Sheep and Goat Science Commons^™

The Good Food Guide For Sheep : Feeding Sheep For Meat Production In The Areas Of Western Australia, Keith Croker, Peter Watt, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

Bulletins 4000 -

The Good Food Guide for Sheep has been produced to provide Western Australian farmers with a concise compilation of current information on feeding sheep for meat production. Although there are already numerous publications about sheep nutrition,many of them relate to wool production, reproduction or drought feeding, or they concentrate on particular feeds or feeding systems.

This book contains information on a wide range of feeds and feeding methods. Just as there is no single ‘best’ sheep breed for meat production, there is no ultimate feed regime for sheep for growth.

The History And Performance Of Dorper Sheep In Western Australia, Roy Butler, S C. Wiese, M C. Young

Conference papers and presentations

The history of Dorper sheep in Western Australia is reviewed, since their arrival as embryos from South Africa, in 1996. Limited data are provided - mainly small-scale observations and anecdotes - on reproduction, growth rates, carcass characteristics, diseases, and some other issues that have been encountered with the sheep in Western Australia. Predictions are made for the future of Dorper sheep in Western Australia.

Finding Western Australia's Most Profitable Merino Flocks, David Windsor

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

Wether trials across Western Australia are showing significant differences in Merino flock productivity, which have important implications for whole-farm profitability. David Windsor reports on how wool growers in the 21 st century can maximise productivity by combining superior management skills with the best available genetic material.

Clones Help Develop Ewe Feeding Strategy, Myra Yelland, Rob Kelly, John Davies, Johan Greeff

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

Cloned sheep are not a new animal to the researchers of Agriculture WA, but the method that produced Dolly is.

Cloned sheep have been produced at the great Southern Research Institute as early as the mid 1980s. Myra Yelland, Rob Kelly, John Davies and Johan Greef outline how clones are used in experimental studies on wool production

Total Grazing Management : Results And Observations From The Pimbee Station Trial, Damien Pearce, Geoff Elliott, Robert Rouda

Agriculture reports

The major aim of the trial was to assess the effectiveness of permanent trapyards as a system for managing total grazing pressure. Permanent trapyards potentially offer a cost-effective system of controlling domestic stock, feral goats and kangaroos.

Better Flock Benchmarking From Wether Trials, David Windsor, Bronwyn Clarke

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

Genetic links between wether trials put in place by Agriculture Western Australia's Wool Program are helping farmers benchmark the productivity of their flocks on a statewide basis. David Windsor and Bronwyn Cklarke report on the progress to date.

Time Of Lambing: Extension Manual, Keith Croker, Ian Mcfarland

Agriculture reports

No abstract provided.

Sustainable Worm Control In Sheep, Robert Wroth

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

Deciding on the best worm control program for your farm can be a complex matter, but guidelines in this article by Robert Wroth should make it simpler.

Drench Resistence : A Large Economic Cost, Brown Besier, Jill Lyon, Norm Mcquade

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

Drench restistant worms can cost sheep farmers a lot of money - more than most probably think. Brown Besier, Jill Lyon and Norm McQade discuss some new research that shows the value of conducting routine drench tests to ensure effective worm control.

Awassi Fat Tails : A Chance For Premium Exports, Fiona Sunderman, Michael Johns

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

Most prople have heard of the Awassi, even if they have never seen one. This unique breed of fat tail sheep, imported into Astralia in 1987, was released from quarantine for commercial development nearly 12 months ago. Its supporters believe Awassis could form the basis of a high-value export industry while replacing imports. Developments over the next few years will test its potential and should result in the Awassi playing an important role in an increasingly diversified Australian farming scene.

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.

How Sustainable Is Grazing Sheep On Annual Pastures In The Woolbelt?, Don Mcfarlane, Richard George

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

Low wool prices have reduced the profitability of producing wool from clover-based annual pastures in the south-western woo/belt. The heavy reliance on one commodity is economically unsustainable for many farmers. But we should also consider how ecologically sustainable the practice is.

Shallow-rooted annual pastures contribute to widespread salinity in the area, annual legumes are acidifying the soils and making them water repellent, and bare, detached soils from heavy grazing cause sheet and rill erosion during autumn storms. In addition, stock are degrading remnant vegetation and destroying the soil's structure.

To counteract this degradation, the woo/belt needs more perennial pastures and …

Sheep And Wool Industries Need To Improve Their Performance, Rob Kelly, Tim Marshall

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

Today in Western Australia, sheep are run at slightly higher stocking rates, are achieving greater lambing percentages (up JO per cent) and higher wool cuts per animal ( up 0. 6 kg greasy) than in the 1960s. When all components of production are considered, the productivity of sheep fanns has increased by 2. 7 per cent per year over the past 35 years.

The challenge of the next decade is to achieve substantially greater rates of improvement than for past years if the sheep and wool industries are to maintain their significant place in Western Australian agriculture.

Artificial Insemination Of Ewes With Frozen Semen, David Windsor

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

The judicious use of artificial insemination (Al) of ewes with frozen semen by ram breeders offers substantial gains for wool producers, but it promises even greater benefits if it can be used more widely within commercial breeding flocks.

In the Western Australian dairy industry, for example, genetic gains between 1971 and /986 are estimated to have been three times as great in herds bred by Al as in herds that were mated naturally.

