Animal Health

Merino sheep infested with lice (Bovicola ovis) and with 8 months’ wool were hand jetted with a commercial spinosad formulation or treated with an α-cypermethrin backline product to examine the effect of long wool treatment on lice numbers and wool damage, relative to untreated controls. Mean lice numbers were reduced significantly (P < 0.05) by treatment and then remained relatively constant until shearing 20 weeks later. Treatment with either product resulted in significant improvements in mean clean and greasy wool cut, yield, staple length, both visually assessed and measured colour, and the proportion of fleeces classed into the main fleece line. There was no significant difference between the two treatments in either efficacy in reducing louse numbers or on production characters. Wool rub score and cotting assessed on the sheep increased slightly after treatment and then did not change until shearing whereas both scores increased significantly in the untreated group. There was a strong relationship between the visual rub score and the loss of wool at shearing, indicating that rub score can be a good predictor of lice-induced reduction in fleece weights. more »

From an animal welfare perspective, this process will cover all welfare aspects for sheep. The draft standards and guidelines for sheep currently include chapters on: Responsibilities Feed and water Risk management of extreme weather, natural disasters, disease, injury and predation Facilities and equipment Handling and husbandry Tail docking and castration Mulesing Breeding management Intensive sheep production systems Humane killing more »

The standards provide a basis for developing and implementing and enforcing consistent legislation across Australia, and provide guidance for all people responsible for sheep. They are based on current scientific knowledge, recommended industry practice and community expectations. The development of these standards is part of a comprehensive program agreed by industry and governments to develop standards and guidelines for all commercial livestock species and at all points along the production supply chain. more »