Livestock forum full of practical ideas for local producers

At least 45 per cent of attendees at the WA Livestock Research Council’s Livestock Matters Forum at Pingaring last week said they had been well informed and were going to try something new on their properties, according to WALRC chair Bronwyn Clarke.

About 50, mainly local farmers, attended the day’s events hosted by Dean Wyatt and family on their farm, where they were treated to a raft of information to improve their lamb survival rates, including through shade and shelter, genetics and nutrition.

Ms Clarke said she was happy they discussed genetics because it was “key in improving reproduction rates”.

Ms Clarke said the “quality of questions” by the local producers was good and there were many practical things discussed during the day that they could take home and apply on farm, which had been supported by research and science.

One of those issues was using saltbush as a form of shade and shelter to improve reproduction rates in lambing ewes.

There is research being undertaken through the Shade and Shelter Project by CSIRO, UWA and Murdoch University, into dividing off twin and triplet bearing ewes into smaller mob sizes, among saltbushes, to see if it improved survival rates of lambs.

The Wyatt’s, who have a philosophy of “innovation, adaptation and going against the gut”, have been planting saltbush on farm since the 1980s but it has only been in the last 5-10 years that they have recognised the value of the alleys during lambing season.

They have allocated about 230ha for saltbush plantings, split up into four paddocks.

The Wyatt family operate a 60/40 cropping to pasture ratio on about 3300ha, growing wheat, barley and canola, with a 10-year average rainfall of 325mm.

Pastures include Dalkeith/Nungarin sub clovers and Santiago medic with some paddocks sown to cereals specifically for grazing if clover content is low.

They run 3100 mated ewes and 1200 ewe weaner/ewe hoggets, with 1200 wether lambs finished through the feedlot.

The flock has been bred with a non mulesed mindset using originally Peppin based bloodlines from Leovale, but more recently from Westwood Poll Merinos, Cascade, due to the alignment in breeding objectives.

There was some discussion during the forum around the Wyatt’s cessation of mulesing since 2020, with Ed Riggall and Georgia Reid from AgProManagement leading the discussion, and how important it was to use genetics, as well as wrinkle and dag score to select and manage a flock that was non mulesed.

They are currently seeking Responsible Wool Standards accreditation for their wool clip.

The Wyatts have been focussing on improving their livestock breeding by increasing the dry stock equivalent per hectare, which they have increased from 2.3DSE/ha in 2015 to an anticipated 3.75DSE/ha in 2023.

They are also increasing the number of foetuses to maiden ewes joined through improved genetics and management, and increasing lamb survival.

Ewes are typically joined for 28-35 days from February 1 for a July lambing.

In 2022 they recorded a 150 per cent lambing rate.

During the forum there was also discussion about silage in the wheatbelt, by Trevor Hinck from Hyden, which would have been more valuable to the local producers.

Guest speaker, David Greig from Tottenham, NSW, discussed his business approach to a drying climate while pushing the boundaries of reproduction and performance per hectare.

Ms Clarke said there was also “a very good discussion” on farm succession at the end of the day with WALRC executive officer Esther Price and Ian and Dean Wyatt as they discussed how they separated the farm into two business units and how that had brought the family, father and sons, closer together.