ON FARM SHEEP SNAPSHOT: Pat and Sarah Millear, Western Districts, S Victoria Area: 6,800ha Enterprise: Cropping and Merino ewes for wool and prime lamb production Livestock: 8,000 ewes Pasture: Perennials including sub- clover and ryegrass and grazing crops Soil: Varying from loams to sand Rainfall: 500mm were only up for five weeks, temporary fencing to “Rotations are made based “We bought fairly light posts then pulled down. 70% of all create smaller paddocks on feed on offer levels, which didn’t perform that lamb mortality occurs in the for lambing ewes. with the aim to maintain well – next time we’ll invest first 48 hours of life, so by the Pat, who farms with his wife pregnant twin-bearing ewes in more robust fencing,” time lambing has finished, Sarah and four daughters, at condition score 3.5 and Pat said. the high-risk period is over pregnancy scans his single-bearing ewes at “Also it would have been a and the fences can be rolled 8,000 ewes in early June condition score 3.” good idea to introduce the up again for next year.” to prepare for mid-August Pat said the flock average stock to electric fencing Economic analysis showed lambing and selling the stocking rate was now about a little earlier than we did, that even at an estimated wether progeny within 6–8 dry sheep equivalent which was just a couple of cost of $2,000 to construct 12 months. (DSE)/ha (less for maiden weeks before lambing. All a 400m temporary fence Across all mixed-aged ewes, ewes), which was a big stock need to be trained (which would normally cost average ‘scanned-in-lamb’ increase from 10 years ago and I think they would have around $600 including results are 145%, with maiden when it was 4 DSE/ha. respected the fencing more labour) there was a gain ewes typically achieving if they were used to it.” of $0.16 per extra lamb “The aim is to get to a 96%, after two rounds of stocking rate of about 10 Pat said the intensive nature surviving, even with lambs joining. Marking and weaning valued at just $60/head. DSE/ha, which is doable if of the system required rates are about 96% for everything aligns and the enough labour to check ewes “So when we account for single-bearing ewes. season works in our favour,” every day, but the pay-off materials and labour and the Once scanned,ewes are he said. was improved animal welfare different types of fences, the split into mobs bearing and increased survival of benefit to lamb survival is singles, twins and triplets for When shifting to this more both ewes and lambs. high,” Steve said. feeding management. intensive grazing system, Pat said there were challenges Steve Cotton Producer involvement “Using temporary electric in setting up and maintaining Western Districts producer fencing, we split paddocks temporary electric fencing T: 03 5571 1760 Pat Millear (pictured) was up into 20–25ha to run mobs and ensuring it contained E: s.cotton@dynamicag. part of the PDS trialling of 150–200 head,” Pat said. the stock. com.au 25