmed outbreak was in 1968 in the Gnowangerup area.

The disease has noe spread over a range of 450 kilometres and with a total area of perhaps 100 000 hectares. because annual ryegrass is the major sown pasture grass in W.A. the disease could spread throughout the South-West.

There are some precautions that can be taken.

A Survey Of Shearing Times, B R. Beetson

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

When do farmers in W.A. shear their sheep, and why do they selest the times they do?

A Department of Agriculture survey attempted to answer these questions, which have important implications for the wool industry.

Lupinosis And Rates Of Stocking Of Lupin Stubbles, K P. Croker, J. G. Allen, C. R. Lester, R. B. Guthrie

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Lupin stubbles provide valuable summer sheep feed but under some conditions the fungus Phomopsis rossiana (for which lupins are the host plant) produces a toxin that causes lupinosis. Results from research at Badaingarra Research Station over the 1973-74 and 1974- 75 summers have shown that sheep liver damage associated with lupin stubble grazing is likely to be more severe at high than low stocking rates.

Reproductive Wastage Among Merino Ewe Flocks. 2. Non-Clover Areas, T Marshall, B. R. Beetson, R. J. Lightfoot, G. R. Mcmullen

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

This research sought to define the reasons for low fertility among Merino ewes in Western Australia.

This first article looks at wastage in Non-Clover areas