An analysis of the variation in wool production between commercial properties from a survey of a wheat-sheep shire in New South Wales

1990 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 329 ◽  
Author(s):  
GD Denney ◽  
HI Ridings ◽  
KJ Thornberry
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Genetic Material ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Wool Production ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Specific Analysis ◽  
Individual Productivity ◽  
Management Factors ◽  
The Difference

A survey of Merino breeding properties in the Weddin Shire of New South Wales was used to relate the variation in wool production among properties to physical and management factors. Clean wool production averaged 3.15 kg per sheep and showed little variation between the eastern, central and western portions of the shire. However, clean wool production per hectare was greatest in the eastern portion where rainfall, pasture improvement and stocking rate were highest. Overall, ewes produced 88% as much wool as the wethers but variation was great, with 23% of the properties surveyed producing more wool per sheep from their ewes. The difference in productivity for properties in the highest and lowest quartiles was 71% when ranked on clean wool production per sheep. The difference was 184% when ranked on clean wool production per hectare, and even though stocking rate more than doubled, individual productivity increased. Similar differences in quartile production were observed in each portion of the shire. Regression analysis was used to test the importance of 9 physical and 10 management factors as determinants of the variation in clean wool production between properties. Four factors (stocking rate, managerial assessment, sheep strain/bloodline and location within shire) accounted for 74% of the variance in wool production per hectare, but after adjusting for the time of shearing, only 16% of the variance in wool production per sheep was explained. In a more specific analysis of wool production of the properties' ewe flock, 42% of the variance was accounted for by the source of genetic material, stocking rate, pasture improvement, time of lambing, the proportion of Merino ewes and an assessment of managerial ability. Research workers considering on-farm experimentation in wool production should be aware that large productivity differences can occur between nearby properties. Therefore, treatments should be allocated to properties based on known wool production. Further, results obtained from either the ewe, wether or hogget flocks may have application to only that class of sheep because of the large differences in commercial management imposed on them.

Effects of topdressed superphosphate on the sheep and pasture production of dryland lucerne in central western New South Wales

1975 ◽  
Vol 15 (75) ◽  
pp. 475 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Brownlee ◽  
BJ Scott ◽  
RD Kearins ◽  
J Bradley
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
Soil Phosphorus ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Gross Margin ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Wool Production ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Dry Conditions ◽  
Soil Phosphorus Test

Merino ewes at 3.7, 4.9 and 6.2 ha-1 grazed dryland lucerne (Medicago sativa cv. Hunter River) topdressed annually with superphosphate at 0, 125 and 251 kg ha-1, from September 1969 until December 1972, in an experiment at Condobolin, New South Wales. Superphosphate increased ewe liveweights, total forage available and phosphorus content of the forage by a small amount but did not increase wool production per head. The Bray soil phosphorus test in the top 8 cm of the soil profile rose from 8 p.p.m. to 48 p.p.m., but most of the phosphorus was concentrated in the 0-4 cm layer, where we consider that dry conditions reduced its availability to the lucerne. As stocking rate increased, ewe liveweights and wool production per head decreased and the sheep required more handfeeding for survival. The treatment with the greatest gross margin was the lowest stocking rate with nil fertilizer.

scholarly journals Whole-farm profit and the optimum maternal liveweight profile of Merino ewe flocks lambing in winter and spring are influenced by the effects of ewe nutrition on the progeny's survival and lifetime wool production

2011 ◽  
Vol 51 (9) ◽  
pp. 821 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Young ◽  
A. N. Thompson ◽  
M. Curnow ◽  
C. M. Oldham
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Economic Modelling ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Wool Production ◽  
South West ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Farm Profit ◽  
The Cost

