Lotsa Lambs - Improving Reproduction Success

Summary

This producer demonstration site project will aim to demonstrate that the adoption of best practice management strategies including pregnancy scanning for multiples and early/late, selective management of pregnant ewes in containment, smaller mob size at lambing for twin bearers and genetic selection, can improve reproductive performance of sheep flocks in the Upper North of South Australia. 

Objectives

By December 2024, in the Upper North region of SA:

1. At two sites demonstrate the use of pregnancy scanning ewes in containment for foetus number and foetus age, as well as the use of condition scoring, and targeted feeding based on foetus number and stage of pregnancy to increase lamb and ewe survival rates by 10% by;

   • More uniformly managing ewe condition score at lambing incl. setting targets, measurement, and adjusted management due to foetus number/age

   • Improve accuracy of feed budgeting

2. At two sites demonstrate management options for managing smaller mob sizes at lambing in a mixed cropping business and demonstrate a 5% increase in lamb survival when twin bearing ewes are lambed in smaller groups.

3. 75% of core producers will have a clear breeding objective and incorporate one or more of the following:

   • Record and analyse data on ewe pregnancy history

   • Merino Flock Profile for their flock

   • will track their ram team on RamSelect

   • consider ASBVs and indexes when purchasing rams

4. Implement skills and training development activities to increase the knowledge, skills and confidence of 27 producers in feed budgeting, condition scoring, and the use of ASBVs in breeding decisions so that 75% of core producers are implementing 1 or more of these practices in their enterprise.

5. Promotion to the wider group community through holding field days (1 per year), case studies (4) and technical reports (1 annually) and the established UNFS communication strategies including quarterly members’ newsletter, UNFS Facebook and Twitter accounts, annual compendium and annual members’ forums showcasing the project results and encourage adoption of key practices by livestock producers across the region and broader afield.

Progress

Upper North Farming Systems (UNFS) has implemented demonstration sites for MLA funded PDS project: Lotsa Lambs over the past three years. The sites are sheep producers located near Caltowie, Gladstone, Wirrabara and Jamestown in South Australia. Sheep were pregnancy scanned and split into mobs of single and multiple bearing ewes.

At two sites, the scanned multiples were then split into smaller mobs for lambing. Pregnancy scanning and lamb marking data was collected in 2022 and 2023 for each mob to assess lamb survival rates as a result of these management practices. The aim of these two sites is to demonstrate that the adoption of best management strategies (including pregnancy scanning, condition scoring and selective management of singles and multiples as well as smaller mob sizes at lambing for multiple bearers), can improve the reproductive performance of sheep flocks in the Upper North of South Australia.

An increase in lambing % across both sites was achieved from 2022 to 2023 with the most significant increases seen in multiple bearing ewes.

Two additional sites were established in 2024 to demonstrate the selective management of multiple bearing ewes in containment using condition scoring and targeted feeding in order to increase lamb and ewe survival rates.

Workshops, field days and site visits have provided a learning opportunity for sheep producers in the Upper North of SA over the three-year life of the project.