Livestock & animals

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development supply chain support, research and development and rigorous biosecurity systems underpin the economic success of Western Australia’s livestock industries. In 2011/12, the WA livestock industries contributed 26% of the state’s agriculture, fisheries and forestry production, worth approximately $2 billion at the farm gate.

WA is a world leader in live exports, super fine wool production and dryland sheep and grain systems. Both cattle and sheep systems are focused on export markets to Asia and the Middle East. WA also has innovative, world-class integrated dairy and pork industries meeting local and South East Asian demand for safe, fresh milk and pork. The WA poultry industry is growing strongly as a result of increasing domestic consumption.

Global demand for high-quality, safe animal protein and products produced according to high animal welfare standards will continue to rise in coming years. Increasingly DAFWA will partner with industry -- locally, nationally and internationally -- in transformational business projects to capitalise on this demand.

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Articles

  • Pigs: a step-by-step guide to sampling and post-mortem

    26 March 2020

    The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development has created a sampling and post-mortem guide to assist veterinarians investigating pig disease. 

  • Pig with reddened ears showing signs of African swine fever. Used with permission of the Pirbright Institute

    Emergency pig disease: African swine fever (ASF)

    4 July 2014

    African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious virus that causes an often fatal disease in pigs and wild boar.

  • Pig in shelter straw

    Emergency pig disease: classical swine fever (CSF)

    8 December 2014

    Classical swine fever (CSF), also known as hog cholera, is a highly contagious disease of pigs caused by a pestivirus. The disease only affects pigs and is exotic to Australia.

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    Poultry biosecurity checklist for small landholders

    2 December 2013

    The poultry biosecurity checklist summarises the actions needed to protect your poultry and the Western Australian poultry industry from the devastating effects of emergency diseases such as avian

  • Green iceplant in winter

    Slender iceplant poisoning in sheep

    4 December 2014

    Slender iceplant, Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum, is a small, succulent, winter-growing annual weed, most common in the eastern Wheatbelt.

  • A blood smear from a sheep with eperythrozoonosis. The large gaps between red cells indicate anaemia. The blue-stained organisms within the cells are M. ovis. Photo credit: Mark Bennett, Murdoch U

    Eperythrozoonosis (E. ovis) in sheep

    20 October 2014

    Eperythrozoonosis is a disease in sheep and goats caused by the bacterium mycoplasma ovis (formerly known as eperythrozoon ovis).

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    Grass tetany in beef cattle: prevention and treatment

    28 November 2013

    Grass tetany is a highly fatal disease associated with low levels of magnesium in the blood.

  • Pink eye in cattle

    15 December 2013

    Pink eye or infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK) is a common and contagious eye condition that affects cattle of all ages. It is most commonly seen in calves and young stock. 

  • ewe and lamb in paddock

    Mastitis in sheep

    3 December 2013

    Mastitis is the term for a bacterial infection of the udder. It is most common in ewes raising multiple lambs or with high milk production.

  • Chickens drinking

    Newcastle disease

    12 May 2014

    Newcastle disease is a severe viral disease of poultry and other birds.

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