Profitability of sheep production systems in southern Australia is optimised at a stocking rate that provides adequate nutrition for breeding ewes and enables efficient utilisation of grown pasture and supplements. In this paper we used bio-economic modelling to develop optimum liveweight1 profiles for spring-lambing Merino ewes in different environments. The modelling included the impacts of the ewe liveweight profile on the production of the ewe and the survival and lifetime wool production of her progeny. Fifteen ewe liveweight profiles were analysed for each region to determine the profitability of varying ewe liveweight at joining, varying rate of loss of liveweight after joining and the rate of gain in liveweight from the minimum to lambing. The analyses support the hypotheses that whole-farm profitability is sensitive to the liveweight profile of Merino ewe flocks and that there is a liveweight profile that maximises whole-farm profit. The variation between the most and least profitable ewe liveweight profile was $69 0002 per farm ($14.30/ewe) for south-west Victoria, $51 000 per farm ($8.70/ewe) for Great Southern Western Australia and $33 300 per farm ($9.70/ewe) for southern New South Wales. The changes in profit were due to differences in costs of feeding to achieve the ewe liveweight profile and its influence on the production of both the ewes and their progeny. Failure to include the impacts of liveweight profile on progeny survival and lifetime wool production incorrectly identifies the optimum ewe liveweight profile and provided inaccurate estimates of profitability. The optimum liveweight profiles for ewes lambing in spring were similar for all three regions and insensitive to changing commodity prices, pasture productivity and management. The optimum profile was to join ewes at ~90% of the standard reference weight of the genotype, lose a small amount of weight after joining and regain weight in late pregnancy to return to the joining weight by lambing. Regaining the liveweight lost in early pregnancy by lambing is the most important target to achieve. The cost per farm of missing this liveweight target by 1 kg was $13 000 ($2.60/ewe) for south-west Victoria, $8900 ($1.45/ewe) for Great Southern Western Australia and $5500 ($1.65/ewe) for southern New South Wales. By contrast, the cost per farm of missing the joining target by 1 kg was $5500 for south-west Victoria and less than $2000 across the other two regions. Whole-farm profit increased with increasing stocking rate up to an optimum and regardless of stocking rate there is an additional opportunity to increase whole-farm profit by up to 15% by managing ewes to achieve the optimum liveweight profile. This indicates that the optimum liveweight profile should be achieved by increasing the level of grain feeding and altering the timing of utilising the farm feed resources rather than manipulating stocking rate.

Evaluation of natural annual pastures at Trangie in central western New South Wales. 1. Sheep production

1973 ◽  
Vol 13 (62) ◽  
pp. 238
Author(s):  
RJ Campbell ◽  
DG Saville ◽  
GE Robards
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Grazing Pressure ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Wool Production ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Sheep Production ◽  
Stocking Rates ◽  
Sheep Wool

Natural annual pasture at Trangie, New South Wales, was set stocked from August, 1967 to December 1970 at rates of 2.5, 3.7, and 4.9 merino wethers per ha to determine an optimum stocking rate for the pasture type. All stocking rates were supported without the necessity to hand feed any sheep. Wool production per head was reduced significantly by increased stocking rate in 1968, but not in 1969 and 1970. The suppression of barley grass at the higher stocking rates appeared to benefit animal production in 1969. Substitution of portion of the natural annual pasture with areas of lucerne or natural perennial pasture was also investigated and found to be ineffective in increasing wool production per head above that of wethers at similar rates of stocking on natural annual pasture alone. Possible reasons for the apparent failure of the grazing supplements, particularly lucerne, are discussed in terms of grazing pressure and management strategies.

Evaluation of natural annual pasture at Trangie in central western New South Wales. 3. Effect of stocking rate on annual-dominated and perennial-dominated natural pastures

1978 ◽  
Vol 18 (92) ◽  
pp. 361 ◽  
Author(s):  
GE Robards ◽  
DL Michalk ◽  
RJ Pither
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
Perennial Grass ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Wool Production ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Natural Pasture ◽  
Ewe Lamb ◽  
Stocking Rates

A four year experiment is reported during which breeding Merino ewes grazed two natural pasture types at three stocking rates at Trangie in central-western New South Wales. Initially, the pasture on a red brown soil was dominated by cool season annual species, particularly Hordeum leporinum, Erodium species and Medicago species. The pasture on a heavier grey soil was dominated by the perennial grasses Chloris acicularis, C. truncata and Stipa variabilis. Clean wool production of ewes grazing the annual-dominated pasture was significantly (P< 0.05) higher than that of ewes grazing the perennial grass-dominated pasture even though the wool of the ewes grazing perennial pasture had a higher percentage clean yield (P < 0.05). The ewes on the annual-dominated pasture were significantly heavier in autumn and winter, and had a faster rate of wool growth in each season except spring, than ewes grazing perennial pasture. Number of lambs born per ewe, lamb birth weight and lamb growth rate were not affected by pasture type or stocking rate. Stocking rate had a small but statistically significant effect on clean wool production and only small effects on ewe liveweight, regardless of pasture type. When hand feeding of the pregnant ewes became necessary in the poor winters of 1971 and 1972 all stocking rates had to be commenced simultaneously. The significance of perennial grasses in these natural pastures is discussed in relationship to animal production, stocking rate, pasture and soil stability, and regeneration of grasses following favourable seasons.

