Queensland Sheep Research

The following producer groups are Producer Demonstration Sites (PDS) funded by Meat & Livestock Australia.

Image from June 2024 field day at Beaconsfield demonstration site.
Image from June 2024 field day at Beaconsfield demonstration site.

1. Optimising the Fertility of Maiden Ewes

Who: Making Maidens Weight

Duration: May 2023 – June 2026

Location: central west Queensland rangelands (Beaconsfield, Ilfracombe and Dunblane, Barcaldine)

Aim : To demonstrate improvements in sheep reproductive performance and mortality rates through the adoption of selected management techniques. The project will focus on ewe weight at joining, joining length, body condition score, nutrition management and the use of electronic identification (eID) for collecting data and guiding decisions.

**As at October 2024 this producer group is looking for additional demonstration sites to join the group. If you are interested, please contact Millie Sheales at millie.sheales@daf.qld.gov.au or 0428 102 841. Requirements of involvement:

  • Collect individual animal data (or looking to start)
  • Able to collect individual animal weights and body condition scores Spring 2024 joining and for comparison with pregnancy scanning data
  • Willing to share your flock data and experiences with the PDS group to be written about in PDS update documents and newsletters, discussed in the WhatsApp chat and presented at events

Benefits of involvement:

  • Work closely with Dr Gordon Refshauge (NSW Department of Primary Industries) to learn more about your flock productivity and where you can identify opportunities for improvement. improvements??
  • Learn from other producers in the region
  • Start your eID journey with the support of a producer group
Learn more
  • PDS update October 2023 – December 2023, click here.
  • PDS update April 2024 – June 2024, click here.
  • PDS update July-September 2024, click here.
  • PDS update October-December 2024, click here.
  • PDS update January-March 2025, click here.
  • PDS update April 2024 – June 2025, click here.
  • Webinar – Considerations for containment feeding in western Queensland, click here.
  • Webinar – Weight matters: linking liveweight, scanning and reproduction, click here.
  • PDS webpage on MLA website, click here.
  • Queensland Country Life article. Plenty of work trying to crack reasons behind poor CW QLD 2023 lambing.
  • Queensland Country Life article. Queensland sheep producers love making maidens weight in three-year trial.

2. Lamb Survival – SE QLD Rangelands

Who: Dirranbandi Sheep Group

Duration: December 2021 – January 2026

Location: southern Queensland rangelands

Aim: Address the ‘Our Livestock’ MLA Strategic Plan priority by facilitating and demonstrating the adoption of objective management technologies (walk over weigh measurement and objective condition scoring) to increase on-farm productivity. By implementing these technologies and making nutrition and health management decisions the demonstration flocks will improve ewe conception and lamb survival.

Update: following 2022-23 flooding events the project has pivoted to focus on the use of individual eID and recording keeping as a way to problem solve and address the main aim of increasing ewe conception and lamb survival.

Learn more

Other research

  • More lambs from ewe lambs is into its second iteration and has Queensland trial sites focussing on benchmarking data for reproductive performance, using best practice to improve reproductive performance and now determining a critical mating weight for maiden ewes. This trial includes both shedding sheep and Merinos, while the Shedding Sheep project is specifically focussing on quantifying and improving reproductive performance of shedding sheep.
  • The Rangelands Living Skin project in western NSW incorporated research and demonstration to assess whole farm systems outcomes of land condition improvement and business performance.
  • MLA’s Rangelands hub brings together some of the information from Rangelands Living Skin plus more. Check it out here Southern Rangelands Hub | Meat & Livestock Australia.
  • The GrowHer project is empowering young women as AgTech founders, providing skills, mentoring and connections to help them thrive in AgTech. It is designed for female students in years 7-12.
  • CQU is also involved in the Queensland Government’s Gateway to Industry Schools program, building partnerships between schools and key Queensland industries to enable young people to acquire the knowledge, skills and attributes to participate effectively in the State’s economy.
  • AWI is involved in a range of on-farm sheep research, in particular agritechnology, environmental sustainability and flystrike. Find out about their programs here: On-Farm Research.
  • One such project is led by the Queensland DPI aiming to use nano-tech to enable the use of tea tree oil for sustained protection periods. Read more here: Tiny tech in big battle with blowflies.
  • UQ is working alongside with research into molecular biology, aiming to use precise gene silencing to target the Australian sheep blowfly alone. Their publication in the Pest Management Science Journal in September 2024 described the identification of target genes for this work. You can read more here: A chemical-free way to control flystrike in sheep

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