Sheep and Goat Science Commons^™

The Avondale Stocking Rate Experiment, L D. White, R. J. Lightfoot, R. N. Glencross

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

THERE is now ample evidence that stocking rates well above the usual district levels can be carried in the Avon Valley.

However, many aspects of increasing stocking rates still require investigation, particularly with lambing ewes and young sheep.

Stocking Rate And Rate Of Superphosphate In A Higher Rainfall Area, P P. Mann, B. J. Gorddard, R. N. Glencross, E. N. Fitzpatrick

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

In its virgin state the area carried a forest association of red-gum and jarrah, and the soils are typical of large areas in the south-west of Western Australia.

These gravelly soils have a high requirement for phosphate during their first years under pasture, and this trial was designed to investigate the relationship between rate of phosphate, stocking rate and pasture production over a number of seasons.

Enterotoxaemia (Pulpy Kidney Disease), J Craig

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

ENTEROTOXAEMIA, or pulpy kidney disease, is found in all areas of the world where sheep are raised and has occurred in Western Australia for many years, particularly in the great southern districts.

At one time it was known as "Beverley sheep disease."

The infectious nature of enterotoxaemia was first described by Bennets in 1932.

A Sick Ewe Why? [Pregnancy Toxaemia], F C. Wilkinson

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

THIS dazed-looking ewe was seen wandering aimlessly around with an unsteady gait.

Three other ewes had died after a similar sickness lasting about four days.

Two more sheep in the flock of 350 ewes were also sick. One of them was down with its head on one side.

Down And Out [Pulpy Kidney Disease], F C. Wilkinson

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

Two days previously the weaner mob had broken through a gate into a hundred acre paddock in which an excellent green oat crop was growing.

The owner had not been particularly worried because the oats needed grazing. When however, he went to check the water troughs and found 17 weaners dead, he became perturbed.

Worms In Sheep. 1. The Worms Which Infest Sheep In W.A, R W. Butler

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

Parasitic worms of sheep occur so widely that they are a problem of most flocks.

While a few worms might be of little consequence, worms can kill many sheep and could cause serious economic loss in the agricultural areas of W.A.

This first article describes the types of worms and their effects on sheep.

Vibriosis In Sheep, Stanley M. Dennis

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

OVINE VIBRIOSIS or vibrionic abortion, a serious disease of breeding ewes, has been known for almost 50 years and has been reported from most of the important sheep breeding areas of the world.

It is capable of causing serious economic loss.

A Sheep Management Calendar For Lambing On Green Feed, H E. Fels, J. A. C. Smith

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

The calendar contained in this article has been drawn up by officers of the Wheat and Sheep Division as a guide to farmers who plan to adopt July-August lambing.

The article also summarises the advantages and complications of later lambing (as opposed to the conventional autumn lambing) and discusses farm management programmes to deal with the problems in various districts.

Sheep Can Be More Profitable In The Wheatbelt, G T. Halpin, P. Nelson

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

TRADITIONALLY, wheatbelt farmers have looked upon sheep as being subsidiary, or at best, complementary to their main activity, wheat growing.

Because there has been a mistaken belief that clover would not grow, these farmers have depended upon native grasses and crop remains (stubble) for sheep feed, a practice which has put a limit to the number of sheep a property could support.

Sheep Breeding Problems In W.A. : The Industry's View, Stanley M. Dennis

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

IN 1963 a short questionnaire was distributed to farmers and pastoralists seeking information about sheep breeding problems and lamb losses.

This was a fore-runner to the Department of Agriculture survey into the causes of abortion and lamb mortality which is reported elsewhere in this issue.

Time Of Lambing At Esperance, R J. Doyle

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

ESPERANCE is one of the few places in Western Australia at which experiments over three years have shown a definite improvement in number of lambs produced to marking, as a result of lambing in the August-September period.

Weed Control : Cotton Fireweed, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

COTTON FIREWEED is a native perennial plant which has developed as a serious weed in the south coastal areas.

Being a perennial it makes quick, active growth following summer rains and rapidly outgrows annual pasture plants.

Have You A Lambing Problem?, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

Here are the steps you should take if you have or suspect a breeding problem in your flocks.

How To Identify Twin-Born Lambs, G T. Halpin, P. Nelson

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

IN the past few years it has become widely accepted that the ability to produce twin or multiple lambs is a heritable characteristic.

This means that breeding from sheep born as twins should give more multiple births and higher lambing percentages than breeding from sheep born as single lambs.

Sharpening And Care Of Mulesing Shears, A L. Jones

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

THIS year will probably see more sheep mulesed in Western Australia than ever before.

It is not surprising, therefore, that some improvements have been made to the standard mulesing shears.

New modified shears make mulesing easier —but they must be properly sharpened.

How To Care For Orphan Lambs, Stanley M. Dennis

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

WITH the current high price and shortage of sheep in W.A., farmers might consider the bother of artificially rearing orphan lambs more worthwhile than before.

