Sheep Containment in Focus
| Project start date: | 21 December 2022 |
| Project end date: | 14 November 2026 |
| Project status: | In progress |
| Livestock species: | Sheep, Lamb |
| Relevant regions: | Southern Australia, Western Australia |
Summary
Sheep producers across Australia are facing significant production challenges due to climate change. Unpredictable seasonal conditions are impacting on breeding ewe management, particularly during the critical times of pre-joining and pre-lambing where optimal nutrition is paramount. Late autumn breaks lead to decreased feed on offer (FOO) at pre-lambing periods, causing paddocks to be overgrazed. The resulting lack of ground cover leads to soil erosion, reductions in organic matter level and ultimately impaired water holding capacity. The impact is compounded over time during prolonged drought conditions. Land becomes increasingly degraded and is difficult to restore, which is detrimental to productivity, profitability, and sustainability.
Although a nationwide challenge, sheep producers in the Cowra region are noticeably affected as they have historically been able to rely on predictable autumn breaks
This Producer demonstration site project aims to increase producer knowledge, skills, and adoption of best practice sheep containment in southern NSW, incorporating the use of AgTech solutions to quantify the productivity, profitability, and sustainability attributes of practice change across at least three demonstration sites in the Cowra region.
Objectives
By May 2026 in the Cowra region of NSW, 11 core producers and 50 observer producers will be engaged to:
1. Have demonstrated, at 3 site hosts properties, the potential of breeding ewe containment to achieve the following flock performance targets compared to their standard practice:
(a) 10% increase in conception rate
(b) 15% increase in reproductive rate
(c) Maintenance of condition score at joining through pregnancy scanning and pre-lambing (release from containment)
(d) 15% increase in weaning percentage
(e) 1000kg DM/ha increase in Feed on Offer at lambing
(f) >1.5:1 return on investment for implementing containment feeding
2. Under guidance from the facilitator, the impact of sheep containment on whole of farm productivity, profitability, and sustainability will have been quantified by the core producer group over two years at the three initial demonstration sites, with details published and promoted in case studies
3. A series of learning and development activities and resources will have been delivered to 11 core and 50 observer producers to increase:
(a) their knowledge of best practice containment for breeding ewes including infrastructure requirements, pre-joining and joining management, and health and husbandry guidelines
(b) their understanding of how management of breeding ewes in containment can deliver economic and environmental benefits through improved condition scores and deferred grazing
(c) their skills and confidence to make farm management decisions based on their own data
4. 75% of core producers and 25% of observer producers will be using an AgTech solution to collect, store, and analyse their own farm data. Barriers to technology adoption will have been identified and documented
5. 50% of core producers and 25% of observer producers will have adopted or be actively working towards adoption of sheep containment. Barriers to adoption will have been identified and documented
6. Demonstration site activities will have been showcased to 50 observer producers at two in-person events; with additional reach achieved using social media and delivery of two webinars open to producers from around Australia
Progress
Sheep Containment in Focus is being delivered by David Trengove from Elders in the Cowra region of NSW.
Favourable seasonal conditions from spring 2023 carried through summer into 2024 which meant that the available pasture met the nutritional demands of their breeding ewes without overgrazing their pastures.
The condition score of the monitored ewes at each site exceeded the industry benchmark of 3 up to lambing. Given the significant additional cost of implementing containment in a favourable season, two of the core producers opted not to use containment in 2024.
The core producer that used containment inducted 297 mixed age Merino ewes for 70 days from 1-Feb-24 and joined in containment. The 14-day induction finished just prior to the rams being introduced into the pens. This had a negative impact on both the liveweight and condition score of the contained ewes which persisted for most of the six-week joining period and was likely responsible for the scanning percentage of the contained ewes being 20% lower than the control ewes.
As a result, if ewes will be joined in containment in 2025 induction of ewes must be completed prior to joining to maintain liveweight and condition score during the joining period.
An important consideration for producers who use containment feeding is the ability to accurately measure and monitor paddock feed on offer over time. Using data-driven approaches for pasture budgeting will provide confidence that the ewes are being released at the optimal time. The core producer group will gain practical experience in how to use the Cibo Labs integration in AgriWebb for satellite driven pasture biomass estimations. This will be compared to readings taken using a rising plate meter and pasture cuts. Perspectives from the core group will be shared with observer producers to assist them with deciding which method to use.
Interested stakeholders can email tesa@elders.com.au to receive project updates. Visit the Elders website, to view a recording of a webinar entitled Individual animal management: from data to decisions. It features presentations by Julius van der Werf from the University of New England and Roger Stanton from Twynam.
