AgMemo Central Agricultural Region

Keep an eye on sheep condition following rainfall

Keep an eye on sheep feed and condition following recent rains

Sheep producers whose properties have received unseasonably high rainfall in recent weeks should adjust their management programs to protect their stock from nutrition losses and toxic weeds.

Growers who have sheep grazing on stubbles should monitor the condition score of their sheep and adjust their supplementary feeding regimes accordingly.

It is important that sheep producers who intend to join their ewes and rams in coming weeks, ensure the ewes are in at least condition score three to optimise conception rates.

While the rains will stimulate germination from spilt grain from stubbles, the summer volunteer plants may not provide adequate nutrition and should not be relied on for total energy requirements.

Producers will need to do a feed budget to ensure they don’t have an energy deficit and to integrate supplementary feeding, as required.

The rain may also create problems with the germination of toxic weeds.

Producers should be aware of the risk of sheep poisoning from stock consuming toxic weeds, like caltrop and Gastrolobiums.

Monitoring at-risk paddocks will be essential, as is the prompt removal of any suspect weeds or moving stock to alternative paddocks.

Sheep grazing on lupin stubbles may be affected by lupinosis.

In early stages sick sheep separate from the mob and cease grazing.

On close inspection you may observe jaundice (yellowing of gums and eyes), swelling of the face and ears and perhaps skin peeling.

If lupinosis is suspected move sheep immediately off lupin stubbles.

If ARGT or lupinosis is suspected, or other cause of deaths or illness in your stock, contact your nearest private or DAFWA veterinary officer to investigate and advise.

More information can be found on the following pages of the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) website.

Supplementary feeding and feed budgeting
Conditions scoring
Annual Ryegrass Toxicity in Livestock
Lupinosis in sheep

For more information contact John Paul Collins, Research Officer, Katanning on +61 (0)8 9821 3249.