The new resources are the result of a multi-year co-investment between MLA and AWI aimed to improve lamb survival and reproductive rates in the Australian sheep flock through better adoption of pregnancy scanning.
In 2018, an MLA-funded survey of Australian sheep producers determined that 69 per cent of respondents did not pregnancy scan their ewe flocks for litter size.
MLA’s Daniel Forwood says this limits a producer’s capacity to maximise lamb and ewe survival.
“Pregnancy scanning is a vital tool for improving sheep reproductive performance,” Dr Forwood said.
“It enables identification of litter size early in pregnancy, so that multiple-bearing ewes can be differentially managed to meet recommended condition score targets and increase survival.
“Research shows pregnancy scanning in sheep provides an average increase in profit of $5.55/ewe scanned.
“By customising ewe nutrition during pregnancy and lactation according to whether ewes are carrying singles or multiples, producers can help to reduce lamb and ewe mortality.”
AWI’s Bridget Peachey said AWI and MLA conducted an extensive benefit cost analysis on the value of scanning across a range of sheep producing regions and enterprise types.
“In addition, the two organisations undertook a series of grower interviews and surveys to create a better understanding of the barriers to adoption of pregnancy scanning, then develop solutions to overcome these barriers,” Ms Peachey said.
“Important to increasing producer adoption is having a detailed business case for pregnancy scanning which is applicable to different production environments and enterprise types, producer needs and resource availability.”
This project is an initiative under the Sheep Reproduction Strategic Partnership, a sheep industry initiative managed by MLA that seeks to profitably and sustainably increase lamb production by increasing weaning rates and decreasing mortality.
For more information, visit: https://www.makingmorefromsheep.com.au/resources/
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