Ovine Observer

WA Sheep producer survey results for 2018

Janet Conte, DPIRD, South Perth, WA

Author correspondence: janet.conte@dpird.wa.gov.au 

Introduction

Every three years from 2011, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) has surveyed Western Australian sheep producers from the medium rainfall zone and cereal-sheep zone. Producers answered questions about their production systems including sheep management, breeding strategies, involvement in industry and DPIRD training and events and adoption of new technologies.  The most recent survey was conducted in 2018 and surveyed a total of 389 producers, 178 from the medium rainfall zone and 211 from the cereal-sheep zone, a very similar number to previous years (377 in 2011 and 368 in 2014). This article presents results on flock size and composition and trends in ram selection and use of Australian Sheep Breeding Values. 

Primary enterprise type and production

Producers in the medium rainfall zone have more sheep on average (4835) than producers in the cereal-sheep zone (3682). Overall, fifty-eight percent of the sheep flock were run by 25% of producers. In the medium rainfall zone, 66% of the sheep flock were run by 25% of producers and in the cereal-sheep zone, 49% of the sheep flock were run by 25% of producers.

The average ewe flock size in 2018 was larger in the medium rainfall zone than the cereal-sheep zone for all enterprise types (Table 1). Between 2014 and 2018 the average wool flock increased by 10% in the medium rainfall zone and 15% in the cereal-sheep zone while the average prime lamb flock doubled in size in both zones.

Dual enterprises are the most common type with 63% of respondents having both wool and prime lamb, 27% having predominately wool enterprises and 10% with predominately prime lamb enterprises.  This enterprise mix has remained relatively stable throughout the three surveys.

Ram selection and sales

The survey included questions about how producers select their ram source (stud or self-replacing flock) and how they purchase rams (private selection or auction). The largest producers in the cereal-sheep zone were more likely to buy at auction than private sale compared to others in the zone. Smaller producers in both zones were more likely to buy at a private sale.

Ram breeders were more likely to be either wool or prime lamb focussed businesses, whereas dual enterprises tended to buy in their rams.  Wool producers in the medium rainfall zone were more likely to breed their own than other producers. Prime lamb producers in the medium rainfall zone were more likely to breed rams for sale than other groups. In the cereal-sheep zone, the results were the opposite with prime lamb producers least likely to breed rams for sale.

There have been two large shifts in ram breeding over the course of the surveys (2011, 2014 and 2018).  The percentage of breeders who only breed rams for their own use has more than halved from 13% to 5%, while the number of producers who both breed for their own use and buy in rams has doubled.

Australian Sheep Breeding Values

An Australian Sheep Breeding Value (ASBV) is a prediction of how a sheep’s offspring will perform on a range of important traits such as growth (e.g. birth weight, weight), composition (e.g. fat depth, eye muscle depth), wool (e.g. fleece weight, fibre diameter), reproduction and disease (e.g. worm egg count).

In the 2018 survey, 15% of respondents indicated that they chose their stud or ram source on genetic information and ASBVs and in Merinos this represented 26% of the state flock.  The proportion of respondents who always chose their regular breeder had declined from 50% in 2011 to 39% in 2018. Eight percent of respondents indicated that they chose rams based solely on genetic information while a further 33% chose rams based on a combination of visual assessment, performance data and genetic information.

When assessed on the proportion of the flock, the percentage of the Merino flock utilising genetic information was 14% with a further 36% based on a combination of data including genetic. Genetic information was therefore an important factor to producers in nearly half of all rams purchased.

Approximately one in four ram sellers sold all their rams with ASBVs in 2018. The majority (71%) of wool breeders sold all their rams with ASBVs, while 35% of dual enterprise breeders and 16% of prime lamb breeders sold all their rams with ASBVs. Many ram sellers sold at least a portion of their rams with ASBVs with most prime lamb breeders selling around 50% of their rams with ASBVs.