Latest News• Add My News • Search Old News Gippsland › Latest news › Department of Primary IndustriesAg NewsRam Care & Exploring Weed/Animal Interactions RAM CARE Fertile, healthy rams are crucial to a successful joining. Now that we have "Flockcare" and "Fleececare", perhaps it is time for flock owners to have "Ram Care". On the basis that many sheep farms have between 20 and 50 rams costing between $200 and $2000 each, the total investment in rams is considerable. The selection of rams in a wool producing operation is usually much more stringent than for ewes. Why then, are the rams in many situations the least cared for animals in the whole flock? It is amazing to see a lot of ram paddocks. They are often too small, overgrown with thistles, marshmallow and capeweed and really offer a substandard diet to the most important animal in the flock. Under these conditions, rams will not do well. They will loose bodyweight, their testicles will become lighter and their potential semen output will be seriously impaired. Rams of all breeds should be shorn twice yearly and dipped at the shearing furthest from joining. At the same time they should be foot pared, horn tipped and closely examined for fly strike, especially at the base of the horn. The practice of shearing, dipping and vaccinating six weeks prior to joining should be avoided. Fertility in rams is fragile and anything causing even a mild fever can depress fertility for up to six weeks. Internal parasites should be treated with a drench shown to be effective in the flock. Timing of drenches is best based on faecal egg counts and can often be worked in with other management procedures. At least yearly, rams should have testicular palpation by a veterinarian to exclude the presence of epididymitis. Infections such as Ovine brucellosis or Actinobacillus are venereally transmittable and are a cause for culling. Annual blood testing for Ovine brucellosis is also advisable and most studs are, or should be, in the Ovine Brucellosis Accreditation Scheme. Pre-joining nutrition for the eight week period prior to joining is very important. Five hundred grams of lupins per ram per day for this period has been shown to increase testicular size by up to 30%. The larger the testes, the more sperm produced and the higher the eventual pregnancy rate in a healthy, cycling ewe flock. Flock owners should also consider turning over one third of their rams annually. This has the advantage of keeping the ram group younger and more vigorous, and, of course, higher turnover means faster genetic gain. The take home message is that when you spend good money buying rams, look after them when you get them home.
EXPLORING WEED/ANIMAL INTERACTIONS The Weed Society of Victoria (WSV) is holding a seminar on the ecological interactions of animals with weeds at DPI Knoxfield on The complex interactions of animals with weeds have major implications for agriculture and the environment. Weeds may be eaten, dispersed and pollinated by animals. Animals use weeds for shelter and nesting, and the activities of livestock and feral animals can create the conditions in which particular weeds thrive. Relationships between weeds and animals can be detrimental or beneficial. Poisoning of livestock resulting from weed consumption is a recurrent problem, but many weeds are useful fodder plants, or can be exploited and controlled by strategic grazing. Weeds are hosts for many insect pests of useful plants, but insects are also the main organisms used in weed biological control programs. Native and exotic fruit and seed‑eating animals are blamed for the spread of some of our most seriously noxious plants, while there are concerns that the introduction of exotic pollinating insects will enhance the seeding of many weedy plants. For more information and to register (there is a cost) visit www.wsvic.org.au or call (03) 9576 2949. Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
Related Articles
|
|
 | Baw Baw |  | Bass Coast |  | Cardinia |  | East Gippsland |  | Latrobe City |  | South Gippsland |  | Wellington |
|
© 2001-2025 gippsland.com
Print this page |
Subscribe to Newsletter |
Feedback / Inquiries |
Login |
Care has been taken in compiling the component parts of this website. However, Gippsland.com does not warrant or represent that the website is free from errors or omissions, that the qualifications claimed by an advertiser are valid or that the published details of any advertiser are as stated on the website. Please review the full statement of our Terms and Conditions of Service and disclaimer.