Around the Camp: QLD mulesing statistics, smart tags, wool clip profile and social bonds

  1. Queensland mulesing statistics – AWI Merino Husbandry Practices Survey
  2. New direction for smart tags
  3. Profiling Australia’s wool clip
  4. Sheep, stress and social bonds
  5. Upcoming Leading Sheep events
  6. Upcoming events
  7. eBulletins and podcasts

Queensland mulesing statistics – AWI Merino Husbandry Practices Survey

The recently released 2021 AWI Merino Husbandry Practices Survey has captured numerous trends in Merino production across the state. The decision to mules/not is linked to location and flock size and to a lesser extent micron, where finer micron flocks are less likely to be mulesed. Here is a snapshot:

  • 16% of Queensland producers mules their ewe lambs and 9% mules their male lambs. This is significantly lower than the average of other states
  • 85% of Queensland woolgrowers use pain management when mulesing lambs
  • Woolgrowers with larger flocks (>2000 sheep) are more unlikely/very unlikely to cease mulesing in the next 5 years

Keep an eye out for following issues of Around the Camp to see the husbandry practices Queensland woolgrowers are using for tail docking and castration.

AWI’s March issue of Beyond the Bale contains a concise outline of the trend in merino husbandry practices across Australia or the full report can be accessed here.

Back to the top

New direction for smart tags

R&D developments in AWI smart tags are ongoing with the most recent being the accurate prediction of liveweight change over one week from detected behaviours such as grazing, walking and rumination in sheep. This could have direct implications on the prediction of grazing behaviour and feed intake to improve paddock utilisation or calculation of supplementary feed. This investment aims to improve animal and pasture performance and ultimately increase the overall profitability of enterprises that use these tags.

Have you considered smart tagging any individuals in your flock? Let us know by responding to this email.

Back to the top

Profiling Australia’s wool clip

The conditions under which sheep graze, the plants in the pasture and the genetics of sheep in different regions contribute to differences in wool specifications across Australia’s wool production environments. A recent Mecardo update detailed that wool from the Eastern Pastoral region, which includes Queensland, typically has:

  • The highest Merino fleece proportion and lowest pieces component
  • Equivalent staple length, staple strength and point of break to wool from other regions
  • A slightly higher micron, higher proportion of vegetable matter and lower yield

From January 2023 Mecardo has made subscription to their newsletter free. These email updates contain a mix of market insights and analysis, commodity prices, market news and other commentary relating to the industry. If such updates are of interest to you, see here for more details.

Back to the top

Sheep, stress and social bonds

Did you know that sheep exposed to the same stressors will choose to stick close to each other?

Research from CSIRO, Armidale has demonstrated that following exposure to stress (e.g. transport, simulated crutching, exposure to a working dog) Merino ewes preferentially socialised with the sheep they experienced the stress with, indicating that the shared stress may have created a social bond. Exposure to stress is an unavoidable component of sheep husbandry but it is nice to know that sheep will naturally modulate their stress response by seeking out their companions.

Have you noticed something similar in your flock?

Back to the top

Upcoming Leading Sheep events

Back to the top

Upcoming events

  • 11 April. Queensland land valuations – what it means for you. Online event. Delivered by AgForce. Click here for more information.
  • 20 April. AgForce SEQ annual industry forum. Wyreema. Delivered by AgForce. Click here for more information.
  • 21 April. Hold ’em or Fold ’em – risk based decision making and building business resilience. Delivered by ConnectAg. Click here for more information.
  • 27 April. Farming from your phone. Miles. Delivered by ConnectAg. Click here for more information.
  • 28 April. Farming from your phone. St George. Delivered by ConnectAg. Click here for more information.
  • 29 April. Farming from your phone. Roma. Delivered by ConnectAg. Click here for more information.
  • 3 May. Innovation in Ag field day. Delivered by Agforce Central Queensland. Click here for more information.
  • 3 May. What’s your plan. Eulo. Delivered by Grazing Futures, DAF. Click here for more information.
  • 4 May. What’s your plan. Toompine. Delivered by Grazing Futures, DAF. Click here for more information.
  • 5 May. What’s your plan. Quilpie. Delivered by Grazing Futures, DAF. Click here for more information.

Back to the

Podcast, eBulletin and Surveys

Back to the top. 

 

1 thought on “Around the Camp: QLD mulesing statistics, smart tags, wool clip profile and social bonds”

Leave a comment