The value to Merino ewes and lambs of continued superphosphate topdressing on a subterranean clover pasture ley

1976 ◽  
Vol 16 (79) ◽  
pp. 197 ◽  
Author(s):  
OR Southwood ◽  
DG Saville ◽  
AR Gilmour
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Subterranean Clover ◽  
Research Station ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Wool Production ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Clover Pasture

In an experiment at the Agricultural Research Station, Temora, New South Wales, Merino breeding ewes with their lambs grazed continuously from 1966 to 1970 at three stocking rates, 5, 7.5 and 10 ewes ha-1, on annual Trifolium subterraneum clover pasture topdressed every autumn with superphosphate fertilizer at nil, 94 or 188 kg ha-1. Stocking rate had an effect on ewe body weight in autumn each year and in winter and spring of the last year but it had no effect no wool production per ewe. Apart from the dry year, stocking rate had no effect on lamb performance. Superphosphate had little effect on ewe body weight and none on wool production but there were more lambs on the fertilized treatments than on the unfertilized pastures in 1967 when rainfall was low. Fertilizer encouraged barley grass dominance whereas the pasture not topdressed grew more clover and produced more burr. With no topdressing, available soil phosphate declined steadily over the five years to less than half the initial level. The results indicate that in a spring lambing, Merino ewe enterprise in the southern New South Wales wheat belt, where clover-ley farming is the general practice, annual pasture topdressing is no longer necessary after approximately 1000 kg ha-1 superphosphate has been applied to the soil and the fertilizer is continued through the cropping phase.

Wool production, ground cover and botanical composition of pastures grazed by Merino wethers in central western New South Wales. 1. Natural pasture

1973 ◽  
Vol 13 (64) ◽  
pp. 502 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Brownlee
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Supplementary Feeding ◽  
Botanical Composition ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Wool Production ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Natural Pasture ◽  
Annual Medics

A natural pasture consisting predominantly of Aristida, Stipa, Danthonia and Chloris was grazed by Merino wethers set-stocked at 2.04, 1.36 and 1.02 ha-1 at Condobolin in central western New South Wales. Throughout the four years 1965 to 1969, the pasture supported 1.36 wethers ha-1 without supplementary feeding. Wool production per ha increased with increase in stocking rate but wool production per head and liveweight decreased. Although there was a greater percentage of annual medics at the high compared with the low stocking rate, the high stocking rate reduced total ground cover and the density of Aristida.

Relationships Between Sheep Production, Stocking Rate and Rainfall on Commercial Sheep Properties in Western New South Wales.

1993 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 79 ◽  
Author(s):  
DA Roshier ◽  
I Barchia
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Rate Of Change ◽  
Rainfall Data ◽  
Related Factor ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Wool Production ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Sheep Production

Historical sheep production and rainfall data from 14 properties in semi-arid western New South Wales were analysed for relationships between wool production, lamb marking percentage, stocking rate and rainfall. Twelve of the properties were located on predominantly chenopod shrubland (Atriplex spp. and Maireana spp.) and two on mulga (Acacia aneura) land types. The relationship between wool production per head (WOOLHD, kg greasylsheep) and rainfall (RF, mmlyear) was similar on 10 of the 11 properties with wool production and rainfall data. This was so despite differences in vegetation type and average stocking rate. The generality of this relationship suggests that wool production per head is largely determined by a common, rainfall related factor operating over a wide range of management regimes. Stocking rates did not have a significant effect on wool production per head on the majority of properties. Data from the above properties were combined to generate the following generalised equation: -29.43 - WOOLHD = 7.5 lexp RF R~ =35.72 (P<0.01) Wool production per hectare was largely determined by stocking rate on most properties. No consistent relationship between lamb marking percentage and when rain fell could be found. However, rainfall in the period between joining and lamb marking was significant on six properties. It is concluded that total wool production is largely determined by stock numbers. The data suggests animal productivity is more dependent on management responses to dry periods and the rate of change in forage availability in the absence of rain.

