Animal Sciences Commons^™

Sheep Production Systems On Mediterranean Annual Pastures., Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia.

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

Trial 84V2.

Location: Vasse Research Station

Aims: To define seasonal pasture production curves for three rainfall zones in Western Australia. To determine animal productivity under different production systems in response to seasonal pasture production. To provide Western Australian data useful for validation of sheep simulation models. To provide data for different production systems to increase the scope of the simulation models.

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 …

Dust Elimination From Outdoor Feedlots For Sheep, D J. Carter

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

The humble woodchip, widwly used as a soil mulch in Western Australian gardens, is set tto take a new role as a dust inhibito in assembly yards used to hold live sheep for export.

Research by the Department of Agriculture's Soil Conservation Service Branch has shown that, of the materials tested, woodchips were the most effective in preventing dust being generated. Wind speeds had to approach a "near gale" before dust developedfrom the protected soil.

The use of woodchips, therefore, provides a practical alternative to stabalising the soil and preventing an environmental problem associated with one of the State's valuable …

Feeding Behaviour Of Live Sheep During Export, C L. Mcdonald

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

Live sheep exporters in Western Australia often hold as many as 00 000 sheep in assembly feedlots while the consignment is being purchased and assembled before shipment. During the assembly phase the sheep ane introduced to the pelleted rations used on board.

Industry reports have highlighted the wide variability in condidtions, facilities and procedures used, and showed that there was little evidence from which to make recommendations to the live sheep shipping indudtry. This article discusses ten experiments by the Department of Agriculture from 1981 to 1985 designed to investigate what influences the feeding behaviour of Merino wethers under conditions …

Production From Heifers And First Calvers, G J. Sawyer

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

Heifers and first calvers present the major problems of the beef breeding herd. Reproduction rates, calf growth and survival of first calvers are generally much poorer than those of adult breeders.

Early successful reproductive performance is important in beef herds because of the high overhead cost of keeping breeding beef heifers or cows, Where possible, beef producers should aim to join heifers at 14 to 15 months of age. To achieve this goal, producers should set production targets for those animals. These targets will differ from farm to farm depending on when calves are turned off and the seasonal feed …

Management Measures For The Cockburn Sound Mussel Fishery., H. G. Brayford

Fisheries Management Papers

The Cockburn Sound professional fishery has seen a rapid increase in fishing effort in recent years. In response to this Cockburn Sound has been declared to be a restricted area for commercial fishing pending the introduction of long term management measures. Interim endorsements have therefore been issued for commercial fishing within Cockburn Sound.

Fisheries Report No 74 - Marine Resources Map Of Western Australia- Part 2 - The Influence Of Oil On Marine Resources And Associated Activities With An Emphasis On Those Found In Western Australia, H. E. Jones

Fisheries Research Reports

Part 1 of the text accompanying the marine resources maps dealt with the resources and the morphological, hydrological and meteorological characteristics of the Western Australian coastal environment. This subsidiary part is concerned with the effects of oil on marine resources and associated commercial and recreational activities.

Accounts of oil on the seas due to natural seepages appeared in Europe in the sixteenth century on the return of Spanish and Portuguese ships from voyages to the Americas. One of the earliest reports of oil pollution from a man-made source was in 1754 when leakages from wooden petroleum barges were prevalent in …

Management Measures For The Shark Bay Snapper Fishery 1987 Season., P. Millington

Fisheries Management Papers

The 1986 Shark Bay snapper fishing season mirrored in almost all respects the situation which will apply when the limited entry regime is put into effect. It was thus an opportunity to assess how effective the measures recommended in the Report of the Shark Bay Snapper Fishery Working Group were in reducing effort in the fishery.

The King George Sound Purse Seine Fishery Working Group Report By The Chairman Mr. R. S. Brown To The Minister For Fisheries., R. S. Brown

Fisheries Management Papers

The King George Sound Purse Seine Fishery Working Group was formed to investigate the purse seine (mainly mulie) fishery in King George Sound and advise the Minister for Fisheries on options for future management. The fishery in King George Sound is unlike most fisheries because the fish stock (pilchards) which is exploited is part of a very extensive stock located right around the south and north west coast of Western Australia. Only relatively small portion of the total stock of pilchard enter King George Sound and comes under the very high exploitation there. The Working Group has proposed to the …

The Esperance Rock Lobster Working Group Interim Report By The Chairman Mr. A. Pallot To The Western Australia Fishing Industry., A. Pallot

Fisheries Management Papers

In July 1985 the Minister for Fisheries released a discussion paper titled "Arrangements for entry to all fisheries off and along the Western Australian coast" for consideration by all members of the fishing industry. The Australian Fishing Industry Council (W.A. Branch), now the Western Australian Fishing Industry Council (Inc), responded to the discussion paper in March 1986. The following were included in the Council's recommendations: 1. The rock lobster fishery near Esperance be a limited entry fishery. 2. The bench mark date for determining access by April 30, 1985. 3. that the Minister for fisheries establish a representative Government/Industry Working …

