Animal Sciences Commons^™

Trees And Livestock : A Productive Co-Existence, Richard Moore

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

Trees, as part of farming can help to combat land degradation problems and produce a good economic return from timber at the same time. For example, there is now clear evidence that planting trees can help combat salinity by lowering water-table levels. Trees can also substantially improve overall farm productivity by providing shelter for pastures and livestock. The challenge is to find practical and economical methods of integrating trees and farming. A combination of widely-spaced trees and livestock is one promising method. This article describes the benefits of this type of agroforestry to farmers, suitable locations and how to practice …

Supplementary Feeding Of Weaner Sheep At Esperance, Julian Gardner, Peter Doyle

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

Cereal grains, particularly barley, have been the usual supplement fed to weaner sheep during summer and autumn along Western Australia's south coast. This area is a major barley producer, and weather-damaged and other feed quality grain have a ready use. High protein lupin seed, and to a lesser extent silage, have gained wide acceptance recently as alternative supplements. This article discusses the results of the first two of a series of supplementary feeding experiments at Esperance Downs Research Station.

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 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

Endocrine Interrelationships During Early Postpartum In St. Croix Sheep, Richard Michael Anderson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The relationships of estradiol-17-beta, progesterone, and LH in the early postpartum St. Croix ewe were monitored during the breeding season in 1988. A second group of non-postpartum, ovariectomized St. Croix ewes were used to determine non-ovarian levels of progesterone for comparison. Results of this study indicate that:

1. The short duration rise in progesterone exhibited by some ewes is indicative of an ovulation.
2. Ewes that do exhibit a short luteal phase prior to the first "normal" luteal phase have a longer period from parturition to the first "normal" luteal phase.
3. Serum levels of LH increase beginning 3 days postpartum.
4. There is …

Differences Between Merino Strains And Studs, Roger Lewer

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

When commercial wool growers select Merino rams they often use the following pattern: the buyers first consider the main strains of Merinos in Western Australia - Bungaree, Collinsville and Peppin. They then study the 550 studs and numerous non-stud ram breeders in this State. Having chosen a breeder, they examine the rams on offer and buy their annual requirements from among these. Until recently, no objective information has been available on the differences between studs and strains in Western Australia's agricultural areas. However, as part of a major study at the Department of Agriculture's Great Southern Agricultural Research Institute, these …

Summer Drenching Of Sheep : New Recommendations For High Rainfall Areas, Brown Besier, Jill Lyon

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

'Summer drenching' has been a highly successful strategy for controlling sheep worms in Western Australia's winter rainfall regions for many years. Drenching to remove worm burdens in summer, when the risk of reinfection by worm larvae is low, is an efficient basis to year-round worm control. The Department of Agriculture recently altered its recommendations for the timing of summer drenches to take account of new findings regarding the survival of worm larvae over summer. It now recommends that sheep farmers give the first summer drench when the pasture is beginning to dry off, in spring in most locations. Experiments atMt …

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 …

New Insights Into The Management Of Ewes Over Summer And Autumn, Rob Kelly, Ian Ralph

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

Recent research in Western Australia has provided new information on the effects of liveweight and liveweight change on wool production and quality, as well as lamb survival and growth. Liveweight and liveweight change in sheep reflect the animals' nutritional status, and this in turn directly influences their wool production and reproductive performance. The under-nutrition of sheep not only has an immediate effect on the animal's performance, but the research showed that it also produces a significant carry-over effect on wool and lamb production, even if the ewes have returned to good feed. These findings suggest that for the efficient management …

Artificial Insemination Of Ewes With Fresh Semen, Jonathon Hunton, Keith Kroker

Bulletins 4000 -

This Bulletin gives a basic outline of the technique for artificial insemination (Al) of sheep. The topic is large and incorporates several areas of reproductive physiology which can only be given cursory treatment in this publication. Much of the information discussed is also applicable to goat breeders wishing to use AT, although there are some fundamental differences.

