ELDERS Balranald have joined forces with NSW Local Land Services to present a pre-lambing and nutrition session on Monday, March 28.
The session, which will be held at the Homebush Pub, is aimed at educating livestock producers about the importance of preparing their ewes for lambing, with expert advice from vet Sophie Hemley and Senior Land Services Officer Tanisha Shields.
“We will be going over all the pre lambing considerations that sheep producers need to have in mind when they are coming up to lambing their ewes,” Ms Shields said.
“We will be going through a basic animal health plan and Sophie will take producers through what vaccines that they might need to use pre lambing.”
Ewes are more susceptible to diseases during lambing, so it is important that producers are able to manage their ewes and make sure they are in the best possible condition, Ms Shields explained.
She said that the workshop would cover current diseases that are likely to become a factor for producers this season such as pregnancy toxaemia.
Due to the different farming conditions in the north west, the information will also be specialised to make sure that producers have all the relevant information for their specific conditions.
“We have similar issues to other areas regarding animal health plans,” Ms Shields said.
“However our nutritional values of our pastures out here are vastly different to those in higher rainfall zones.”
Making sure that lambs are properly fed is another important aspect of the workshop, as the ewe is not only feeding themselves but also the growing fetus.
“We will look at digestibility targets for pregnant ewes,” Ms Shields said.
“Because they do have quite specific energy requirements when they are leading up to lambing.”
The session follows another session held by Elders Swan Hill last month, and Ms Shields thinks that these sessions are a great opportunity to make fine adjustments to producers management actions.
“I think it is really important because there is lots of opportunity to refine management actions,” she said.
“This ensures that we are minimising the impacts of any potential diseases that can occur.”
“These little one percenters can make a massive difference that can in turn increase the profitability of these sheep production businesses.”
Two more events are set for April.
