Agricultural Economics Commons^™

Breeding Ewes Are Worth Feeding, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

Despite potentially elevated grain prices, strong prices for meat and wool mean that Western Australian sheep farmers can confidently supplementary feed their underweight ewes in summer/autumn.

Analysis in 2019, based on then-current prices, showed it was a profitable investment to feed all ewes to maintain condition during pregnancy, and to feed low condition score single bearing ewes and low and medium condition score twin bearing ewes to gain condition.

In 2019, John Young from Farming Systems Analysis Service completed an analysis on the value of a ewe in the WA farming system. His report had some important messages for the …

Western Australian Sheep Producer Survey 2022, Janet Conte, Katherine Davies

Animal production and livestock published reports

The Western Australian Sheep Producer Survey is conducted to gather information on sheep enterprises and producer practices. It has now been conducted four times, in 2011, 2014, 2018 and 2022 with large random samples of sheep producers in the Medium Rainfall Zone (MRZ) and Cereal Sheep Zone (CSZ).

Some questions were included in all four surveys providing a chance to examine trends over time. Many of the results have remained stable over time giving some confidence that significant changes in survey responses are reflecting trends in the broader population of WA sheep producers.

Western Australian Sheep Producer Survey 2018, Mandy Curnow, Janet Conte

Animal production and livestock published reports

This survey was commissioned in 2018 by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), following earlier surveys in 2011 and 2014 conducted as part of national producer surveys for the Cooperative Research Centre for Sheep Innovation (Sheep CRC). This report is therefore able to analyse respondents’ flock management over time.

The surveys were conducted by telephone with producers who had more than 500 sheep and were located in the Medium Rainfall Zone (MRZ) or Cereal Sheep Zone (CSZ). The sample sizes for the 2011, 2014 and 2018 surveys were 369, 368 and 389 respectively.

Western Australian Sheep Producer Survey 2014, Anne Jones, Mandy Curnow

Animal production and livestock published reports

This report documents the results of the 2014 Western Australian producer survey that was part of a larger national survey conducted for the Sheep Cooperative Research Centre (CRC). It is essentially a repeat of a survey conducted in 2011 (Western Australian Farmer Survey 2011, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia). Where it is useful, data from these other surveys has been included for comparison.

Sheep Updates 2015 - Moora, Bruce Mullen, Kate Pritchett, Kimbal Curtis, Daniel Real, Jaq Pearson, Lynne Bradshaw, Geoff Lindon, Katherine Davies, Kevin Hepworth, Stephen Lee, Dawson Bradford, Lucy Anderton, Jackie Jarvis, Ben Patrick

Sheep Updates

This session covers thirteen papers from different authors:

1. The Sheep Industry Business Innovation project, Bruce Mullan, Sheep Industry Development Director, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia

2. Western Australian sheep stocktake, Kate Pritchett and Kimbal Curtis, Research Officers, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia

3. Tedera - a perenial forage legume to reduce your supplementary feeding in summer and autumn, Dr. Daniel Real, Senior Plant Breeder, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia

4. National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) for sheep and goats - what is the NLIS database? Jac Pearson, Biosecurity Officer, Department of Agriculture and …

Sheep Updates 2015 - Katanning, Bruce Mullan, Kate Pritchett, Kimbal Curtis, Chris Wilcox, Mike Hyder, Leigh Sonnerman, Lynne Bradshaw, Geoff Lindon, Katherine Davies, Joe Young, Stephen Lee, Ian Robertson, Lucy Anderton, Hayley Norman, Ed Barrett-Lennard, Jackie Jarvis, Ben Patrick

Sheep Updates

This session covers fourteen papers from different authors:

1. The Sheep Industry Business Innovation project, Bruce Mullan, Sheep Industry Development Director, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia

2. Western Australian sheep stocktake, Kate Pritchett and Kimbal Curtis, Research Officers, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia

3. Wool demand and supply - short term volatility, long term opportunities, Chris Wilcox, Principal of Poimena Analysis

4. Lifetime management for maternal ewes, Mike Hyder, Research Officer, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia

5. National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) for sheep and goats - what is the NLIS database? Leigh Sonnermann, …

Sheep Updates 2015 - Ravensthorpe, Bruce Mullan, Kate Pritchett, Kimbal Curtis, Chris Wilcox, Mike Hyder, Leigh Sonnerman, Lynne Bradshaw, Geoff Lindon, Katherine Davies, Joe Young, Stephen Lee, Ian Robertson, Lucy Anderton, Hayley Norman, Ed Barrett-Lenard, Jackie Jarvis, Ben Patrick

Sheep Updates

This session covers fourteen papers from different authors:

1. The Sheep Industry Business Innovation project, Bruce Mullan, Sheep Industry Development Director, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia

2. Western Australian sheep stocktake, Kate Pritchett and Kimbal Curtis, Research Officers, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia

3. Wool demand and supply - short term volatility, long term opportunities, Chris Wilcox, Principal of Poimena Analysis

4. Lifetime management for maternal ewes, Mike Hyder, Research Officer, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia

5. National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) for sheep and goats - what is the NLIS database? Leigh Sonnermann, …

Sheep Updates 2015 - Merredin, Bruce Mullan, Kate Pritchett, Kimbal Curtis, Chris Wilcox, Lynne Bradshaw, Geoff Lindon, Katherine Davies, Joe Young, Stephen Lee, Dawson Bradford, Khama Kelman, Lucy Anderton, Jaq Pearson, Jackie Jarvis, Ben Patrick

Sheep Updates

This session covers fourteen papers from different authors:

1. The Sheep Industry Business Innovation project, Bruce Mullan, Sheep Industry Development Director, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia

2. Western Australian sheep stocktake, Kate Pritchett and Kimbal Curtis, Research Officers, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia

3. Wool demand and supply - short term volatility, long term opportunities, Chris Wilcox, Principal of Poimena Analysis

4. Myths, Facts and the role of animal welfare in farming, Lynne Bradshaw, president, RSPCA WA

5. Latest research and development on breech strike prevention, Geoff Lindon, Manager Productivity and Animal Welfare, AWI

6. …

Sheep Updates 2014, James Kynge, David Lindsay, Johan Greeff, John Young, Luke Stephen, Graham Gardner, Stephen Lee, Bindi Murray, James Rowe

Sheep Updates

This session covers nine papers from different authors:

Genetic Research: A brave new world of opportunities

1. "China's Appetite" - The implications for WA, James Kynge, Chairman, FT Confidential Research, Emerging Markets Editor, Financial Times, London.

2. The genetics warm-up - the secret language of genetic research and its impacts on WA's sheep flock, Professor David Lindsay, University of Western Australia, Perth WA

The strength of genetic data: is it really valuable?

3. Genetic research in Western Australia - What have the compromises in production been? Johan Greeff, Senior Geneticist, Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia

4. Show …

Western Australian Farmer Survey 2011, Mandy Curnow, Andrew Van Burgel, Jackie Bucat, Anne Jones

Animal production and livestock published reports

DAFWA commissioned this WA sheep producer survey as an additional data set to the Cooperative Research Centre for Sheep Innovation (Sheep CRC) national producer survey. The data was collected by telephone survey in February and March 2011 for the purposes of gathering benchmark information on a range of sheep management practices. The data collected mostly relates to flock management during the 2010 season. The same survey will be run again in 2014 and a comparison of the information collected will be used to measure how producers have changed their practices during that time.

Producers were phoned and invited to contribute …

Wool Desk Report June 2009: Flock Demographics And Producer Intentions - February 2009 National Survey Results, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia, Kimbal Curtis

Animal production and livestock published reports

This issue of Wool Desk Report presents the results of a survey of 1 410 Australian sheep producers conducted in February 2009. The survey was done to provide information to the Australian Wool Innovation’s Production Forecasting Committee and to update the flock model that is used by the relevant state forecasting committees. The survey methodology follows that reported in the May 2007 issue of Wool Desk Report (Curtis 2007).

The producers in the survey collectively produced 24.3 thousand tonnes of wool from a total of 4.3 million adult sheep and 1.7 million lambs shorn during 2007–2008. This represented a sample …

Wool Desk Report February 2009: Time Of Lambing In Australian Flocks, Keith Croker, Kimbal Curtis, Jane Speijers, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock published reports

Producers throughout Australia were surveyed in 2005, 2006 and 2007 to identify the times when they lambed their ewes. This study was undertaken by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia for Australian Wool Innovation Limited and the Australian Sheep Industry Cooperative Research Centre.

The start of lambing followed similar patterns in the years surveyed. However, lambing of Merino ewes began last in Tasmania and earliest in South Australia and Western Australia.

Data for Merino first cross ewes were collected in 2007 when Tasmania had the latest lambings and Queensland the earliest lambings.

