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.

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Articles

  • The Department of Agriculture and Food is promoting key methods to sustainably rebuild the flock at the Regional Sheep Updates.

    Increasing business and technical skills for sheep producers and industry

    15 November 2016

    This Sheep Industry Business Innovation (SIBI) subproject aimed to build industry capacity, both human and physical, to deliver the volume and quality of sheep and meat required by new markets.

  • A pen of lambs from a single sire mating.

    Conducting an on-farm ram source comparison

    26 November 2013

    An on-farm ram comparison is designed to improve your ability, as a commercial sheep producer, to confirm the suitability of a ram source for your flock.

  • Sheep in dry conditions will require supplementary feeding to protect the environment and their well being.

    Supplementary feeding calculator for pregnant and lactating ewes

    7 April 2015

    This tool can be used to calculate the supplementary feed for low green feed.

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    Sheep worms - faecal worm egg counts

    26 May 2014

    Worm control and drench resistance management in livestock is most efficient and sustainable when there is an indication of the size of worm burdens and the effectiveness of drenches.

  • 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.

  • photograph of sheep at sunset

    Annual feed budget for sheep enterprises

    7 April 2015

    This tool can be used to estimate the supplementary feed requirements of a sheep enterprise for a single year. 

  • Sheep Updates logo

    Agribusiness Sheep Updates

    7 March 2014

    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

  • Merino ewe with poll dorset twins in a paddock.

    Lambing and lactation

    25 November 2013

    The first 48 hours of a lamb’s life are critical – around 90% of lamb mortality from birth to weaning occurs within this period. It is also a critical period of time for the ewe.

  • Sheep eating grain

    Sheep feed value guide

    15 November 2013

    Sheep are supplementary fed for either survival or production purposes. Efficient supplementary feeding should aim to supply sheep with a diet that is sufficient in digestible energy and protein.

  • Barley grass seed heads are tall and upright making them more prone to lodging in wool and sheep’s eyes as they graze.

    Managing grass seeds in sheep

    25 November 2013

    Grass seeds may cause a number of serious production and health problems in sheep, including eye damage. Wool affected by grass seed has reduced demand value.

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