ON FARM SHEEP FEEDBASE f Large-scale cell grazing WA’s Murchison sustainable long-term kangaroos, as well as the Angus developed a plan region was livestock productivity on theirimpact of wild dog predation. for Edah Station, which once a property. Supporting them initially involved building a highly profitable in ths endeavour is an MLAi “This place should be able to 30,000ha predator-proof DonorCompanyProducer carry 7,000 sheep, not 500,” cell on the southern end of sheep-producing region, -Track project Angus said. the property. Collaborating driven by the Merino Innovation Fast to revitalise soil health and Backed by science with neighbours has resulted wool industry. livestock productivity. in a grant from the WA state Enter Angus’ brother-in-law, government to expand the Today, it’s a different story,Angus and Toby took on the Greg Brennan, an with surplus sheep sales cell to enclose a total of 50-year pastoral lease of agricultural scientist who 230,000ha. contributing about half the the 100,000ha ‘Edah Station’, has long worked in WA’s income of a Merino enterprise. between Yalgoo and Mt semi-arid rangelands. He The Fast-Track project is Pastoralists have been Magnet, with two friends has a particular interest supporting the development challenged with wild dog (who have since been in the control of total of the plan to implement, predation and native and bought out) with a view to grazing pressure to enable manage and monitor total feral animal grazing pressure running sheep. perennial grasses and grazing pressure in a on their country. 30,000ha fenced cell while It didn’t take them long other groundcover plant accurately assessing the Buoyed by evolving natural to realise that any plans species to regenerate. impact of kangaroos and resource management they had to raise livestock Greg says there is a strong wild dogs. Careful feed techniques and strong prices, profitably would have to scientific evidence base budgeting will be used to brothers Angus and Toby address the total grazing to show that these species ensure the perennial grasses Nichols are implementing an pressure created by high are necessary to rebuild can re-establish themselves, ambitious plan for achieving populations of goats and livestock productivity. providing the much-needed Consultant Bruce Maynard demonstrating self-herding techniques on Edah Station. 3300