Combined results for the three years …

Sheep Updates 2007 - Part 4, Dean Thomas, Dominique Blache, Dean Revell, Hayley Norman, Phil Vercoe, Zoey Durmic, Serina Digby, Di Mayberry, Megan Chadwick, Martin Sillence, David Masters, R. Silberstein, F. Byrne, P. G. H. Nichols, J. Young, L. Aitkins, M. G. Wilmot, A. J. Rintoul, T. Lambert, D. R. Mcclements, P. Raper, P. Ward, C. Walton, T. York, David Pethick, David Hopkins, Malcolm Mcphee, D. B. Savage, J. V. Nolan, I. R. Godwin, A. Aoetpah, T. Nguyen, N. Baillie, C. Lawler, Ken Geenty, John Smith, Darryl Smith, Tim Dyall, Grant Uphill, John Young, Michael Paton, John Dorrian

Sheep Updates

This session covers eight papers from different authors:

GRAZING

1. The impact of high dietary salt and its implications for the management of livestock grazing saline land, Dean Thomas, Dominique Blache, Dean Revell, Hayley Norman, Phil Vercoe, Zoey Durmic, Serina Digby, Di Mayberry, Megan Chadwick, Martin Sillence and David Masters, CRC for Plant-based Management of Dryland Salinity, Faculty of Natural & Agricultural Sciences, The University of Western Australia, WA.

2. Sustainable Grazing on Saline Lands - outcomes from the WA1 research project, H.C. Norman^1,2, D.G. Masters^1,2, R. Silberstein^1,2, F. Byrne^2,3, P.G.H. Nichols …

Returns To R&D Investment Of Dafwa: Benefit Cost Analysis, 2005-2006, Nazrul Islam

Bulletins 4000 -

The primary outcome or objective of the projects that are assessed, is to increase the market competitiveness and profitability of agri-industry.

Sheep Updates 2005 - Part 4, Lucy Anderton, John Young, Rob Davidson, Keith Croker, Ken Hart, Tim Wiese, B. M. Thomson, I Williams, J. R. Briegel, J. C. Greeff, N. R. Adams, E. N. Bermingham, Sue Hatcher, Gordon Refshauge, Emma Kopke, Ross Kingwell, K. E. Kemper, M. L. Hebart, F. D. Brien, K. S. Jaensch, R. J. Grimson, D. H. Smith, Melanie Dowling, A. (Tony) Schlink, John Karlsson

Sheep Updates

This session covers twelve papers from different authors:

REPRODUCTION

1. Is it worth increasing investment to increase lambing percentages? Lucy Anderton Department of Agriculture Western Australia.

2. What value is a lamb? John Young, Farming Systems Analysis Service, Kojonup, WA

3. Providing twin-bearing ewes with extra energy at lambing produces heavier lambs at marking. Rob Davidson WAMMCO International,, formerly University of Western Australia; Keith Croker, Ken Hart, Department of Agriculture Western Australia, Tim Wiese, "Chuckem", Highbury, Western Australia.

GENETICS

4. Underlying biological cause of trade-off between meat and wool. Part 1. Wool and muscle glycogen, BM Thomson, I Williams, University …

Agribusiness Sheep Updates - 2004 - Part 1, Mark Dolling, Len Stephens, David Thomanson, Norm Adams, Shimim Liu, Peter Buchman, Mike Paton, Dianne Evans, John Edwards, Scott Champion, Alan Langford, A. C. Schlink, J. C. Greeff, M. E. Ladyman, Kimbal M. S. Curtis, John Stanton, Stuart Adams, Neal Fogarty, Matthew Kelly, James Skerritt, Ian Mcfarland

Sheep Updates

Proceedings of the Agribusiness Sheep Updates - 2004 Forward Dr Mark Dolling Manager, Sheep Industries and Pasture, Department of Agriculture Western Australia Keynotes Australian Wool Innovation Limited DR LEN STEPHENS AUSTRALIAN WOOL INNOVATION LIMITED (AWI) Commercialisation of Sheepmeat Eating Quality Outcomes, David Thomason, General Manger Marketing Meat & livestock Australia Limited PLENARY The Fitness of the Future Merino, Norm Adams and Shimin Liu, CSIRO Livestock Industries Ovine Johne’s Disease – Managing the Disease, Managing the Issues, PETER BUCKMAN, CHIEF VETERINARY OFFICER, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE WESTERN AUSTRALIA Animal Welfare – Changes in Latitudes Changes in Attitudes, Michael Paton and Dianne Evans, …

Sheep Updates 2003 - Posters, Maxine Brown, Gaye Krebs, Diana Fredorenko, Kathryn Edgerton-Warburton, Evan Burt, Nazrul Islam, Roy Butler, L. G. Butler, S. R. Brown, M. F. D'Antuono, J. C. Greeff, Ken Hart, Tanya Kilminster, Rachel Kirby, M. E. Ladyman, A. C. Schlink, I. H. Williams, P. E. Vercoe, Anyou Lui, Karen Smith, Martin Bent, Matthew Young

