Improved Beef Productivity through Predator Control

Summary

This Producer Demonstration Site (PDS) is designed to demonstrate improved calf survival and productivity gains in beef enterprises through delivery of best practice wild dog management.

Objectives

By November 2025, in the Banana Region of Central Queensland:

1. All core and observer producers will understand their baseline herd reproductive performance and identify the size and timing of reproductive losses between conception and weaning.

2. All core and observer producers will have implemented a vaccination program to ensure reproductive losses are not due to preventable diseases.

3. Core producers will demonstrate a 5% reduction in calf damage from wild dogs. Calf damage includes bite evidence on hindquarters, hamstrings, shoulders, neck, tail and ears as well as tears in skin or ears. Damage will be identified through visual assessment of the animals when they come into the yards for branding and weaning. In paddock assessments will also be recorded if seen at the time.

4. 80% of core producers will implement best practice wild dog management through control methods such as baiting, trapping and shooting.

5. Achieve a 3% decrease in the prevalence of hydatids in core producer meat processed at Teys Biloela.

6. Implement a series of skills and training development activities to increase the knowledge, skills and confidence of the 100% of core producers as well as 60% of observer producers in best practice wild dog management.

7. Engage Teys Biloela to include Animal Health Summaries in feedback data for livestock producers.

8. Conduct a field day and other activities in years 3 and 5 of the project to showcase the results and encourage adoption of key practices by 50 attending producers.

9. Increase in pregnancy and weaning rates through the adoption of best practice wild dog management techniques. Baseline pregnancy and weaning rates will be recorded before commencement of the project to clearly demonstrate any increase in rates throughout the life of project.

10. All producers will have an understanding of economic tools available to assess beef business performance.

Progress

The Improved Beef Productivity Through Predator Control (IBPPC) project aims to demonstrate improved calf survival and productivity gains in beef enterprises through the delivery of best-practice wild dog management in the Banana region of Central Queensland. Kate Woolley, the project manager advised that since the PDS groups' multi-topic forum in June 2023, the group members have been fine-tuning their baiting and trapping techniques based on their learnings from the field day. 

The monitoring cameras on loan from Fitzroy Basin Association (FBA) that are being used at one of the core producers’ properties are collecting useful information on dogs and other feral animal activity. This has assisted the property owners in the placement of traps and areas to monitor for wild dog activity. The success of these cameras with the group has prompted FBA to lend a further five cameras to the group to enable the group to capture more data.  

In the last six months of the project, the core producers have seen a significant amount of wild dog-related wounds on their livestock. One producer advised they had six calves with dog bite damage in their most recent muster, with one of those calves requiring ongoing care and treatment in the yards.  

Another producer advised they had six cows that had to go to alternative markets as they had dog bite wounds and would not be accepted into the feedlot with dog bite damage. Group members are still recording data in the FeralScan app with 19 control activities and 7 sightings being recorded. The group have requested an in-field demonstration day with their Canid Pest Ejector Kits where they would like to learn how to make different bait heads for the ejectors and also place them in the paddocks. This field day will be open to core and observer producers and will be facilitated by Kate Woolley and Greg Mifsud.