Choosing Shower Dips For Sheep Lice, Tony Higgs, Bob Love

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

The performance of all shower dip chemicals for sheep lice can vary depending on the active chemical and the conditions under which they are used.

Department of Agriculture trials have indicated that the wettable powders coumaphos and magnesium fluorosilicate were less effective at eradicating sheep lice than were synthetic pyrethroid and organophosphate dipping chemicals.

However, failure to eradicate sheep lice may be the result of several factors, many of them related to management.

Control Of Cheesy Gland In Sheep, Michael Paton

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

Cheesy gland is a widespread problem in Western Australian sheep flocks. Less than 1 per cent of flocks are free of this disease, and all sheep in one line of 550 cull ewes slaughtered at Katanning Abattoir were infected.

A study of what affects new cheesy gland . infection found that shower dipping and keeping sheep under cover after shearing increased new infections. Farmers who shower dip sheep should consider vaccinating them against cheesy gland. Sheep should be let out into the open as soon as possible after shearing.

The total cost of the disease in Australia is about $30 …

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 …

Growth And Wool Production Of Merino Wethers After Treatment With Testosterone, M A. Johns, A Meldrum, J F. Wallace, K P. Croker, F E. Watson

Technical Bulletins

The results were variable with there being no response to the testosterone treatment of the weaners in year 2 which were weaned onto dry feed. In the other two years, the weaners grazed at the lower stocking rates were heavier and there appeared to be a general increase in the weight of those injected with testosterone. However, the level of response was not consistent and in year 3 there was no response while the sheep grazed green feed for four months or so following weaning.

How Arsenic Residues Get In Wool, Tony Martin, Robin Jacob, Marion Davies, Peter Rutherford

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

Wool can become contaminated with arsenic in various ways, and several different sources may each contribute to any individual arsenic residue problem.

• dipping sheep in an arsenical dip ( now illegal),

• dipping sheep in a non-arsenical dip in a contaminated dipping facility

• penning sheep on soil with high levels of arsenic before shearing.

Other possible sources include running sheep on land contaminated by gold mine tailings or exploration sites, and allowing sheep access to sites on the farm where arsenical compounds have been dumped, for example, rubbish dumps or sites where dip/sump sludge has been dumped.

Farmers …

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.

Embryo Transfer In Sheep, Andras Szell

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

The application of artificial breeding in the sheep industry has increased substantially over the past decade.

This article outlines the potential uses and benefits of embry transfer in sheep and describes the procedures involved.

The Sheep Lice Detection Test, Peter Morcombe

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

Sheep farmers would agree it is difficult to find sheep lice when carrying out an inspection.

The lice detection test makes this task easier and helps farmers decide how to control lice. The test also helps community liaison groups with eradication of lice infestations in specific areas, and provides data for epidemiologists to monitor changes in prevalence of lice and efficacy of treatments. Tests are much cheaper than flock inspection on the farm.

The present lice detection test was developed by the Australian Wool Testing Authority (A WTA) and introduced as an integral part of the Western Australian Sheep Lice …

What Do Foxes Do At Night?, Peter Mawson, John Long

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

Foxes are often labelled as ruthless killers of lambs, kid goats and poultry. However, studies of the incidence of predation on lambs and kids have shown that foxes generally kill less than 3 per cent of lambs and 3 to 5 per cent of kids,

Are foxes, therefore, killers of lambs and kid goats, or just timid scavengers?

This article provides an insight into the behaviour of foxes in lambing and kidding paddocks at the Department of Agriculture's Avondale Research Station, Beverley, and near Moora, during 1987 and 1988.

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.

Animal Production From Tagasaste Growing In Deep Sands In A 450 Mm Winter Rainfall Zone, Chris Oldham, Greg Allen, Peter Moore, Bruce Mattinson

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

In 1985, Martindale Pty Ltd, Sir James McCusker's family company, signed a unique research contract with Professor David Lindsay of the University of Western Australia. The aim of the Martindale Research Project was to study ways of increasing farm productivity in the sheep-wheat zone of south-western Australia. A primary focus was the high cost of grain or hay used to fill the autumn feed gap in grazing systems.

However, it was not clear how or if tagasaste might be economically used to replace the grain and/or hay traditionally fed by hand to sheep and cattle in autumn.

New Technique Joins The Fight Against Footrot, Laurie Depiazzi, Mike Palmer, David Pitman

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

The diagnosis of footrot in sheep and goats is not an easy task. Two main techniques are used for diagnosis - inspection of diseased feet on a farm and laboratory testing of bacteria isolated from foot scrapings. The interpretation of the results obtained by these methods requires a good understanding of the various forms of footrot.

A new laboratory technique has halved the time taken to detect those strains of the bacterium, Bacteroides (Dichelobacter) nodosus, that cause each form of the disease.

The Productivity Of Western Australia's Wheat And Sheep Industry, Tim Coelli, Ross Kingwell

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

A popular economic lament is that Australian industries and workers are not as productive as they should be. Politicians and economic commentators preach the need for productivity improvement and workplace reform, and criticise inefficiency and lack of endeavour. Can such criticism be fairly levelled at farmers and agricultural scientists? What is productivity and how is it measured? What is the productivity of Western Australia's main agricultural industry — wheat and sheep farming? This article addresses these questions and shows that our wheat-sheep industry can be moderately proud of its productivity record