31-May-2011

Making More from Sheep It's ewe time! Forums

The Making More from Sheep It's ewe time! forums will present a challenging and informative program which will stimulate discussion and encourage all Australian wool, sheep and lamb producers and associated service businesses to support and strengthen our growing industry.

Seating is limiled and bookings are essential - phone 1800 675 717

Cost: $20 per person payable at the door (for venue and catering costs).

The forums will address a combination of market opportunity, supply constraints and productivity messages based around:

• Wool, lamb and sheepmeat market overviews and opportunities
• Knowing your business performance through cost of production
• Profit and productivity drivers, including:
       - Improving reproduction and survival
       - Health
       - Efficiently increasing carcase weight and quality to market specification
       - Stocking rate
       - Improving genetics
• Managing the feedbase and environment in a sustainable way
• Enhanced eating quality and new human health attributes of lamb and sheepmeat to ensure the consumer has a pleasurable eating experience

Katanning	Tuesday 5th July	Katanning Leisure Centre
Northam	Wednesday 6th July	Bridgeley Community Centre
Dandaragan	Thursday 7th July	Dandaragan Recreation Centre
Tamworth	Tuesday 12 July	West Tamworth Leagues Club
Longreach	Friday 15th July	The Longreach Club
Bairnsdale	Tuesday 26th July	Bairnsdale Sporting and Convention Centre
Cooma	Thursday 28th July	Cooma Ex-Services Club
Wudinna	Tuesday 23rd August	Wudinna Community Club Inc
Lameroo	Thursday 25th August	Lameroo Sports Club

Start time 8.30 am for Registration, 9.00am program starts. Finish at 4.00pm

It's ewe time! - Eastern States Program

 It's ewe time! will address the future of the Australian Sheep industry and the production challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for wool, lamb and sheepmeat.

Plan for Success will focus on the business aspects of your sheep enterprise addressing issues such as complementarities with other enterprises, managing cost of production and flock rebuilding.

Gain from Genetics will discuss ram selection for commercial sheep producers with a focus on the use of objective genetic information to achieve the best results for your production system and target market.

The New Ewe will explore maternal genetics and latest findings about the value of carcase traits to positively influence wool, reproduction and fitness characteristics.

Wean More Lambs will provide practical ways to improve reproductive traits through both higher conception and lamb survival rates.

Healthy & Contented Sheep will focus on management of the three challenges facing most sheep producers - worms, flies and lice.

Turning Pasture into Product will discuss strategic management of pastures & grazing, including tactical movement of stock and soil fertility management.

The right lamb every-time will explore consumer needs, what can be done on-farm to underpin excellent eating quality and the why and how of becoming a Meat Standards Australia accredited lamb supplier.

Predator Control (Longreach only) will focus on wild dog control with the latest information from the Invasive Animals CRC.

It's ewe time! Western Australian Program

Robust Sheep - it's the new ewe will explore maternal genetics and latest findings about the value of carcase traits to positively influence wool reproduction and fitness characteristics.

Wean More Lambs will give practical ways to increase the number of lambs weaned per hectare and give examples of how producers have done it.

Turning Pasture into Product will discuss strategic management of pastures & grazing including the key issues of soil fertility, grazing management and their effect on composition.

Profitable Finishing Sysyems will lead you through the issues of production and confinement feeding systems with a focus on the use of lick feeders.

The Right Lamb will explore consumer needs, what can be done on-farm to underpin excellent eating quality and the why and how of becoming an accredited Meat Standarda Australia accredited lamb supplier.

Easy Sheep Management will explore the sheep production and management system and identify how you can do less work for more profit - fitting sheep into what you do better.

Skintraction Update will report on the intra-dermal injection trials from Cobbett Technologies and AWI as a mulesing alternative.

Lice & Flies update will present the best chemical application advice for managing lice and flies and explore the issues around lice chemical breakdowns.

The Sheep's back will discuss the strong market outlook and it's time to rebuild, but what balance of enterprise is offering the best returns and how does cropping compare and complement?