More Light On Lamb Losses : Third And Final Report Of A Survey Of Lamb Mortalities In W.A, Stanley M. Dennis

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

DURING the past three years the Department of Agriculture's Animal Health Laboratory carried out an investigation into the causes of perinatal lamb losses.

This article records the results of this work.

Congenital Abnormalities In Sheep In Western Australia, Stanley M. Dennis

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

IN every flock of sheep an abnormal or deformed lamb is seen from time to time.

But in some flocks in some years the incidence of these abnormal lambs is higher than usual.

Urinary Calculus Disease Of Sheep In Western Australia, M R. Gardiner

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

THE formation of concretions in the urinary tract of rams and wethers is one of the most persistent causes of loss of sheep in Western Australia, and has been so for many years.

Dead Lambs : A Dead Loss, Stanley M. Dennis

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

During the past year the Animal Health Laboratory has continued its survey into the causes of abortion in sheep and perinatal lamb losses.

This article records the results of this work.

LAMBS and specimens from lambs were submitted to the Animal Health Laboratory from 229 properties situated in 121 areas in this survey during 1964.

Post-mortem examination was carried out on 1,422 lambs and specimens from 61 lambs were also examined.

Why Did These Lambs Die?, Stanley M. Dennis

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

INVESTIGATIONS over the past two years have shown that most lamb deaths in Western Australia occur during the first three days of life, that is, in the critical neonatal period.

Most of the lambs died between 24 and 72 hours after birth.

Congenital Abnormalities In Sheep, Stanley M. Dennis

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

More than 60 forms of abnormality have been found in lambs in Western Australia and in some flocks the proportion of particular abnormalities has been as high as 8 per cent, of lambs born.

In this article Dr. Dennis discusses the causes of abnormalities and reports progress of a Statewide survey of congenital abnormalities.

Predators : Lamb Killers Or Scavengers, Stanley M. Dennis, C. D. Gooding

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

PREDATORS, particularly foxes and crows, have long been considered by many farmers in Western Australia to be a serious cause of lamb losses during the first week of life.

Results of the post-mortem examination of 2,179 lambs carried out by the Animal Health Laboratory over the past two years, however, throws considerable doubt on this belief.

These examinations revealed that 34 per cent, of the lambs showed mutilation by predators but only about 2 per cent, actually died as a result of predator attacks.

Clover Disease Of Sheep In Western Australia, A B. Beck, M. R. Gardiner

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

DURING the past five years there has been a marked increase in the incidence of breeding abnormalities of sheep associated with the grazing of subterranean clover pastures.

This complex of diseases first became a major problem in Western Australia in the years following 1940 and eventually became known as "clover disease".

Stocking Rate And Wool Production At Kojonup, Davies H. Lloyd, A. W. Humphries

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

RESEARCH workers in several parts of the world have recognised the overriding importance of stocking rate in raising animal production per acre.

This article describes some of the initial work on the effect of stocking rate on wool production and liveweight change in medium-Peppin Merino sheep.

The work was carried out at the C.S.I.R.O. "Glen Lossie" Field Station at Kojonup, Western Australia.

Stinkwort (Inula Graveolens Desf.), G R W Meadly

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

THE original home of stinkwort is the Mediterranean region, including northern France. Apparently the first Australian record was at Onkaparinga in South Australia about 90 years ago.

Efforts were made to keep it in bounds during the years immediately following introduction, but it continued to spread and is now f i r m ly established in all agricultural districts of South Australia.

It also covers large tracts of land in New South Wales and Victoria and occurs in most districts of Western Australia.

Starvation In Newborn Lambs, Stanley M. Dennis

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

INVESTIGATIONS over the past three years have shown that most lamb deaths in Western Australia occurred within the first three days of life.

Sixty per cent, of these losses were due to starvation/mismothering.

Weaning Lambs Under Pastoral Conditions, H Suijdendorp, L. Parsons

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

IN the summer rainfall region of the pastoral areas lambs are too often born too late to ensure their survival.

In good seasons with a fair measure of winter rain more late lambs will survive, but losses are still serious. The only solution to this problem is to make sure lambs drop in May-June.

But the presence of late and often unmarked lambs at mating time is a disturbing influence, which makes it hard to advance the established mating pattern.

The Causes And Control Of Infertility Of Rams, J Craig

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

FACTORS other than physical faults often cause infertility of rams.

Obviously, it is important to distinguish between temporary and permanent infertility to apply the proper remedy.

The Effect Of Mulesing And Tailstripping At Lamb Marking On Subsequent Lamb Growth And Incidence Of Fly Strike, R J. Lightfoot, W. L. Mcgarry

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

THE modified mules and tailstrip operation has been shown to be highly effective in reducing the incidence of crutch strike in sheep.

In Western Australia the operation is usually performed on ewe weaners or hoggets immediately after either crutching or shearing.