Sheep and Goat Science Commons^™

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 …

A Low Rainfall Livestock Option: Analysis Of Fat Tail Sheep In The System, Evan Burt, Tanya Kilmister, Matthew Young

Agriculture reports

This paper aims to briefly: • investigate farming systems issues in the medium and low rainfall regions of the South West Land Division of Western Australia; • identify options and opportunities for the fat tailed sheep breeds • capture some research about the tail; and • investigate market options surrounding the fat tailed sheep breeds. This analysis will provide a brief understanding of the scale of the fat tailed sheep breeds within Western Australia and provide a brief overview of products of the sheep highlighting potential opportunities.

Facts About Footrot - A Special Booklet For Neighbours Of Properties Which Have Been Quarantine For Footrot, Or Farmers Wanting To Know More About Footrot, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock published reports

Footrot is a contagious disease of sheep and goats caused by a mix of different bacteria, with the essential one being Dichelobacter nodosus. The bacterial infection can cause varying degrees of damage to the horn of the foot, leading to lameness, and significant loss of body weight and wool production.

There are two main forms of footrot - virulent and benign. Both are caused by D. nodosus. Footrot is diagnosed using two methods; inspecting sheep's feet, and testing skin scrapings in the laboratory

Miscellaneous Publication 6/2001 - Sheep And Goat Industries Biosecurity Plan, Department Of Agriculture Western Australia, Government Of Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

StockGuard has been initiated to develop a series of biosecurity plans for the animal industries in Western Australia. Through StockGuard, representatives from the animal industries have been working with the Department of Agriculture to identify the major threats to each of the animal industries and to develop action plans detailing how these threats will be managed.

The recent Foot and Mouth outbreak in the United Kingdom is a stark example of the potential for exotic disease to devastate an animal industry. The UK experience, along with the 1999 outbreak of virulent Newcastle disease in poultry in New South Wales have …

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.

A Guide To Grazing Systems And Animal Production, Kylie Woodgate, Western Australian Department Of Agriculture, Australian Wool Innovation Ltd.

Bulletins 4000 -

This manual has been produced as a joint venture between the Wool and Meat Programs of Agriculture Western Australia. It is intended to provide current information on most animal production issues today. It has been modified from the current Woolpro and Prograze manuals distributed to farmers and is designed for use mainly by Agricultural Colleges and Secondary Schools teaching Agriculture. It should be used in conjunction with these manuals.

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.

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 …

Bulletin 4394 - Exotic Diseases - Sheep And Goats, Agriculture Western Australia

Bulletins 4000 -

An exotic disease is a disease which does not occur in Australia.

If an exotic disease did occur in Australia it would cause production losses, stock deaths and stop exports of primary production. When export markets are lost they can only be re-established once it is proven the disease is eradicated. Some exotic diseases may be transmitted to humans

An Economic Analysis Of The Threat Of An Exotic Disease On Agriculture: The Case Of Sheep Pox In Western Australia, Nhu Che, Tom Kompas

Biosecurity published reports

Sheep pox is an acute disease that causes heavy losses due to high sheep mortality, costly eradication programs and ongoing problems with trade restrictions for many countries around the world. Australia until now has been unaffected, and although the risk of disease entry may be very slight, one case of sheep pox outbreak could cost the Western Australian economy as much as $50 million in damages, mostly from the trade disruption losses ( over the 21-month period of trading bans). The introduction of a Serology Test Program may reduce that amount by $35 million due to a shortening of the …

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.

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.

Live Sheep Trade From Australia Summary Information For 1997, R T. Norris, G J. Norman

Agriculture reports

This report provide summary information about mortalities in sheep and cattle during sea transport.

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

Selling Western Australian Wool To The World, Georgina Wilson

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

Western Australia supplies 14 per cent of the worls's apparel wool and Agriculture WA's Wool Program has been working to raise the State's profile as a consistent supplier of high quality fibre to the world markets. It's a slow process in a very traditional industry, but modern measurement and computers are useful tools as Georgina Wilson explains.

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.

Live Sheep Trade From Australia Summary Information For 1996, R T. Norris, G J. Norman

Agriculture reports

This report provide summary information about mortalities in sheep and cattle during sea transport.

Woolpro : The Way To Better Pastures And Sheep, Julia Fry

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

WOOLPRO farmers recognise that sustainable increases in productivity are essentail to maintain and improve income of wool growers.

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.

Blup For Merino Breeding, David Windsor, Johan Greeff

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

Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (BLUP) experiences of farmers into their genetic breeding programs.

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 …

Teasing Apart The Threads Of Staple Strength, Andrew Peterson

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

A successful partnership between two local inventors and Agriculture WA's Wool Program has created a new instrument which, just like the growth rings of trees, can show seasonal changes in the fibre diameter of wool. This will have considerable value to the wool industry as Andrew Peterson explains.

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

Agriculture reports

No abstract provided.

Forty Years Of Rangeland Research In The Meekatharra And Wiluna Districts (1956-1996), Andrew Thomson, John Morrissey

Agriculture reports

This document is an account of the research undertaken by this Branch over the past 40 years, and it provides a general explanation of the results. It also includes descriptions of many of the Land Conservation District projects at Meekatharra and Wiluna. A number of trials and community based projects from other districts relevant to this publication have also been included as supplementary information.

Sheep Blowflies Strike Out!, David F. Cook, Ian Dadour, Ernie Steiner

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

Woolgrowers are constantly concerned that the sheep blowfly may be able to breed in sheep or other animal carcasses. David Cook, Ian Dadour and Ernis Steiner report on an experiment that answers that question once and for all.

Today's Woolgrowers : A Profile, Ian Mcfarland

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

Woolgrowers have been faced with fluctuating prices, a mix of seasons and rising production costs since the demise of the Floor Price Scheme in 1991. despite these difficult times, there are still very large differences in productivity and profitability between wool growing properties in Western Australia. Ian McFarland looksat production levels on wool growing properties in Western Australia and outlines some actions to lift productivity.

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.

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.

Achievements In Wool, Agriculture Western Australia

Animal production and livestock published reports

The Wool Strategy Group, which I initiated in 1993, works with Agriculture Western Australia's Wool Program to set the strategic directions for its activities. Chaired by Mr Philip Gardiner, it has members whose experience include fashion, marketing, financial markets, wool production, selling, as well as strong industry linkages. This document outlines the activities that the Group and the Program have been undertaking over the past 12 months.

The Chairman of the IWTO has recently suggested that Australian production in the coming years will be insufficient or not of the right specifications to supply market demands.

In order to assist Western …