RIST WATCH
Sheep Health Program
The information contained
in this article has been provided by vet, David Rendell of David Rendell
and Associates and is derived from the RIST Sheep Health Program.
This program was developed by David in conjunction with RIST and aims
to improve sheep health and increase farm profit by assisting farmers
to recognise key triggers in their production cycle and improve on farm
decision making.
The program was recently piloted over 3 days in Hamilton in April with
participants consisting of both prime lamb and merino sheep producers.
All 13 participants reported they would recommend the course to their
peers and comments included; “The content hit the mark on the big
issues” “A really good overview of health with excellent notes.”
Lots of cases of acidosis deaths since break
When feeding out grain
after the autumn break we need to be extremely vigilant in watching the
rear mirror.
In order to prevent mortalities from acidosis, reduce the amount of grain
fed at the first signs of the mob showing any reluctance coming onto feed.
As grass starts to emerge, the appetite of some sheep in the mob for grain
can wane, leaving too much for others to gorge on.
If in any doubt, feed out a very short trail, then wait for 5 minutes
and only resume feeding if confident that whole mob is keen to continue
eating.
If you ever observe a substantial proportion of the mob wandering off
leaving plenty of grain, move the mob out of the paddock promptly to prevent
the “guts” gorging themselves.
• Diploma
of Agriculture
• Nationally Recognised
Training Courses
• Traineeships
Worm Egg Count (WEC) monitoring
In the period 5 – 7 weeks post the autumn break, WEC levels in young sheep can and do change rapidly. In the western district where first autumn rains fell on the 29th April, farmers have to avoid getting complacent if they have had low WEC results in May.
WEC levels of 100 – 150 epg are well below normal drenching triggers but these levels in weaners during May could indicate a drench may well be required within 1-2 weeks
If you have not conducted a drench resistance trial on your flock in the last 3 years, do not drench any weaner mob before discussing your suitability for a resistance trial with your adviser.
Once you have autumn drenched your weaners this it is unlikely that they would again be suitable for a drench resistance trial.
Ram breeders, including those only breeding rams for their own use should not drench any ram or stud ewe weaner mobs without discussing with their adviser as to their flock’s suitability for individual WEC testing for worm resistance testing.
Phalaris sudden death syndrome
A Hamilton district producer in mid June lost 80 ewes after shifting a mob onto an autumn saved phalaris paddock.
This serves as a timely warning to trial a sentinel mob of 20 – 30 first before putting the whole mob onto a fresh paddock of phalaris within the first two months following the break.
For more information on location and dates of future workshops,
please contact:
Daniel Hallam at RIST
03 5573 0942
dhallam@rist.com.au
For technical information please contact:
David Rendell
03 5572 1419 or
drendell @bigpond.net.au
Practical Beef Marketing
Derrinallum farmer, Peter Janes, was so impressed with the Practical Beef Marketing program run by Rural Industries Skill Training base at Hamilton last year, he is considering enrolling in this year’s as well. “I wouldn’t mind doing it again,” he said.
The program which begins in late August in Hamilton is delivered by Department of Primary Industries beef development officer, Emma Weatherly, over eight sessions covering industry language, selling and marketing systems, eating quality and cattle handling, feeder steers, marketing responsibilities and interpreting feedback.
Strategic price risk management tools such as forward contracts and value-based marketing to reduce the risk of low prices at the time of sale will also be explored.
Mr Janes said that although he had been farming for many years he had not kept up-to-date with the latest marketing and breeding trends.“I learnt an awful lot about the latest in marketing trends. You’ve got to actually breed and produce stock to suit a market niche.” He had high praise for Emma Weatherly who he found approachable and well qualified to give relevant, practical information on the beef industry.
The program was well worth the time and effort in the benefits to his beef enterprise. “It keeps you up-to-date. I wouldn’t mind doing it again.” The social aspect of the course was a bonus, meeting other farmers he didn’t know, but also learning through talking with them about how they approached various issues or opportunities. “I am impressed by the courses RIST runs because the staff are extremely friendly and helpful and they know what they’re talking about.”
Ms Weatherly works with the DPI but she also runs her own Angus stud and beef operations, has extensive experience with Te Mania and Willow Fields studs and is a highly respected meat judge.
The Practical Beef Marketing program will begin late August with limited numbers available. For more information contact program coordinator Jane Mercer at RIST on 55730943 or to learn more about RIST go to www.rist.com
PRESS RELEASE
Breeders for Profit
Breeders for Profit days in Leongatha and Traralgon will give
breeders, managers and students an immediate foundation to apply to their own enterprise or studies.
The two day program run by Rural Industries Skill Training based in Hamilton and delivered in conjunction with Department of Primary Industries officers offer two seven hour workshops based on several real case study exercises from host farm cattle and records.
The aim of the workshops is to increase profitability of commercial cattle breeding operations by improving the breeding herd and its management. Practical applications with group discussions, hands-on exercises, development of individual breeding herd improvement plans for participants and guest presentations are led by Dougal Purcell and Emma Weatherly from the DPI.
Topics to be covered will include: influence of the female on profitability, scope for genetic improvement through heifer replacement selection and cow culling versus bull selection, measuring and improving cow performance, buying or breeding replacements, structural assessment and keep/cull decision making skills, and maternal traits.
Comprehensive workshop manuals and lunch and refreshments are provided, plus access to industry experts.Each program offered is limited to about 20 producers so booking early is essential.
To book or for more information contact program coordinator Jane Mercer at RIST on 55730943.
Taking Control of Commodity Prices
When Gatum farmer, Dani Smith, enrolled in Rural Industries Skill Training Taking Control of Commodity Prices program, her aim was to gain a better understanding of futures and trading.
