More Northern Mallee Lambs on the Ground
| Project start date: | 11 November 2021 |
| Project end date: | 16 February 2026 |
| Project status: | In progress |
| Livestock species: | Sheep, Lamb |
| Relevant regions: | Victoria, Mediterranean |
| Site location: | Western Victoria: Werrimull, Nowingi, Karrawinna, Meringur & Carwarp |
Summary
The Producer Demonstration Site project aims to increase the number of lambs weaned for host farmers by 5-10% using a combination of improved scanning practices, joining length, mob size and other management practices to improve reproductive efficiency.
Objectives
The overall objective is to demonstrate how ewe reproductive efficiency of the host farmers can be lifted by addressing factors that impact lamb survival by December 2025.
The specific objectives are to:
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Demonstrate the impact of ‘best practice’ management techniques on reproductive efficiency, including but not limited to; improved scanning practices, better matching joining/lambing to nutritional demands, reducing joining/lambing length, time of lambing, mob size, ewe condition, feed on offer and nutritional flushing.
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Increase the knowledge and skills of farmers to enable fine-tuning of their lamb production systems to lift their reproductive efficiency further.
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100% of core producers and 100% of observer producers will have an increased awareness of the impact of scanning, mob size and length of joining on the number of lambs.
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60% of core producers and 40% of observer will have adopted (or intend to adopt) at least one of the practices demonstrated to increase reproductive efficiency. (e.g. Scanning for singles and multiples and/or early and late, optimising mob size of multiple bearing ewes,tighter joining period)
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Conduct a cost and benefit analysis of the changed reproductive management practices of host farmers compared to their normal practice
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Conduct an annual field day and other activities to showcase the demonstration site results.
Progress
The farmers participating in the ‘More Northern Mallee Lambs on the Ground’ PDS are improving their current reproductive performance by 5-10% using a combination of best practices to improve reproductive efficiency.
In the second-year host farms focused on: change of lambing time from April to July (1 farm), the ram effect (1 farm), separating single and twin bearing ewes at pregnancy scanning (3 farms), matching nutrition with reproductive status (1 farm) and reducing mob size at lambing (1 farm).
Scanning percent, marking, lamb survival and the percentage of dry ewes was recorded on all farms.
The results to date show all farms have had their scanning percent increase, more ewes are carrying twins, marking rate has increased and the number of dry ewes has decreased compared to 2023 and 2022. This PDS is being managed by Agriculture Victoria.
