This case study looks at Westmar producers, Ross and Cheryl Brown’s involvement in the St George/Westmar Lifetime Ewe Management (LTEM) Group. Ross talks about the benefits of being a member of the group and discusses some of the practice changes that he’s implemented on his property and the results. While Ross speaks highly of … Read more
This case study looks at how Goondiwindi producers, John and Debbie Cowley, use Electronic Identification (EID) in their dual purpose sheep flock. In particular, they use EIDs to identify lifetime conception and lambing rates for ewes, and autodraft into mobs for separate management of single and twin bearing ewes. Ewe selection using this data has … Read more
This case study hears from the Turnbulls near Tambo on improvements they made to their shearing shed design around functionality and safety. Just a few of the features include good lighting for the shearers and classer, plastic grating instead of timber slats, hardwood bearers, safety railings and spacing between shearers stations. The key outcome for … Read more
Ilfracombe graziers John and Jane Hain believe the introduction of exclusion fencing to keep wild dogs out of properties has ‘energised’ communities in western Queensland and has the potential to bring people and profitability back to the region. The Hains have fenced almost 17,000 hectares of their property ‘Summer Hill’ against wild dogs. Despite it being … Read more
Measuring his Merino flock to select the most profitable sheep is the goal of St George grazier Rod Avery, and despite the drought of the past few years, he is well on his way to achieving it. Measuring lambing traits and fleece weights through electronic identification (EID) ear tags has helped Rod fine-tune the management … Read more
Accuracy and speed of record keeping were the key reasons for Traprock grazier Bim Goodrich to start using electronic identification (EID) tags in his sheep flock, and he is happy with the results. The producer from south east Queensland said EID tags have allowed him to improve control of his stud flock information and as … Read more
The Banks family are passionate sheep people and have made significant management changes to increase lambing success and to lift the overall profitability of the enterprise. Some of these changes have included scanning to determine where losses were occurring, splitting ewes into mobs of singles and twins, culling unproductive ewes, supplementary feeding and using electronic … Read more
Jeffery and Tricia Agar implemented a drought feeding program for their sheep on ‘Barbara Plains’ in south west Queensland. The ration was based on corn, hay and a dry lick. It minimised breeding ewe losses and achieved a 75 per cent lambing in extremely dry conditions. The Agar’s top tips are: be organised, start feeding … Read more
Fine wool grower Duncan Banks has an unwavering appreciation for water, so it made sense to him to invest in innovative technology that allows him to monitor stock water from his house. Four years ago, the Dirranbandi producer installed a commercial-type water meter on the main polypipe from a neighbouring artesian bore to 25 tanks … Read more
Dohne prime lamb producer Ranald Warby is quick to acknowledge the benefits of his Arrow V-Express machine after just five months of use, particularly the fact that it allows him to perform a number of tasks on his sheep in just one pass. Gone, too, are the days of fighting rams in a race when drenching … Read more