Sniffer dogs have been used to successfully identify breech strike resistant sheep, as part of research to reduce flystrike.
The research is the latest phase of the long running Breeding for Breech Strike Resistance project, supported by Department of Agriculture and Food (DAFWA) and the CSIRO, with funding from Australian Wool Innovation.
DAFWA senior research officer Johan Greeff said the research was based on the premise that sheep may secrete specific odours that either attract or repel blowflies.
Dr Greeff said the results from the ‘sniffer experiment’, using wool from DAFWA’s Mt Barker flock and the CSIRO’s Armidale flock, in New South Wales, was surprisingly accurate.
“In the assessment of sheep from the Mt Barker flocks, the dogs were 100 per cent accurate at identifying wool samples from resistant progeny groups and ignoring wool from susceptible sheep,” he said.
“Similarly, using wool from the Armidale flock assessment, on which the dogs have not been trained, the dogs were 82 per cent accurate in identifying resistant sheep and 92 per cent accurate in ignoring wool samples from susceptible ewes.”
The two dogs used in the experiment, Cattle Dog/Border Collie-cross Riley and Bull Terrier/Whippet-cross Gibbs, were professionally trained in Sydney for six months.
The University of Western Australia has now joined the project, assessing what compounds the odour is comprised of.
“We intend to determine whether the odour comes from the skin, in the form of bacteria, yeast or fungi, the urine or other sources,” Dr Greeff said.
“Then we can use these compounds as an attractive or a repellent, from which we can develop technology or management practises to minimise the incidence of flystrike.
“If the compound is found to be a repellent some spray could be developed to protect susceptible sheep and if it is an attractant, a substance might be developed to lure flies away from sheep. There are some very exciting possibilities here.”
The project builds on nine years of research by the department into breech strike.
“The research shows that other factors are involved in attracting flies to sheep apart from dags, urine and wrinkles,” Dr Greeff said.
“We think that these traits may be an expression of what could be the prime reason – that is odour – of why some animals are more susceptible than others.
“If we can confirm this hypothesis and find that the odour trait is heritable, then we can develop Australian Sheep Breeding Values for odour to breed more resistant, resilient and productive sheep and, ultimately, improve the profitability of the industry.”
Flystrike costs the Australian sheep industry more than $772 million each year.
Dr Greeff gave an overview of the project at the World Merino Conference in late April in Cape Town, South Africa, which generated much interest.
“Breech strike is a big problem around the world,” he said. “We are far advanced compared with other countries in addressing this issue. I was able to share my knowledge, as well as learn more about other issues affecting the sheep industry around the globe.”
Media contact: Jodie Thomson/Megan Broad, media liaison +61 (0)8 9368 3937