ON FARM NATIONAL Delving into dystociaThe rail Research is underway to why lambs don’t survive or why ewes trail better understand dystocia, fail to raise the lambs. or difficulty in lambing, one “We believe dystocia contributes to of the costliest conditions for more than half of all neo-natal lamb A new trial could open up new sheep producers. mortality, which is the single highest Meat Standards Australia cause of financial loss in the sheep (MSA) pathways to slaughter The project is researching the industry,” Sabine said. for northern beef. impact duration of lambing has on ewes and lambs. “We want to be able to answer the The project will evaluate how long question – how can we prevent distance rail transport affects the It’s one of 10 projects to be funded prolonged lambing by various eating quality of beef. by the Strategic Partnership treatments or through genetics?” for Animal Welfare Research, MSA Program Manager Sarah Development and Adoption (RD&A). Now in its second year, the project Strachan said new MSA pathways The Partnership is a collaboration has already collected data on 400 could deliver an estimated $50 between MLA, through MLA Donor ewes at lambing. The project’s million additional value annually. Company, and some of the country’s in-field research involves sensor technology – with ewes wearing “Thousands of cattle are leading research bodies. sensor collars – combined with blood transported to slaughter by rail Neonatal lamb loss has been testing to identify biomarkers that through major trucking yards at identified by MLA as one of the relate to difficult lambing. Cloncurry, Longreach and Quilpie top five conditions or diseases each year; however, current MSA The research is building on evidence time to slaughter requirements impacting sheep profitability, costing and years of data sourced largely the industry in excess of $219 render these cattle ineligible for from the MLA Resource Flock MSA grading,” she said. million annually. (formerly Sheep CRC Information The four-year project is being led Nucleus Flock). ■ “The outcomes of this research will by Dr Sabine Schmoelzl, CSIRO inform the MSA grading model Armidale, who said it will help Dr Johann Schröder, MLA so we can accurately predict the establish a better understanding of E: jschroder@mla.com.au eating quality of these cattle.” The research is part of MSA’s 2020 goals, set by the MSA Taskforce to make all pathways that cattle travel to slaughter eligible for MSA grading. Stage one of the project directly compares the results of cattle that travelled to slaughter by rail, to those transported by road. A total of 240 trial cattle were sourced from two properties around Quilpie, with half travelling Oh deer to Brisbane by train and the rest • cost-effective management of wild travelling by road. deer (led through NSW) • the role of wild deer in the Following MSA grading, four To tackle the escalating threat of feral transmission of diseases to livestock, cuts will be collected from deer, the MLA-supported Centre including Foot and Mouth Disease (led each carcase and prepared for for Invasive Species Solutions has through Victoria) sensory testing. brought together five state and • management of wild dog and deer in “The next stage will involve a more territory governments, three local per-urban landscapes: strategies for complex study of long distances councils, three universities,and three safe communities (led through QLD) and extended travel times, with private environmental groups, to form • feral deer aggregator (led through SA). variations to rail and trucking travel Australia’s largest deer management The projects have started and over the including intermittent rest and feed research collaboration. coming years the Centre will provide land regimes to evaluate the impact Worth a combined investment of managers with the research outcomes, of various rest and recovery $8.7 million, including $3.2 million which will enhance best practice strategies,” Sarah said. ■ of direct funding from the Federal management of feral deer in Australia. ■ Department of Agriculture and Water Sarah Strachan Resources, the collaboration will work E: sstrachan@mla.com.au invasives.com.au on four innovative projects: 13