Dry Season Resources, Bring on the Break

Bring on the break. In the meantime, here are some tools and resources for sheep and cattle producers for dry seasonal conditions.

• Water

• Sheep

• Cattle

• Pasture

• Animal welfare

• General

• Support

• Need something else?

WATER

• Consider water quality changes. Contact your local DPIRD office for testing. 

SHEEP

Supplementary Feeding

• Information on sheep feeding and nutrition (DPIRD)

• Information on feed budgeting for sheep (DPIRD)

• Supplementary feeding calculator for pregnant and lactating ewes (DPIRD)

• Feed cost calculator (DPIRD)

Confinement Feeding

• Guidebook on managing breeding ewes in containment areas (MLA, 2020)

• Information on confinement and feedlotting sheep (DPIRD)

• A good 12min video clip on confinement set ups on 5 different farmers (Barossa Improved Grazing Group, 2023)

• Increasing production using containment areas 12 min video (Barossa Improved Grazing Group, 2023)

• Past ASHEEP & BEEF publications interviewing farmers on confinement feeding: Pengilly / Witt / Welke (2020) and lambing in confinement with Simeon Roberts (2021, pg 8-11)

CATTLE

• Southern beef dry season management information (DPIRD, 2023)

• Drought and supplementary feed calculator available as an app or on website (NSW DPI)

• Tool to compare feed costs (NSW DPI)

• Drought feeding and management of beef cattle guide (Agriculture Victoria, 2018)

PASTURE MANAGEMENT

Thanks to Paul Sanford (DPIRD) for providing some pasture tactics for a late break and to maximise winter feed.

• Defer grazing annual pastures until they reach a FOO of 800 kgDM/ha(not always easy!) Kikuyu for example can be grazed while deferring annual pastures

• Sowing forage crops such as oats or triticale into existing pastures. (At DPIRD's Feed365 trial at Katanning they sowed them dry this week to improve early feed)

• Applying N to grassy pastures to increase winter feed

• Grazing crops to take the pressure off pastures

• Controlling redlegged earth mite (RLEM)

ANIMAL WELFARE

• Fact Sheet: Humane destruction of sheep and cattle (DPIRD, 2023)

GENERAL

• Dry ready hub (MLA)

• Drought research reports (Kondinin Group) - Grain storage, budgeting, animal & soil health, staffing and more.

• Dry season resources - podcasts & videos (South-West WA Drought Resilience and Innovation Hub)

• Tackling Tough Times 8/4/24 webinar recording 60min (AWI Extension WA / DPIRD) - seasonal outlook, mental health, breeding strategies, The Livestock Collective update

• Tackling Tough Times 9/4/24 webinar recording 60min (AWI Extension WA / DPIRD) - market update, WaterSmart Farms program, strategies and tactics, confinement feeding

SUPPORT

• Rural West free financial counselling service for regional small business and primary producers - 1800 612 004

• RUOK? Simple steps to having a conversation with someone you are worried about.

• A summary of WA's rural support services including counselling, financial, and more.

NEED SOMETHING ELSE?

Is there something you need information on? Trying something new and want pointers from other farmers who have done it? ASHEEP & BEEF members are welcome to give us a ring to see if we can help. We can link you up to other farmers, knowledgable people in industry, and chase up relevant resources.

Get in touch.