The Windy Harbour-Augusta Rock Lobster Working Group. Interim Report By The Chairman Mr. A. Pallot To The Western Australian Fishing Industry., A. Pallot

Fisheries Management Papers

Summary of Recommendations: Boat Access: That the Windy Harbour-Augusta Rock Lobster Fishery be declared a limited entry fishery. That the limited entry fishery related to the taking of Western Rock Lobster (Panulirue cygnus) and Southern Rock Lobster (Jasus novaehollandiae) That the southern boundary of Zone E of the W.C.R.L.F. terminate at a point where it intersects with a line drawn in a southerly direction from the Cape Leeuwin lighthouse. That the eastern boundary remain at Point D'Entrecasteaux (approximately 1160east longitude). That the western and southern boundaries by limits of the Australian Fishing Zone. That the season be for the period …

The Report Of The Fish Farming Legislative Review Committee., P. Rogers

Fisheries Management Papers

In 1975, amendments to the Fisheries Act provided for the licensing and control of commercial fish farming activities and , for specific declared species, further controls on their processing and marketing. To date, marron has been the only species to be declared a "farm fish". During the last decade, much of the State's aquaculture impetus has focused on marron although more recently greater attention has been directed towards trout, yabbies and freshwater aquarium fish species. On November 19, 1984, the Marron Growers Association of Western Australia (Inc) wrote to the Minister for Fisheries and Wildlife, seeding a general review of …

State Of The Fisheries Report 1985, Fisheries Department Of Western Australia

Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources

Western Australia continues to be one of the leading fishing States in Australia. The total gross value of fish, crustaceans and molluscs for 1984/85 was $163 million (Table 1) to which may be added the value of the pearl culture industry resulting in a total value of approximately $190 million.

Seminar Proceedings: Goats And The Farming System. Bridgetown, August 14, 1986, L J.E Karlsson

Agriculture reports

Definition of goat fibre types - John Karlsson New breeding regulations for goats - Jim Maddams Requirements for keepign feral goats - David Rees Managing aspect of gaot farmining - John Karlsson Sheep and goat fibre market outlook - Peter Eckersley Review of the Australian goat meat industry - Larry King Goast establishment options and costs - Bruce Shields Economic comparison of mohair, cashmere and sheep - Garry Parlevliet Angora mohair breeders of Australia Litd - Graham Larke Australian cashmere industry - Tod Kirwan Worms in goats and their control - Joan Eggleston Selling cashmere through the ACMC - Lucinda …

The Report Of The Southern Western Australian Shark Working Group., P. Millington

Fisheries Management Papers

The southern Western Australian Shark Working Group was formed to investigate the southern shark fishery and advise the Minister for Fisheries on options for future management. Membership comprised six fishermen from regional professional fishermen's associations and two Fisheries Department officers. The Working Group considered that each shark fisherman obtaining an entitlement should then be restricted in the length of fishing gear he can use and the number of months he can fish. The individual's time and gear entitlement would be approximately that length of gear being used and time spent fishing in a period shortly before the bench mark date. …

Survey Of Parasite Control Practices In Sheep And Cattle, J R. Edwards, R V R Gwynn, R A. Love, Richard Thomas Norris, G Dalton-Morgan, Brown Besier

Technical Bulletins

Farms in the Albany, Esperance, Jerramungup and Katanning districts were surveyed to determine parasite control strategies currently used, to evaluate the adoption of recommended control practices and to detect areas of ineffective parasite control. For cattle, the number of drenches given in the low rainfall zone was higher than the number given in the high rainfall zone.

Phomopsis-Resistanct Lupins : Breakthrough Towards The Control Of Lupinosis, W A. Cowling, J. G. Allen, P Mcr. Wood, J. Hamblin

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

Attemots to control lupinosis in sheep have been thwarted by the unpredictable occurence of the disease in the field. The complex interaction of the toxin-producing fungus (Phomopsis leptostromiformis) with its host (the lupin plant), together with variable weather and paddock grazing conditions, have made it difficult to predict when stock are in danger of contracting the disease. The risk of lupinosis discourages many farmers from growing lupins, despite the many potential benefits of including them in crop rotations.

A team of Department of Agriculture plant breeders, plant pathologists, and animal scientists set out in the mid 1970s to find resistance …

Grazing And Management Of Saltland Shrubs, C V. Malcolm, J. E. Pol

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

areas of bare saltland on farms need not be unproductive etesores. Many Western Australian farmers are now successfully growing salt-tolerant or halophytic shrubs such as bluebush (Maireana brevifolia), saltbushes (Atriplex spp.) and samphires (Halosarcia spp.) on these areas.

Department of agriculture trials and farmers' experience indicate that if saltland is planted with recommended shrubs, it can provide two months' valuable grazing for sheep during autumn and early winter, a time when paddock feed is scarce. Research by the Department has also identified a range of salt-tolerant shrubs suited to the various types of saltland.

