Sheep Camp 2018 – a huge success!
Students enrolled in an agricultural-related tertiary course had a chance to put theory into practice at Sheep Camp 2018, hosted by agVivo and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD).
Over the weekend of 6 and 7 October, eight students from Curtin and Murdoch Universities, descended on ‘Rylington Park’, Boyup Brook, for a weekend of hands-on learning and sheep activities.
Being part of a working farm, many local farmers and sheep industry experts also joined the students to share their knowledge.
Rylington Park Manager Marc Deas demonstrated ways of moving sheep around yards using low stress stockhandling principles and gave students a chance to put the principles into practice.
Marc also taught the students about drenching, vaccinating and drafting sheep and demonstrated tipping and holding sheep safely.
The Agribusiness, Animal Science and Animal Health students also learnt about activities at Rylington Park, including some of the farm research trials, before collecting dung samples for later analysis.
The students heard from a number of different presenters on topics including:
- becoming a livestock consultant (James Macfarlane, AgricUltra)
- feed on offer (FOO) and pasture cuts (Perry Dolling, DPIRD)
- carcase demonstration and different cuts of meat (Ron Evans, local retired butcher)
- breeding and genetics (Lynley Anderson, Anderson Rams)
- shearing and wool handling demonstration (Steve Thompson, local shearing contractor and trainer)
- business and office management (Peter Reid, local farmer)
- technology options in the sheep industry (Kelly Gorter, KG Livestock Services)
- careers in the sheep industry (Erin Gorter, agVivo).
Local sheep farmer Steff Carstairs put her working dog through its paces with a mob of sheep and then gave the students a chance to do it themselves.
The weekend was a remarkable success providing students with a chance to interact with industry people and get a tasteof activities completed on a farm throughout the year.
Feedback from the students suggested that the practical, hands-on component of the weekend was a particularly valuable experience and gave them the opportunity to apply what they had learnt at university, into a real farming context.
Local farmers and industry people involved in the event appreciated the chance to interact with the students, and discover what the future agricultural industry were learning at university.
If there is demand from students, the program may be run again next year.