Sheep

The key products of the Western Australian sheep industry are wool, sheepmeat (lamb and mutton) and live sheep. At around 12.4 million sheep, the WA flock turns off between 4.5 and 6 million sheep and lambs for meat and live export as well as 65 million kilograms of greasy wool (primarily for export markets) annually.

The Merino is the most common breed of sheep in WA, making up 80% of the state's flock. The remainder are ‘British breeds’ or so-called maternal breeds, meat specific breeds such as Dorpers and some breeds for specialty meat and fibre markets.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development's current focus is on increasing lamb supply, improving the productivity, welfare and sustainability of sheep production and developing and extending targeted information products and services to generate practice change. In an effort to increase the marking rate of lambs, the department, in collaboration with industry, has developed the More Sheep initiative.

See Also

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Articles

  • Cattle can be affected by anthrax

    Anthrax

    14 September 2015

    Anthrax is a bacterial disease of animals, most commonly seen in cattle, sheep and goats.

  • Five-day foot bathing treatment of ovine footrot

    5 March 2019

    Five-day foot bathing is a treatment option that can be used as a disease reduction measure in winter, spring, or at the start of summer to treat clinically mild forms of footrot in sheep.

  • Scrapie

    10 July 2014

    Australia is free of scrapie, which is a fatal, progressive, degenerative disease of the central nervous system of sheep and goats.

  • Ovine campylobacteriosis (formerly ovine vibriosis)

    8 August 2014

    Ovine campylobacteriosis is an infectious disease of breeding ewes causing abortion in late pregnancy. It is caused by the bacteria Campylobacter fetus ssp. fetus.

  • Yarded sheep

    Salmonellosis of sheep

    13 December 2013

    Salmonellosis of sheep is an infectious bacterial disease causing illness and death. It results from proliferation of salmonella bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract and other organs.

  • Scabby mouth in sheep

    13 December 2013

    Scabby mouth is a viral disease of sheep and goats that causes scabs and pustules, usually around the mouth and face of affected animals.

  • Trail feeding of ewes in late summer on dry pasture.

    Pulpy kidney (enterotoxaemia) of sheep

    12 December 2013

    Pulpy kidney (enterotoxaemia) is a disease of sheep, goats and cattle.

  • A nasal bot with a size of 4cm.

    Nasal bots in sheep

    26 November 2013

    Nasal bots are the maggots or larvae of the sheep nasal bot fly, Oestrus ovis.

  • Sheep with photosensitisation; exposed raw tissue on the face and muzzle

    Photosensitisation in livestock

    11 December 2013

    Photosensitisation is inflammation of the skin, and occasionally the conjunctiva and cornea of the eye.

  • NULL

    Arthritis in sheep

    29 November 2013

    Arthritis means inflammation in one or more joints. In sheep, it is usually the result of bacterial infection.

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