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

Reproduction potential and marking rates of the WA sheep flock

2 May 2019

Reproduction rates (foetuses per ewe joined) across the WA flock vary hugely and depend on seasonal conditions and nutrition. Marking rates in 2017 across the agricultural region for Merinos was
Preventing calf scours in beef herds

28 November 2013

‘Calf scours’ is when young calves develop diarrhoea and become dehydrated. The scour can be white, yellow, grey or blood-stained, and is often foul-smelling.
Pregnancy toxaemia and hypocalcaemia of ewes

12 December 2013

Pregnancy toxaemia and hypocalcaemia affect lambing ewe flocks and have similar signs but different causes.
Time of lambing

15 November 2013

Choosing the best time of lambing, and matching paddock feed availability to ewe and weaner needs is important for both productivity and profitability.
Poultry biosecurity checklist for small landholders

2 December 2013

The poultry biosecurity checklist summarises the actions needed to protect your poultry and the Western Australian poultry industry from the devastating effects of emergency diseases such as avian
Infertility and abortion in cows

3 December 2018

There are multiple causes of infertility, abortion and stillbirths in cows. These include some diseases that are exotic to Western Australia and some zoonotic diseases.
Mastitis in sheep

3 December 2013

Mastitis is the term for a bacterial infection of the udder. It is most common in ewes raising multiple lambs or with high milk production.
Backgrounding beef for benefit

20 December 2016

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD)'s Northern Beef project collaborated with industry groups to evaluate returns from the value-added beef method of backgrounding
Management of beef cattle on organochlorine contaminated land

9 July 2014

The persistent nature of organochlorine (OC) residues in soils is an ongoing issue for livestock producers. Cattle are the most susceptible to the accumulation of OC residues.
Sheep and organochlorine residues

21 April 2015

The persistent nature of organochlorine (OC) residues in soils is an ongoing issue for livestock producers. Sheep are susceptible to the accumulation of OC residues.