No one likes chasing flies in the summer or at any time for that matter, so here’s a quick summary of some of the tools that could help to manage the fly risk on your property. The FlyBoss Flystrike Risk Simulator gives us a quantifiable risk factor which guides us in putting management practices in place. The contributing factors to an increase in susceptibility to flystrike in sheep, include wool quality traits such as fleece rot, fibre diameter, fibre diameter CV and wool colour. A higher fibre diameter allows water to move more easily through the staple to wet the skin increasing the ..read more

Carrying out an udder assessment at lamb marking time is important to identify those ewes that have reared a lamb and are capable to do so again in their next joining. Approximately 60% of lambs that die are from 27% of the ewes in the flock therefore we need to identify and cull these ewes to increase the number of lambs weaned, improving the reproductive efficiency of your flock. A ‘wet’ ewe is one that is currently rearing a lamb. A ‘dry’ ewe does not have a lamb suckling her, she has either lambed and lost or has failed to lamb. The best time to check the udders is at lamb marking. While t ..read more

Q Fever and natural immunity information can now be included on The Australian Immunisation Register as of the 15th of April 2024. This register also holds your COVID-19 vaccines, vaccines from the National Immunisation Program and other private vaccines eg. Travel and influenza.  How to get your information on the immunisation register If you have already received your Q Fever vaccine before the 15th of April 2024, you can transfer your immunisation record to The Australian Immunisation Register. This can be done by providing your Q Fever eStatement to a recognised vaccination provider i ..read more

Yesterday (3rd June) we held our 1st 2024 winter group meetings near Tallimba, this will be 1 of 4.  A big shout out to Lucinda Eddy for crunching the data that has been collected in the project to date and presenting an update to the group.  Key learnings from the meeting included: 1.      We busted the myth you can’t get ewes pregnant at the second joining if you join them as ewe lambs 2.      Critical to look after ewe weaners from weaning 3.      Have dates and growth rate targets – target 75 to 80% standa ..read more

Biosecurity refers to any preventative measures put in place to reduce the transmission of infectious diseases, pests or weeds. As livestock producers it is essential that you have some procedures in place to minimise the risk of infectious diseases being introduced onto your property. These can include: Having a formal documented Farm Biosecurity Plan for each different property (PIC). Ensure all livestock movements are recorded and health status is known. Have measures in place for introduced livestock, such health inspections prior to entry, suitable quarantine paddocks and initial pr ..read more

Autumn is a key time of the year to monitor and identify the potential risks for worm burden. The risk of worm burden increases with warm, wet summer conditions and where there are green pastures over summer, as seen in many places this season. In Australia there are three main roundworm species that infect sheep and goats, these include: 1.       Barbers pole worm (Haemonchus contortus) o   Blood sucking parasite o   Infections worse in wet summers (this year) o   Worm egg counts (WEC) typically much higher than scour worms o &n ..read more

A recently started MLA Producer Demonstration Site (PDS) project – Optimising Ewe Lamb Joining Outcomes – is in the process of completing its first year of data collection with four host properties located near Wellington, West Wyalong, Young and Wagga Wagga. The project aim is to demonstrate the decision-making process and additional management skills required to successfully join ewe lambs.  The project is being run over four years from February 2023 to December 2026. The first on-farm field day is planned to be held on Wednesday 21st February 2024 on a property near Junee. The project ..read more

Joining for 5 weeks is recommended as longer joining periods result in more complex management decisions and strategies. A mature ewe will cycle every 17 days. To maximise her chances of conceiving the rams should be present for two of these cycles (5 weeks). If joining occurs out of season, then joining may be extended to 6 weeks. When the joining period is extended, the range in weaning weight will increase. Weaners with a low weaning weight have a higher risk of ill thrift and subsequent mortality. Ewe lambs that are weaned at heavier weights will be more fertile and will rear more lambs in ..read more

When deciding to build containment pens there are many factors to consider. These include: Good Drainage - Sloped but stable soil for water runoff. Shelter - Not essential but sheep will use if there. Proximity to facilities - How far away is the fodder storage and sheep yards to minimise distance travelled. Reliable access to high quality drinking water - Preferred supply from reticulated system rather than dams to avoid dry-ups or contamination. A minimum of 1.5cm/head for water trough space. Distance from water storage/water course - At least 500m from water source to avoid contam ..read more

Sheep feet health is an important issues in Australia and especially for Merinos in higher rainfall areas and in wet years. Work that has been done in New Zealand showed footrot to be heritable and NZ has successfully developed a breeding value for footrot that is being used reliably to reduce the susceptibility of sheep to the disease. A recent project funded by Animal Health Australia demonstrated that similar genetic variation exists in Australia. To be able to manage current regulations and biosecurity in relation to footrot, Merino ram breeders in Australia need a designated research site ..read more