Category: Sheep

A passion for helping lambs survive the cold has reignited a Perth resident’s love of knitting, and saved her from “going nuts” during coronavirus restrictions. Source: ABC Livestock Mrs Lambkin knits up a storm to help orphaned lambs

DATA-DRIVEN decision-making in the Western Australian sheep industry has been given a boost, with the state’s popular Sheep Notes reference publication going online. Source: Sheep Central Demand for data drives Western Australian Sheep Notes online

NEW South Wale’s wool industry was not ready or willing for mulesing to be banned within 18 months, a New South Wales parliamentary inquiry heard yesterday. Source: Sheep Central NSW wool producers reject proposed mulesing ban in 2022

NSW Farmers claims a push to ban the surgical mulesing of sheep could lead to an increased dependency on trade-sensitive chemical. Source: Sheep Central Mulesing ban will lead to chemical dependency – NSW Farmers

OVERSEAS pastures will be the focus of the fourth session of the online Grassland Society of Southern Australia’s 61st Annual Conference this week. Source: Sheep Central Overseas pastures to feature on next online GSSA session

NEW South Wales restockers buying ewes with lambs dominated purchases from the AuctionsPlus offering last week. Source: Sheep Central NSW restockers snap up ewes with lambs to handle grass

WOOL sold strongly online this week despite Australia’s physical auction market suffering one of its biggest falls in history. Source: Sheep Central Wool sells strongly online despite weak auction result

ALMOST 60 percent of Australia’s lambs were slaughtered through Meat Standards Australia-licensed processors last year. Source: Sheep Central Meat Standards Australia program sheep meat adoption lifts

IT was another tough August start to the wool auction season with a large fall in auction prices and forward trading dormant during the week. Source: Sheep Central Tough start for wool auction and forward trading markets

AUSTRALIA’S wool industry should publish regular estimations of its bale stocks, according to Independent Commodity Services market analyst Andrew Woods. Source: Sheep Central Tell the world how much wool we have says analyst

SCANNED Merino and crossbred ewe and ewe-lamb units continued to attract the strongest demand on AuctionsPlus over the past week. Source: Sheep Central Restocking ewe buyers continue to chase fertility on AuctionsPlus

SHORTER fleece wool, pieces, bellies, crutchings and locks drew the most buyer interest in AuctionsPlus online sales over the last week, reflecting demand for semi-worsted products. AuctionsPlus commercial manager –… Source: Sheep Central Shorter wools moving in limited online market business

The practice of mulesing sheep could be banned in NSW by next year, if the Animal Justice Party gets its desired outcome from a New South Wales Upper House inquiry next month. Source: ABC Livestock Animal Justice Party tells wool industry to adapt or move on, as calls to ban mulesing reignite

AUCTIONSPLUS analysis has shown multiple/single pregnancy scanning of Merino ewes generated an average $23/head sale online price advantage over ewe lots with only wet/dry details, over the last six months. Source: Sheep Central AuctionsPlus premiums answer the ‘scan or not to scan’ question

WESTERN Australian sheep producers are being urged to wean lambs no later than 14 weeks after lambing starts to optimise lamb and ewe production, and pasture benefits. Source: Sheep Central Wean lambs early for sheep production and pasture benefits

SCANNED in-lamb Merino ewes were in strong demand on AuctionsPlus last week as the national online sheep and lamb offering fell by 27,849 head to 43,054. Source: Sheep Central Full wool Merino ewes carrying multiple lambs make 4

SOUTH Australia has suffered a major incursion of Ovine Johne’s Disease via Western Australian sheep sold into its mid-north region. Source: Sheep Central South Australia suffers OJD incursion from WA sheep

NATIONAL producer body, the Australian Wool Growers Association, supports mandating pain relief when mulesing sheep in New South Wales, but rejects a proposed ban on the flystrike preventative practice in the state. Source: Sheep Central Mandate pain relief, but don’t ban mulesing – AWGA

