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Sheep nutrition workshop
Upcoming event: Expressions of interest in a 2-day sheep nutrition workshop at Campbell Town on Wednesday 9 and Thursday 10 November are being sought, to be delivered by San Jolly from Productive Nutrition.
The workshop will cover feed budgeting, mineral supplementation, integration of livestock into cropping/irrigation systems, rumen function, ration formulation, and genetic selection. Additional topics may be requested by those who register.
Register your interest by Friday 26 August to ensure you don't miss out, by contacting raeyoung1@bigpond.com
Click here for more information.
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Feral cat management
National survey: RMIT University is asking farmers, producers, land managers and anyone interested in feral animal control to complete a five-minute survey about feral cats.
In a first for feral cat control, data collected will inform future action and directions by governments and the conservation sector.
Click here to complete the survey.
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New leadership program
Professional development: The Sheepmeat Council of Australia (SCA) has launched a new professional development opportunity for sheepmeat producers and others in the industry to build leadership skills and develop networks.
The inaugural Sheepmeat Industry Leadership Program is part of the SCA and Meat & Livestock Australia joint initiative, Building Leadership Capability for the Sheep Industry.
The initiative’s objective is to ensure the Australian sheep industry attracts, develops and retains people with leadership skills to contribute to the long-term viability of the industry.
The Program will be run by the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation, and includes two intakes – in 2017 and 2018 – and SCA will select 15 participants per year. Each position is valued at more than $10,000 each and covers all the training, course materials and travel to the two face-to-face sessions. Participants will be required to contribute $500 to the cost of their participation in the program.
Click here for more information.
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Precise genetic selection
Latest tool: The Sheep CRC has released the latest version of its genetic selection app RamSelect Plus.
The tool now features more precise genetic selection tools, as well as new benchmarking and ram team management tools.
Among the enhancements, users now have a wider choice of standard industry indexes, such as Fibre Production plus or Dual Purpose, that they can then use as the basis for finessing the emphasis that they need for their own flock.
Click here for the online tool.
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Vaccination needle lengths
Research findings: Dr Tristan Jubb of Bendigo Sheep Vets recently undertook a study into best practice vaccination technique for sheep.
The key findings were as follows:
- lambs and ewes in short wool – use ¼ inch needles at a 45° angle to the skin
- ewes with significant wool growth – use ¼ inch needles at a 90° angle to the skin.
Whilst most vaccines for sheep in Australia are designed to be injected subcutaneously (under the skin), even experienced sheep producers and contractors may be unintentionally administering vaccines incorrectly, into muscle tissue.
Vaccinating on the side of the neck, approximately 5cm from the base of the ear, helps to avoid hitting structures including bone, ear cartilage and glands in the head/neck region, whilst also minimising the risk of injecting into relatively valuable meat cuts.
By vaccinating at the correct site, using the right equipment and approach, sheep producers can maximise vaccine efficacy and minimise the risk of adverse reactions.
Click here for more information.
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Farm biosecurity planning
Upcoming events: Livestock Biosecurity Network is running a series of farm biosecurity planning workshops at Campbell Town (5 September), Winnaleah (6 September), Smithton (8 September) and Flinders Island (13 September).
The one-day workshops will look at how on-farm biosecurity can assist with management of pests, diseases, weeds, contaminants and residues, and develop practical operation-specific biosecurity plans.
Click here for more information.
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Water for Profit resources
Presentations online: Presentations from the recent Water for Profit workshop are now available online.
More than 100 producers and industry participants attended the event to hear about whole-farm irrigation planning, energy and system efficiency, and important advice on selecting the right equipment.
Click here to view the presentations.
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