Utilization Of Poultry Waste (Composted Caged-Layer) As A Supplement For Sheep Fed Straw During Late Pregnancy, Raul Meneses R.

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The utilization of composed caged-layer waste (CCLW) in diets for pregnant ewes fed cereal straw was evaluated. Five sheep were assigned to five diets containing, 0, 5.72, 11.37, 23.80, and 32.69% CCLW in a 5x5 Latin square design. Water intake, feed intake and feces output were measured. Feed and feces were analyzed for dry matter, crude protein, acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), organic matter, hemicellulose and minerals. Thus, nutrient digestibility and nitrogen balance could be calculated. Forty dry, pregnant ewes in the last third of generation were assigned to four dietary treatments contained 0, 11.25, 22.08 and …

Some Factors Affecting The Postpartum Interval In Sheep, Jose Pedro Cannas Simoes

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The effect of genotype on the occurrence of ovulation and estrus during the interval from lambing to ovulation accompanied by estrus (postpartum interval) was measured in White-Face and Black-Face ewes that lambed during the breeding season in 1986 and 1987. A group of St. Croix ewes was added to the study in 1987. The influence of lactation on the events of the postpartum interval was measured by comparing intact and mastectomized White-Face and Black-Face ewes. The effect of prolactin on postpartum interval was measured in these two genotypes and in a group of bromocriptine-treated Black-Face ewes that lambed in 1986. …

Bulletin 4152 - Sheep In Western Australia, R J. Suiter

Bulletins 4000 -

Western Australia's sheep industry started in the early 1830s when the first flock-owners grazed their sheep on extensive areas of native vegetation, often by shepherding on unfenced country. Later, farm flocks built up as settlers cleared and fenced land for cultivation, and 'pastoral' or 'station' sheep were confined to fenced areas of native vegetation, leased from the Government.

By 1900, more than 75 per cent of Western Australia's sheep were still classed as 'pastoral', but by 1987/88, the pastoral areas carried only 2 million of the 34.1 million State flock.

Today, many former sheep stations carry cattle, which survive better …

U.S. Grazing Lands: 1950-8, Arthur B. Daugherty, United States Department Of Agriculture, Economic Research Service

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

U.S. livestock owners grazed their herds on 817 million acres in 1982, down about 20 percent from 1950. This drop resulted primarily from improved productivity of grazing lands, as animal units of cattle and sheep increased more than 30 percent during 1950-82. Only the Southern Plains, of all farm production regions, showed an increase in land grazed during 1950-82. Non-Federal grazing land consisted of rangeland (67 percent), pastureland (21 percent), and grazed forest (12 percent). More than 30 percent of the non-Federal range and pasture was rated in good to excellent condition, and 12 percent of the grazed forest had …

Choosing A Calcium Supplement For Sheep Fed Cereal Grains, R L. Peet, Michael Hare

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

Sheep fed cereal grains as an energy source over summer usually need added calcium because cereal grains are generally low in calcium (for example, 0.03 per cent calcium compared to 0.26 per cent phosphorus), and there may not be a natural source such as clover, weeds, leafy stubble or edible bush in the paddock.

The safestt and most effective calcium supplement is finely ground limestone added to the feed, but some farmers have used other sources of calcium such as gypsum and superphosphate in this manner.

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

Weighing Scales For Sheep Do Pay, W D. Roberts

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

Sheep producers can improve production by using weighing scales and keeping accurate records of weights.

Withiut some objective measurement, such as weighing, producers have no accurate method of identifying the heaviest, lightest and average weight of a group of sheep.

They could try to esstimate weight by eye - but most people are poor judges of body weight.

