Field Day: Managing pregnant ewes on saltbush

What: Field Day - Managing the condition of pregnant ewes grazing saltbush: a skilled approach

When: 1 May 2009 10am-12

Where: Starting from the Mount Russell Shearing Shed, corner of Flowery Plain Road and Peter's Road 6km north of Coomandook accessed from the Old Duke's Highway.

The Coorong Forages Project is supported by the Coorong District Local Action Plan Committee and SARDI with funding from the Federal Government's Caring for Our Country initiative and links researchers through the Future Farm Industries Cooperative Research Centre Enrich Program.

The field day will focus on helping pregnant ewes to maintain body condition while grazing on saltbush.

It is intended to introduce producers to the options for supplementing livestock grazing on saltbush, and workshop the skills needed to manage ewes for performance.  

In a friendly interactive format, the session will explore:

  • the potential and limits of saltbush stand to support ewe liveweight and body condition during pregnancy
  • how to apply a measured approach to managing the grazing of saltbush stands - to quantify the amount and quality of forage to meet the stock's demands for the amount and quality of forage
  • advances in nutritional supplements

Speakers include San Jolly of Productive Nutrition, SARDI pasture researcher Greg Sweeney and grazing specialist, Tim Prance of Rural Solutions.

The program will include demonstrations on how to:

  • assess sheep body condition
  • estimate feed quantity
  • access measures of feed quality
  • assess the changing needs of ewes before, during and after pregnancy
  • correct dietary imbalances

Copy of field day media release

Further information: Greg Sweeney 8303 9683 or sweeney.greg@saugov.sa.gov.au