Grazing trials to …

Fisheries Report No 73 - The Western Rock Lobster Fishery 1981 - 1982, R. S. Brown, E. H. Barker

Fisheries Research Reports

The fishery for the western rock lobster Panulirus cygnus is one of the most important single fisheries in Australia and an important export earner for the State. Western Australia produced 10,548 tonnes in 1981/82, out of a total Australian catch of rock lobster of 15,764 tonnes. The fishery is governed by a complex set of regulations which have been reviewed by Bowen (1971) and Hancock (1981) and which are designed to limit the total fishing effort to acceptable levels and to enforce a legal minimum size. It is thus important to constantly monitor the state of the fishery both to …

Atrophic Rhinitis In Pigs, A R. Mercy

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

Severe atrophic rhinitis in pigs recurred recently in Australia after an apparent absence of some 20 years. The first of these recent cases occurred in a Westerm Australian herd in late 1984 and since then six other local herds have reported the disease. Severe atrophic rhinitis has also been seen recently in South Australia.

Atrophic rhinitis is a complex disease which causes degeneration of the nasal cavity, twisting of the snout and sometimes occasional bleeding from the nose.

It occurs only in pigs and severely affected animals may have a slower growth rate.

Ovulation Rate Of Ewes : Role Of Energy And Protein, E Teleni, J. B. Rowe

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

Western Australia's sheep farmers are familiar with the low ovulation rate of Merino ewes and how this limits the lambing performance of ewe flocks.

One way in which ovulation rate and therefore lambing percentage may be increased is to feed seed of sweet lupin (Lupinus augustifolius) to ewes at mating. However, Department of Agriculture research has found that these increases do not show up consistently, and that there is considerable variability between farms.

If improved nutrition is to be a useful way to increasing ovulation rate, the mechanism by which nutrition affects ovulation rate must first be understood. This article …

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.

Supplementary Feeds For Sheep, J B. Rowe

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

No abstract provided.

Wool Staple Strength, I G. Ralph

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

The staple strength of western Australia's wool has come under scruitiny since additional wool measurements to those of yield, fibre diameter and vegetable matter began throughout the Australian 985-86 wool selling season.

In 1980, the Sale by Additional Measurement Trial conducted on the September-October wool sales at Fremantle showed a range in staple breaking forcesfrom 10 to 70 Newtons per kilotex, with an average breaking force of between 30 and 35 N/ktex, A third of the lots offered for sale had a staple breaking force of less than 26 N/ktex, a value which, according to the Australian Wool Testing Authority, …

Phomopsis Infection Of Lupin Seed, D S. Petterson, P. Mcr. Wood

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

Early reports of lupinosis in Western Australia implicated infected stems and leaves of the sandplain or W,A. blue lupin (Lupinus cosentinii) as the main source of toxicity.

After the introduction of low alkaloid varieties of L. augustifolius, lupinosis continued to oddur on stubbles but random testing of seeds showed only low levels of Phomopsis leptostromiformis infection.

However in 1976, scientists at the University of Western Australia who were evaluating the use of an all lupin seed ration for drought feeding sheep encounted lupinosis in one of their trials.Seven per cent of the seed used was found to be infected …

Control Strategies For Annual Ryegrass Toxicity, W J. Burdass

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

In 982-83, annual ryegrass tocicity (ARGT) was estimated to have cost Western Australian sheep farmers between $7 and $8 million in total economic losses.

The disease can severely disrupt farming operations. Sheep must be checked daily and if affected moved to a 'safe' paddock. The availability of paddock feed is reduced, as is stock carrying capacity. Worry about the possibility of dramatic stock losses, and uncertainty about what decisions to make, are all stressful.

Stock losses from ARGT can be minimised by the use of selective herbicides to control ryegrass in pastures and crops. This breaks the disease cycle - …

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.

Pregnancy Diagnosis Using Ultrasound, M A C Johns

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

Few Western Australian ewe flocks are diagnosed for pregnancy despite the precence of high numbers of barren ewes. Surveys of farm flocks in the early 1970s recorded that between 14 and 29 per cent of ewes failed to lamb each year.

Techniques for diagnosing pregnant ewes have been available for many years, but ultrasonic devices and computer technology have made it possible for skilled operators to determine whether ewes are pregnant and more importantly, whether they have one, two or more foetuses.

Once the number of pregnant ewes is known farmers can use labour more efficiently. They can minimise the …

Reproductive Wastage In Sheep, R W. Kelly

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

The average lambing performance of Western Australia's ewe flock fluctuates between 60 and 70 per cent. Although this level of performance and variation between years is important for the sheep industry, individual farmers are more concerned about performance of their own flocks.

Figure shows the range in lambing performances that exist between farms in this State in 1983-84. The seriously poor performance of many flocks is apparentm - 28 percent of farms had less than 60 per cent lambing. By contrast, 24 farms had performances better than 100 per cent. The reasons for the large differences between farms ( and …

Survey Of Post-Weaning Management, Growth And Mortality Of Merino Weaners, Richard Thomas Norris

Technical Bulletins

Flock owner's excessive use of supplementary feed, especially of hay, lack of knowledge of nutritional requirements of weaners and failure to follow recommended methods of internal parasite control were the main areas of inefficient management. Management of the weaners as observed in the first year, suggested that previous advice by the Department of Agriculture was not well accepted or had not reached some producers.