Miscellaneous Production 23/87 - Animal Production In The Spinifex And Shrubland Regions Of Western Australia, D. Burnside

Animal production and livestock published reports

The role of the Rangeland Management Branch is to promote the sustained economic use of the rangeland resource. It provides research and extension services to the pastoral industry, provides advice on the condition of the range resource to Government and provides technical information on rangelands to other rangeland managers. A principal objective to be met in fulfilling that role is the development and promotion of economically efficient place systems that conserve the rangeland resource. At the inaugural Pastoral Soil Conservation Districts Conference in Meekatharra in May 1987, pastoralist delegates emphasized the importance of achieving that objective within the various soil …

Comparison Of Post-Weaning Performance And Carcass Traits Of Columbia And Cormo Crossbred Lambs, Carl Kim Chapman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Thirty-seven Columbia and Cormo Crossbred July-weaned weather lambs were utilized in this study. A feeding trial was conducted to evaluate feed efficiency, average daily gain, feed cost per pound of gain, wool growth per day and per pound of grain, and average wool fiber diameter and distribution of fiber population of the wool. Lambs were raised to a uniform market weight of between 115 and 125 pounds and slaughtered to evaluate carcass weight, backfat thickness, loin eye area, internal body fat, leg circumference, dressing percentage, untrimmed wholesale cuts, trimmed retail cuts, and yield and quality grades. Suffok x Cormo/Rambouillet lambs …

New Initiatives In Processing Australian Sheep Skins, P G. Frapple

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

Australia's exports of 313 million preserved sheep and lamb skins were valued at $A261.2 million FOB (free on board) in 1986-87. Just over 40 per cent (13.1 million) of these skins went to France for fellmongering, which is the process of removing wool from skins, leaving a bare pelt suitable for tanning. The balance went to other countries including Yugoslavia, Spain and West Germany, mainly for tanning with the wool on.

Cereal Straw And Stubble For Sheep Feed, E M. Aitchison

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

Many farmers in Western Australia run sheep in addition to their cropping programmes. The resulting cereal straws and stubbles are therefore important as sheep feed during summer and autumn. During this period the diet must provide sufficient energy to maintain liveweight, but additional energy and protein may be required for young stock and pregnant or lactating ewes, and to reduce problems from tender wool.

The Western Australian Sheep Skin Industry, P G. Frapple

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

Sheep skins are a by-product of livestock production and slaughter. Their supply is determined largely by the demand for meat, rather than the demand for leather and leather products. As a result, skin prices fluctuate widely, as happened from April to June, 1988.

Effects Of Grazing Intensity By Sheep On The Production Of Atriplex Nummularia And Sheep Live Weight In Jordan, Kamal I. Tadros

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Rangelands in Jordan are deteriorated due to a combination of harsh environmental conditions and human misuse. Jordan is importing increasingly large quantities of meat and animal products to meet the demand from its growing population. Sheep are supplementarily fed during the dry season and large quantities of grain supplements are imported every year.

Significant success has been attained in the establishment of Atriplex nummularia Lindl. (ATNU) in Jordan. There is, however, a general lack of adequate research to determine if ATNU is effectively utilized by local sheep, to what extent it is utilized and to what extent it tolerates grazing. …

Studies On Times Of Lambing In Ewes Grazing Subterranean Clover Based Pastures In Relation To Stocking Rates In South-Western Australia, H Lloyd Davies

Technical Bulletins

The investigation is reported in six parts: effect on ewe liveweight and fertility, lamb losses, effect on lamb growth and subsequent growth after weaning, wool production, pasture production and composition, and conclusions and practical implications. The results show that in the absence of supplementary feeding the physiological requirements of ewes in late pregnancy are better met by spring rather than autumn lambing.

Consumption Of Water By Livestock, G J. Luke

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.

Live Sheep Exports : Market Update, E J. O'Loughlin

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

The live sheep export trade has made an important contribution to the Western Australian sheep industry, with the value of exports peaking at $100 million f.o.b. in 1980-81. In that year Western Australia accounted for 61 per cent of the value of Australian exports of live sheep. In addition, the growth of the live export industry has contribuited to higher prices for other catagories of sheep than would otherwise have been the case.

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 …

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 …