Livestock & animals

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development supply chain support, research and development and rigorous biosecurity systems underpin the economic success of Western Australia’s livestock industries. In 2011/12, the WA livestock industries contributed 26% of the state’s agriculture, fisheries and forestry production, worth approximately $2 billion at the farm gate.

WA is a world leader in live exports, super fine wool production and dryland sheep and grain systems. Both cattle and sheep systems are focused on export markets to Asia and the Middle East. WA also has innovative, world-class integrated dairy and pork industries meeting local and South East Asian demand for safe, fresh milk and pork. The WA poultry industry is growing strongly as a result of increasing domestic consumption.

Global demand for high-quality, safe animal protein and products produced according to high animal welfare standards will continue to rise in coming years. Increasingly DAFWA will partner with industry -- locally, nationally and internationally -- in transformational business projects to capitalise on this demand.

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Articles

  • Vaccination of a sheep high on the neck behind the ear.

    Veterinary chemical users

    28 November 2013

    Western Australia has laws to control chemical use on trade animals. These laws protect people, animals and the environment from harm.

  • ewe and lamb

    Earmarking and/or branding of sheep and cattle: changes to identification requirements

    2 December 2021

    From 1 January 2022, earmarking of sheep and earmarking and/or branding of cattle (including buffalo) will be optional.

  • Lucilia cuprina - the main species of blowfly that initiates about 90% of all strikes is the Australian sheep blowfly

    Managing non-mulesed sheep

    5 December 2013

    The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) has been involved in a variety of research projects to help producers manage non mulesed sheep.

  • Young Merino rams ready for selection prior to mating.

    Sheep genetic resource flock

    17 January 2014

    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

  • A hemp crop in the vegetative growth stage

    Opening the gates to hemp fed livestock in Australia

    13 January 2021

    Industrial hemp currently cannot be used as a livestock forage in Australia.

  • decorative

    SheepLinks Program

    3 August 2021

    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

  • Ewes with lambs at foot

    Sheep pregnancy scanning benchmarks

    10 October 2019

    Sheep pregnancy scanning occurs at around 90 days after joining and is performed by a skilled operator using an ultrasound scanner.

  • Flystrike Assist home screen

    Flystrike management tools

    18 November 2013

    To make sure that any chemical application doesn’t leave you short on protection or break your withholding periods,  the Flystrike Assist application (mobile app for iOS and Android) has been devel

  • Merino ewes grazing

    Optimising sheep flock structure

    19 September 2019

    Selling or changing breeding numbers can have a profound impact on the on-going structure of the flock.  It is important to determine the changes to the flock over many years to understand the impa

  • Sheep flock composition calculator

    3 October 2019

    Use this tool to determine the impact on flock structure over six years of changes made to retaining or selling classes of sheep or changing the weaning ratio.

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