Sheep Updates

This session covers eleven papers from different authors:1 Sheep production on annual stubbles/pastures vs lucerne Maxine Brown Gaye Krebs Muresk Institute, Curtin University Diana Fedorenko Kathryn Egerton-Warburton Centre for Cropping Systems, Department of Agriculture Western Australia 2. The value chain of the Lake Grace livestock industry Evan Burt Nazrul Islam Department of Agriculture Western Australia 3. Native pastures, Dorper sheep and the 2002 drought Roy Butler Department of Agriculture Western Australia 4. Commercial sheep breeders can improve their sheep breeding program using wether trials L.G. Butler, S.R. Brown, M.F. D’Antuono, J.C. Greeff Department of Agriculture 5. Western Australia Linked ewe …

Sheep Updates2003 - Keynotes, Dale Ashton, Ben Russell

Sheep Updates

This session covers two papers from different authors: 1. Economic outlook for sheep and wool Dale Ashton, Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics 2. Why is the future so bright? Dr Ben Russell, Manager, Southern Australia, Meat and Livestock Australia

Wheat And Wool Prices : Lessons From The Past, Ross Kingwell

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

Historical information about wool and wheat prices can help farmers to plan and manage their wheat and wool production. Ross Kingwell describes some management lessons derived from analysing wheat and wool price movements.

Wool 2000, Tunbridge Steve

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

The Wool 2000 Market Awareness Workshops have been a highly successful venture by Agriculture Western Australia and the International Wool Secretariat. In the past two years over 35 workshops have been held in about as many locations in the southern half of Western Australia, from Gascoyne Junction to Esperance.

Achievements In Wool 1997, Agriculture Western Australia

Animal production and livestock published reports

The Wool Strategy Group, which I initiated in 1993, and Agriculture Western Australia's Wool Program are strategic partners working together with industry to develop and market this State's wool industry.

Wool is Western Australia's second most important agricultural industry, with a current export value of $643 million. It has the potential to return to a billion dollar industry in the next five years and the industry needs to be strongly focused on producing what the market requires to take advantage of this.

The Wool Strategy Group, led by Chairman Mr Philip Gardiner, and the Wool Program, have established an international …

Regional Relativities Of Sustainable Pastoral Sheep Production In Western Australia, A. Mcr Holm, R. O'Connor, I. Foster, M. Stevens, G. Beeston

Animal production and livestock published reports

The Pastoral Wool Industry has for many years been in a parlous position. Jennings (1979) in a review of the industry nearly 15 years ago concluded that a significant number of pastoralists were in serious financial trouble, mainly resulting from the inability of station businesses to cope with the worsening terms of trade affecting rural industries. The recent collapse of the wool price has again focused attention on the future viability of the pastoral wool industry. Wilcox and Cunningham (1993) in a review of the industry in October 1993, concluded that the clean price indicator needs to increase by 50 …

New Wool Prices Beg Higher Stocking Rates, K M S Curtis

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

In the past few years, increases in wool prices have varied, depending on fibre diameters. In 1987-88, fine wools (19 micron) were selling for as much as twice the price paid for coarse wools (26-27 micron). A wool producer can alter the fibre diameter of the wool produced through breeding and by management. This article discusses the effect of changing stocking rate on wool production, using WOOLMODEL to do the calculations (Curtis, 1986,1988). WOOLMODEL can also be used to examine the effect of changes in phosphorus application rates.

The Outlook For Wool, Lamb And Beef, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

WOOL and fat lambs have been traditional products of farms in the wetter parts (20 inches of rainfall and above) of Western Australia's agricultural areas.

The prices for both these products are causing corncern and some farmers have already changed to beef production.

This article discusses the future prices for wool, fat lambs and beef.

An Evaluation Of The Box Elder County Wool Pool And Its Effect On Prices Of Wool Received By Farm Flock Sheep Producers, Ray Finch

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Utah ranks seventh in production of wool in the United States. The states in their order are Texas, Wyoming, California, Colorado, Montana, South Dakota and Utah. Utah produced 11,445,000 pounds of wool in 1963, valued at $5,265,000.

Box Elder is the fifth ranking county in wool production in the state of Utah. The leading counties are Sanpete, Utah, Uintah, Iron and Box Elder. According to census data, Box Elder produced 547,600 pounds of wool in 1959 . According to Agricultural and Conservation Service records, in 1959 89,000 pounds of farm flock wool was sold in Box Elder County. This is …

Farm Sheep Facts, M. A. Alexander, W. W. Derrick, W. Tolman

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Circulars

This circular discusses the sheep industry, recommendations for care of ewes, rams, and lambs, shearing and wool, and showing sheep.