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

  • Flexible Feeding Systems was a research project looking at how to best integrate supplementary concentrates into a dairy feeding system.

  • The impact of parasites on sheep can range from being virtually undetectable, through to obvious clinical signs or even death.

  • Gastro-intestinal worm infections in sheep are a major cause of lost productivity to the Western Australian (WA) sheep industry and control has become more complex due to widespread drench resistan

  • The feed requirements of a ewe with a lamb at foot are higher than if the ewe and lambs are fed separately. In a difficult season with short feed supplies, it is better to early-wean lambs from the

  • The adoption of genetic technologies activity is part of the Sheep Industry Business Innovation project and is currently providing a range of tools that will help sheep producers introduce genetic

  • Three thousand pregnant ewes on a three hectare feedlot, 180% lambing from precision vision management, ‘no hounds more pounds’ and single-use vehicles were but a snapshot of some of the innovative

  • Treatment of ewes and lambs is more complex than treatment of a mob of single animals because they exist as a unit of two or three animals in close contact rather than individuals within in a mob.

  • The sheep industry relies heavily on drench chemicals to control sheep worms but in Western Australia (WA) worms have become increasingly resistant to drenches.

  • More Sheep was a partnership initiative between the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) and the Sheep Industry Leadership Council (SILC) to address the critical issue of t

  • Lifetimewool was a national research, development and extension project that delivered profitable and practical guidelines for managing Merino ewes in the Australian wool industry.

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