Towards90 field day aims to lift lamb survival

The Towards 90 extension program will host its first WA field day to provide guidelines that support sheep producers in gaining best practice for flock reproduction and management with an aim to increase lamb survival.

The event will take place at Clayton South’s property on Thursday, March 30 at 427 Farrow Road in Collanilling from 1:30 to 5pm followed by a sundowner until 6pm.

The field day is funded by Meat and Livestock Australia and developed and supported by Thrive Agri Services, neXtgen Agri, Paradoo Prime and Murdoch University.

There will be a great line-up of speakers including presentations from neXtgen Agri managing director Mark Ferguson and Murdoch University associate professor Andrew Thompson plus leading sheep producer Tim Leeming of Pardoo Prime in Victoria.

Towards 90, is a recently launched extension program supporting producers to implement best practices for sheep reproduction and management to increase lamb survival to 90 per cent and beyond for singles and twins.

Dr Ferguson will present precision sheep management and utilisation of EID, while Mr Thompson will discuss joining ewe lambs with success.

CJ South & Co principal Clayton South and sheep producer Mr Leeming will be discussing precision lambing and how this is implemented within their different enterprises.

Mr South has been named one of three “best practice” sheep producers in Australia —his mixed cropping and sheep operation was chosen as one of three T90 Focus Farms — leading enterprises that open their doors for participants to see how best practices are being implemented on-farm.

While he has yet to achieve overall 90 per cent survival rates, Mr South said this goal had been successful in some single mobs.

“To get to 90 per cent is something we’ve been looking at, and we’ve been slowly improving our twin lamb survival numbers over the last 10 or 15-years.

“We’re probably now achieving from the mid-70s to low-80s, including our triplet ewes as well, but some of our smaller twin mobs have been up at 92 to 94 per cent.”

Mr South will also be discussing the set-up and use of EID and confinement feeding within his enterprise.

The day will end with a Q&A panel with the presenters as well as Victoria-based Thrive Agri Services Dr Andrew Kennedy, who is leading the program alongside Kirsty Kennedy and the Thrive team.

The sundowner will feature Wheatbelt Lager produced by the Eagle Bay Brewing Co which uses barley grown at CJ South & Co.