She got that, but also gained the knowledge and a take-home plan to apply to her own mixed farm of superfine wool and grain.
“I just wanted to be able to understand what people were talking about when they talked about futures and trading,” she said.
“Most farmers are good at the production side of farming but I also liked the idea of minimising the risk and managing it better.”
The program which ran over six sessions and included comprehensive notes, covered the principles of risk management, cattle/beef/lamb pricing strategies, grain pricing strategies, wool pricing strategies and a wrap up of risk management strategies.
Within these topics there was calculating cost of production, setting price targets, understanding futures, futures specifications, underlying indicators, mechanics of hedging, basis and its importance, managing supply through forward and basis contracts, developing a marketing strategy, and implementing the strategy.
“I did learn what I wanted to do,” Ms Smith said.
“I looked into the options of what I could do when I finished and I’m planning next year to do a marketing plan for the year. I want to start doing it.
“And I was able to have a conversation about futures. That was fantastic!
“It will be an ongoing benefit to have more confidence in what you will earn at the end of the season.”
She said working out all the details of future contracts and trading were a challenge.
“But it’s also a big risk to put a crop in and just go, ‘oh well’.”
Taking Control of Commodity Prices is held at the RIST centre in Hamilton and will be open to participants again next year.
Understanding price risk management and how to develop sound marketing and pricing strategies are becoming an essential tool for anyone involved in the agriculture industry.
The program is offered as a nationally recognised training activity and importantly provides valuable knowledge and tools that can help producers improve the bottom line in their agricultural enterprise.
For more information, contact Program Coordinator Jane Mercer at RIST on 55730943.
RIST is a leading Victorian rural training provider based at Hamilton in south-west Victoria offering courses addressing a wide range of issues to positively affect the profitability of agriculture.
It also offers traineeships, apprenticeships and the Diploma of Agriculture
Terminal Sire Selection
A practical two-day Terminal Sire Selection workshop on-farm is being offered on August 26 to producers keen to take more control of the direction of their sheep genetics.
Rural Industries Skill Training, Hamilton is running the course with Department of Primary Industries at the property of David and Colleen Gordon at Condah.
Key topics to be covered will include evaluation of breeding programs, key factors driving profit, genetics involved in prime lamb production, calculation of the value of ASBVs from LAMBPLAN for a commercial situation, LAMBPLAN, animal selection and developing an individual action plan. There will be hands-on demonstrations, theory, group discussions and individual activities, all delivered to small groups by sheep-breeding specialists experienced in practical farm issues.
Anita Morant of the DPI said Terminal Sire Selection took into account the objectives of each individual farming business and also identified changes required to ram purchasing in the future. She felt participants would gain a better appreciation of the impact that increasing overall genetic merit and selected trials could have on their business. Participants would come away understanding how to read LAMBPLAN Australian Sheep Breeding Values and indexes and what they meant within a business, and they would set goals for their own breeding program to ensure lamb operation was flexible to fit with current and future marketing requirements.
Bookings must be made by August 7. To RSVP or for more information contact program coordinator Jane Mercer at RIST on 55730943.
Dog Handling School
IAN O’Connell of Strathkellar, has trained and handled working dogs for most of his life, and has developed a method of training that allows a dog to follow instructions easily and enjoy what it is doing.
Ian developed his methods by observing his own and other dogs and watching how top handlers worked, then applying what felt right to him, to his own situations.
The culmination of this knowledge and experience has led him to teach other handlers and dogs his methods and now through Hamilton-based Rural Industries Skill Training traineeships, groups of younger generation agriculture students.
“The trainees are 16-22 and are fantastic to work with,” Ian said.
“They are so keen to learn and just soak up the information. I think it is good to learn proper dog handling. “I encourage the learners to pick up what suits them from here and stay broadminded and then put together what suits them with better ideas.”
He makes no claims to being a dog handling guru but enjoys sharing the knowledge he has, and continuing to learn from others himself.
His methods involve working with the psyche of the animal without the need for fear or punishment.
“It’s all about us understanding the dog, us trusting the dog and the dog trusting us so we can let him have his head a bit.”
He uses three main criteria in his methods after identifying the strength of the dog’s natural stock gathering instincts and its personality (bold and dominating or introverted and quiet).
The criteria include using the dog’s instinct, implementing a set of control standards and the positioning of the handler in relation to the stock.
Ian said that when the students first arrived with their dogs they were anxious and not confident, but to see that confidence lift when the dogs started working naturally was very rewarding. “The light comes on and the dog and the handler can enjoy the work. I think about 70-80 per cent of people who use dogs fight the dog’s natural instincts to work and the dog fights back. If the dog survives the fight he just becomes robotic, responding to commands but the dog has been taken out of the dog.”
RIST traineeship coordinator Louise Cameron, said the dog handling unit of the traineeship certificates had been so positive, dog handling workshops would now also be offered to employers or anyone outside the traineeships interested in developing a better working relationship with their dogs.
For more information on these workshops or on rural traineeships contact Louise on 0438 730973.
The RIST traineeship program is offering traineeships to anyone wanting a career in beef, sheep or dairy, and next year, cropping.
Traineeship programs offer flexibility to suit employer and employee around the needs of the farm business and because agriculture is a skill shortage sector, extra incentives of $800 trade vouchers and $500 fee vouchers are available. Agriculture traineeships can be through full-time employment or as a school-based apprenticeship.
Rural
Industries Skill Training
Setting the course for increased profits in agriculture
Mount Napier Road, Hamilton. Victoria 3300 Ph (03)5573 0943