AUSTRALIA’s wool growers are being asked to state their priorities and ideas on keeping wool profitable via an online survey that will be open until Sunday August 16. Source: Sheep Central Wool growers asked for priorities on keeping industry profitable

This week’s column looks at what double muscling in beef cattle is, the importance of using gene testing to identify carriers to avoid creating double muscled cattle, and how breeders can live with animals carrying a copy of the myostatin gene if managed properly Source: Beef Central Weekly genetics review: Managing double muscling through… Read more »

MERINO ewe, lamb and wether prices lifted on AuctionsPlus last week, as the online offering dropped by 12,184 head to 70,903. Source: Sheep Central Merino ewe and wether prices lift on AuctionsPlus

WOOL growers and sheep meat producers — the National Farmers’ Federation wants to know if you need workers and how you source labour. Source: Sheep Central NFF launches workforce survey to target industry needs

AUSTRALIA recorded its lowest monthly national slaughter in more than eight years in May this year and the number of sheep processed halved compared to a year ago. Source: Sheep Central Australian lamb and mutton production slumps in May

NOT mandating pain relief for mulesing will increase calls to ban the practice, with a premature cessation potentially leading to higher levels of flystrike in sheep flocks, according to a leading Australian and international animal welfare researcher. Source: Sheep Central Mandate pain relief or risk premature mulesing ban – Windsor

A CLAIM that Australian sheep producers use hormones that give them a cost of production advantage over United Kingdom farmers has been rejected by the peak body Sheep Producers Australia. Source: Sheep Central Sheep Producers Australia rejects UK claim of hormone use

DEMAND for online wool offerings improved with the lift in the physical auction market last week. Source: Sheep Central Online wool offerings snapped up by buyers before recess

ONLY scanned in-lamb first cross ewes held or increased their value in AuctionsPlus online sheep sales last week as the national offering increased. Source: Sheep Central Scanned in-lamb first cross ewe prices defy online trend

STRONG online store lamb and restocker sales, especially Western Australian ewe offerings, have boosted AuctionsPlus sheep turnover to a record level in 2019-20. Source: Sheep Central Lamb and WA ewe sales growth underpins record AuctionsPlus year

THE spot wool auction market closed Wednesday ahead of the three-week winter recess with all microns posting gains. Source: Sheep Central Forward wool market factors in auction movements

AUSTRALIAN wool prices improved this week, consistent with a slight improvement in business in recent weeks and buyers taking their last auction-buying opportunity to meet shipping deadlines before a three-week recess. Source: Sheep Central Wool prices makes last minute dash before recess

VICTORIAN mulesing contractors have been advised to carry the pain relief product Tri-Solfen for use if producers don’t supply it. Source: Sheep Central Victorian mulesing contractors advised to give and bill pain relief

DOMESTIC and global traceability systems for Australian wool and sheep will be reviewed with the help of Federal Government funding. Peak grower body WoolProducers Australia has won funding for a… Source: Sheep Central Australian wool traceability ‘disconnect’ to be examined

WORKING sheep dogs from four countries will be auctioned online over two days next week at England’s Skipton Auction Mart. Source: Sheep Central Sheep dogs from four countries mustered for first UK online sale

SCANNED in-lamb first cross ewes sold to a new record price of $476 on AuctionsPlus last week, but clearance rates and average prices dipped for several categories. Source: Sheep Central Record first cross ewe price, but clearance rates slip online

AUSTRALIA’S largest wool broker AWN has sold its Merino & Co and MerinoSnug brand and operation in a joint venture deal with Western Australian-based company AClink. Source: Sheep Central AWN trades Merino & Co and MerinoSnug brand for expansion

CONTRACTORS mulesing sheep in Victoria without pain relief will be potentially liable to prosecution under new state regulations, according to Agriculture Victoria. Source: Sheep Central Mulesing contractors query liability under new regulations

WOOLPRODUCERS Australia is persisting in its call for the Federal Government to consider subsidising the temporary waiving of wool and sheep levies despite a lack of enabling legislation. Source: Sheep Central WoolProducers persists in levy waive call despite legal hurdle