A comparison of four pasture types for the wheat belt of southern New South Wales

1979 ◽  
Vol 19 (97) ◽  
pp. 216 ◽  
Author(s):  
RD FitzGerald
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Subterranean Clover ◽  
Annual Grass ◽  
Wool Production ◽  
South Wales ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Stocking Rates

Four pasture types: subterranean clover/annual grass, subterranean clover/phalaris, lucerne/ subterranean clover, and lucerne/phalaris/subterranean clover were grazed by dry ewes at two stocking rates (8.9 and 13.3 sheep ha-1) from August 1969 until May 1973. Sheep on pasture containing lucerne were an average 2.4 kg heavier than sheep on subterranean clover with phalaris or annual grass. The difference increased to as much as 7 kg in summer and was usually maintained over the winter. Sheep on subterranean clover/phalaris pastures were heavier in favourable seasons and lighter in poorer seasons than those on subterranean clover/annual grass. Generally, these liveweight effects were reflected in wool production.

Merino ewe and lamb performance in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales following joining in March-April or June-July

1988 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 561 ◽  
Author(s):  
HL Davies ◽  
E Devaud
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Subterranean Clover ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Group Number ◽  
Nutritional Advantage ◽  
June July ◽  
Group 1

A March-April joining of Merino ewes was compared with a June-July joining in central New South Wales at a low stocking rate on subterranean clover based pastures over 3 years. In all years, ewes joined in June were heavier (P < 0.05) than ewes joined in March (55 v. 52 kg). Liveweights at the start of lambing and liveweight change from joining to lambing were also high and favoured the later lambing group. The proportion of ewes lambing (97% March v. 93% June) and proportion of ewes twinning (29% March v. 20% June) were not significantly different between the 2 groups, but consistently favoured the March-April joining. Perinatal mortality was low (9.4% March v. 7.1% June) and not significantly different between the 2 groups, but was consistently lower in the June joined group. Number of lambs weaned per 100 ewes joined was also not significantly different, but was higher each year in the March joined group (1 13% March v. 105% June). The growth rate of the lambs (both singles [24% greater, 248 v. 200 g/day] and twins [37% greater, 2 13 v. 155 g/day]) was consistently in favour of March joined ewes. Mean greasy fleece weights of the ewes were not significantly different between the 2 groups, but were in favour of the late joined group (4.83 v. 4.50 kg). Time of joining significantly affected liveweights and greasy and clean fleece weights of the progeny at the shearing in the year following their birth in favour of March joining. These data suggest that, despite a nutritional advantage to the ewes in late pregnancy and milder weather at lambing with a June-July joining, a March- April joining is the preferred option on the Central Tablelands of New South Wales.

Nature Conservation in Rangelands: Lessons From Research on Reserve Selection in New South Wales.

1992 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 214 ◽  
Author(s):  
RL Pressey
Keyword(s):  
Conservation Planning ◽  
New South ◽  
Full Range ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Reserve Selection ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Land Systems ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Selection Of

Information on the features to be protected in a system of conservation reserves is an obvious requirement. The quality of the data base will primarily determine the effectiveness of conservation planning in protecting the full range of natural features in a region. However, the way in which data are used to make decisions on the locations of protected areas is also critical. Rigorous procedures for reserve selection can make the difference between achieving reservation goals or not. Research on reserve selection in New South Wales over recent years has concerned both data bases and procedures for guiding decisions. Reserve planning in many regions is based largely on some form of land classification like vegetation types or land systems. There are good reasons for using such land classes to guide the selection of reserves and to judge their representativeness. Nevertheless, they can have considerable limitations as a basis for protecting all the species in a region. These limitations are reviewed with references to more detailed discussions of particular issues. The paper also reviews a variety of procedures for selecting reserves which have been tested and applied in New South Wales. Some of the recent procedures are conceptually simple but very useful in identifying the requirements of reservation goals and demonstrating the options available to planners for representing particular features. Three principles are proposed which should underpin any attempt at systematic conservation planning.

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