Livestock management

Management of livestock must take into account variable seasonal factors, fluctuating markets and declining terms of trade. The most successful producers have a good knowledge of market requirements, matching product quality to suit. There are many factors that can determine the productivity and profitability of a livestock enterprise. These include the supply and quality of feedstuffs, the use of the most appropriate genetics, ensuring high health standards, optimising housing or environmental conditions, meeting quality assurance requirements, and having a sound knowledge of market requirements. This requires good communication along the value chain.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development has technical expertise in a range of areas related to livestock management but acknowledges that there are many other sources of information that producers should be encouraged to seek out. There are many grower groups who play an important role in encouraging discussion amongst producers to improve adoption of new technology, as do private consultants and university scientists.

Articles

  • FEED365 is a four-year project (2021–2025) under the SheepLinks program that engages sheep producers and allied industries to re-design livestock forage systems for grazing

  • In collaboration with the Moredun Research Institute (United Kingdom), the world’s first sheep worm vaccine has been produced at the Albany parasitology laboratories.

  • Objective Carcase Measurement (OCM) Feedback is a four-year (2022- 2025) project under the SheepLinks program, to assist WA producers with understanding carcase feedback, improving carcase quality,

  • FutureSheep is a three-year project (2021-2024) under the SheepLinks program, to assist Western Australian (WA) sheep enterprises in the medium and low rainfall zones adapt to the impacts of projec

  • The Genetic Resource Flock of Western Australia, previously called the Information Nucleus Flock, was established by the Sheep Cooperative Research Centre (Sheep CRC) in 2007 and is now funded by M

  • The SheepLinks Program is a partnership between the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) and the Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), to underpin the future prosperity

  • The Sheep Industry Business Innovation (SIBI) Scholarships program was an initiative designed to support and encourage individuals who wished to pursue further study by addressing key industry ques

  • This project is focused on finding indicator traits that could be used to select indirectly for resistance to breech strike in Merino sheep in winter rainfall regions.

  • The demand for high value agricultural produce continues to increase and provides great opportunity to Australian agriculture.

  • Sheep Updates was a leading event for the Western Australian sheepmeat and wool industries. A one day gala event was held in Perth every two years and regional updates were held in the alternate ye