Composite and terminal sires could be in hot demand this spring as Merino producers consider turning their backs on fibre production. Source: Sheep Central Composite and terminal sires in demand as wool prices flounder

Nominations have opened for two Sheep Producers Australia board positions, to be decided at this year’s annual general meeting in November. Source: Sheep Central Two directors being sought for SPA board

Victorian producers are now required to administer a registered pain-relieving product when mulesing sheep. The new provisions, which come into effect yesterday, have been introduced as part of the state’s Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Regulations 2019. Source: Sheep Central VIC producers now required to administer pain relief when mulesing

Victorian sheep farmer Toni Barton’s bright idea of creating “lamb bacon” almost didn’t get off the ground when food standards authorities said her product had to be made from pork. Source: ABC Livestock Sheep farmer brings home the bacon with bright idea

Wool has taken the greatest hit of all fibre prices in the past financial year, falling 36 percent to the end of June. While fibre prices have fallen across the board, wool’s decline was the biggest with some individual micron prices falling by 57pc. Source: Sheep Central Wool outstrips price losses among all fibres… Read more »

Ewes from South Australia have set a new Australian record sale price, at a staggering $476 a head. Source: ABC Livestock First-cross ewes set new national record

As of today, a person must not mules a lamb without using a pain relief product registered for use by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority. Source: ABC Livestock Pain relief is now mandatory for mulesing in Victoria

A large wool broker and exporter says the industry is “shooting itself in the foot” by not allowing farmers to indicate their use of a mulesing alternative. Source: ABC Livestock Wool broker seeks ‘truth in labelling’ on cryogenic alternative to mulesing

The region’s last remaining livestock-selling facility near Devonport holds its last sheep sale, with livestock being shifted to a central facility at Powranna in the northern Midlands. Source: ABC Livestock End of an era for Quoiba saleyard in Tasmania’s north-west

PEAK grower body WoolProducers Australia wants wool and sheep transaction levy collection halted for 12 months from August this year to help producers recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Source: Sheep Central WoolProducers seeks temporary halt to wool and sheep levies

FORWARD wool markets traded marginally lower last week, with bidding from exporters keen to cover some of the forward sales providing hedge opportunities for growers into the spring. Source: Sheep Central Forward wool market levels trend lower

VICTORIAN sheep producers will not be issued with ‘on-the-spot’ fines under new regulations that mandate pain relief for mulesing from Wednesday this week. Source: Sheep Central On-the-spot fines not on with new mulesing pain relief rules

As the financial year ends and the dust settles on the collapse of the wool market, farmers are looking at the meat side of the industry for profit. Source: ABC Livestock Wool market collapse takes 35 per cent off wool price — so producers turn to meat

INDUSTRY groups and sheep producers have called for the WoolPoll ballot process to be more independent of Australian Wool Innovation and aligned with the five-yearly Meat & Livestock Australia strategic planning cycle. Source: Sheep Central Growers call for WoolPoll independence and MLA alignment

AUSTRALIAN wool growers met the market as wool prices fell further this week, with a slight improvement in rates before the close of the last sales for the 2019/20 season. Source: Sheep Central Wool prices fall further, with slight recovery in later sales

WESTERN Australia’s falling sheep flock has been drained by record meat exports in 2019 and more sales of ewes and lambs to eastern states restockers this year, including via increased online sales. Source: Sheep Central Future of falling WA sheep flock hinges on a good season

THE Australian Wool Exchange’s inclusion of sheep freeze branding within its non-mulesed category on the National Wool Declaration is unlikely to be reviewed until next year, despite exporter Fox & Lillie joining calls for a re-think. Source: Sheep Central Fox & Lillie joins opposition to AWEX stance on sheep freeze branding

NEW South Wales lamb processor Gundagai Meat Processors could be paying producers on a lean meat yield basis for lambs that meet a minimum intramuscular fat threshold by next year,… Source: Sheep Central Will 2021 be the year for lamb payments on IMF and meat yield?