Scanning to get big picture
Method helps improve fertility and productivity
A BLACKALL sheep and wool producer says introducing a pregnancy-scanning program could improve flock fertility by 10–15% within a 12-month period, as well as allow producers to fine-tune ewe management.
Ben Banks and his wife Oona manage the 46,500-hectare family property, Rivington, west of Blackall, where they run 25,000 merinos (when the season permits).
For close to a decade the couple has also operated a contract pregnancy-scanning business, processing around 100,000 head of sheep a year.
With sheep numbers on the rise nationally, driven by buoyant wool prices and improvements in the industry outlook thanks to wild dog fencing, Mr Banks said breeding flocks were becoming increasingly valuable.
“A shortage of sheep numbers is driving prices, so that in turn is encouraging producers to place extra emphasis on breeding programs,” Mr Banks said.
“Improving the fertility and productivity of your own flock is the most cost-effective way to boost your sheep numbers.
“I think scanning is one of the most untapped resources, especially in my part of the state, where there is so much potential for improving management of pregnant ewes.
“With the information gathered at scanning so many more options are opened up for producers. Central west Queensland is a harsh pastoral environment, but by identifying pregnancy status, we can tailor our nutrition and husbandry management programs so we end up marking more lambs.”
Mr Banks said pregnancy scanning allowed producers to draft ewes into mobs of multiple or single bearing ewes, as well as culling infertile animals, which improved flock efficiency and ensured feed was utilised by the most productive animals.
“Twinning ewes can be run in smaller mobs and fed to meet their extra nutritional requirements. Alternatively, if you opt to sell a scanned-inlamb ewe they generally make around $20 a head more than a station-mated female,” he said.
“Meanwhile single ewes can be run in larger mobs and
dry ewes can be run like wethers or sold.”
Within his own operation, Mr Banks said he had become increasingly focused on scanning for multiple pregnancies, so more productive ewes were managed well to ensure they delivered lambs on the
ground.
“Since we’ve started scanning every year, we have been able to improve our flock’s fertility, because we know what ewes are really producing,” he said.
“For example, when we first started scanning at Rivington, in the initial year we had about
75% of ewes in lamb, so we were able to identify and cull those infertile females.
“The following year we did the same thing and now we work on an average of 85–90% scanned in lamb.”
He said in real terms the program allowed him to lift flock fertility by 10–15% within 12 months and it was a sustainable improvement.
“Regardless of mob size, that sort of improvement, in terms of knowing what ewes are fertile and what they are producing for you, makes a significant difference to your bank balance at the end of the day,” Mr Banks said.