Rural Round Up Archives - Page 15 of 21

Suicide Rate Higher In Rural Areas

August 31, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

Australia’s recorded suicide rate is the highest it has been for 10 years. The rate of suicide is about 50% higher in rural areas than in major cities. In NSW, more than 74% of the population live in major cities, and has increased by 1.6% year on year from 2014 to 2015, while the population of remote and very remote NSW areas has decreased, at -0.7% and -1.1% respectively.

The most populous states of NSW, Victoria and Queensland collectively accounted for 73.2% of Australian suicides in 2015. It is the 13th leading cause of death in Australia.

Lambing Data Needed

August 31, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

The NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) are collecting data as part of a national lambing density project funded by AWI and MLA. The DPI are asking producers, who pregnancy scan their ewes for multiples, for their data on their farm related to lamb survival within individual mobs.

The data will help the DPI to understand the impact of lambing density on lamb survival across a range of management and environmental conditions. Upon completion of the project, participants will be provided with a summary report including their data and any regional and national findings. If you would like to be a part of this survey or want to know more please contact Tracy Lamb via email tracy.lamb@dpi.nsw.gov.au or call 0408 443 267.

Central West Stud Sales

August 24, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

RIDGEHAVEN BREEDING EXCELLENCE
Ridgehaven Poll Dorsets is a family run stud at Cudal aiming to breed rams that sire profitable prime lambs. With a focus on combining visual traits, such as structure and muscle shape, with performance recording systems, Ridgehaven rams are consistent and balanced throughout the whole drop.

This year’s sale offer an outstanding lineup of rams, showing early growth and maturity, depth of carcass and structural soundness. Inspection of the rams can be arranged prior to sale day on Thursday, 14th September.

BULLS AT SOUTHERN STAR
Southern Star Rural (SSR), a Senepol stud based in Canowindra, have on offer a number of Senepol, Senepol x Angus and Senepol x Charolais bulls for sale on farm. This year a number of SSR bulls will be sold through the 5 Star Senepol Sale at the Gracemere Saleyards near Rockhampton, Queensland on Monday, 18th September at 11am.

Clayton and Sarah Maynard started the stud in Canowindra in 2010 and decided to run Senepol’s as their family in Jambin, Queensland have the largest Senepol herd in Australia. Clayton saw the opportunity to introduce the Angus and Charolais breeds from NSW and cross them with the Senepol, predominatly from Northern Australia, to come up with a cross-bred Senepol x Angus (Senegus) and Senepol x Charolais (Senelais).

COOTA PARK SALE
The Coota Park Blue-E 2017 annual on property production sale is on Tuesday, 5th September at 2pm in Woodstock, near Cowra. On offer are 50 bulls and 20 cows and calves. Coota Park Blue-E cattle are known for their hybrid vigour, efficient conversion of grass to meat, low methane and growth yield marbling efficiency. Blue-E’s are a line of Angus x Shorthorn cattle developed by Jon, Harvey and Barbara Wright of Coota Park, Woodstock. The Blue-E
concept was initially conceived by Jon after many years working as cattle manager at the Trangie Research Centre in NSW. The research considered the value of feed conversion to the beef industry.

Central West Stud Sales

August 17, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

New Auction System At Choice Angus Annual Sale
Choice Angus will use the Helmsman auction system for the very first time at its annual sale this year. “We believe that yearling bulls, rather than two-year-olds, are a better purchasing option for the majority of our customers. They
carry the latest genetics, being younger they settle into their new environment easier and being lighter they are often a better choice for joining heifers,” said Tim Brazier.

The 2017 Choice Angus Inaugural Bull Sale will be held on Friday, 1st September at 1pm on the farm at “Inglewood” 128 Norah Creek Road, Molong. On sale will be 50 yearling bulls with the following bloodlines: Karoo D145 Generator G220, EF Complement 8088 USA, SAV Pioneer 7301, Braveheart of Stern, SAV Thunderbird 9061, Carabar Docklands D62, and Millah Murrah Doc F159.

For sale info call Tim Brazier on 0427 625 996. The sale is being run by Elders Bathurst – David Simpson 0427 399 362 and interfaced with Auctions Plus. For more information check out the website at www.choiceangus.com or find them on Facebook.

70 Bulls, Cows And Calves At Coota Park Sale
The Coota Park Blue-E 2017 annual on-property production sale will be held on Tuesday, 5th September at 2pm at Woodstock, near Cowra. On offer this year are 50 bulls and 20 cows and calves. Coota Park Blue-E cattle are known for their hybrid vigour, efficient conversion of grass to meat, low methane and growth yield marbling efficiency.
Blue-E’s are a line of Angus x Shorthorn cattle that have been developed by Jon, Harvey and Barbara Wright of Coota Park, Woodstock, NSW.

The Blue-E concept was initially conceived by Jon after many years working as cattle manager at the Trangie Research Centre in NSW. The research considered the value of feed conversion to the beef industry. After seeing first-hand the enormous value in selecting for feed conversion, Jon returned to Coota Park and initiated the Blue-E cattle and built their own efficiency testing facility on farm. Contact Jon Wright on 0429 450 326 for more information.

SSR Bulls For Sale

August 17, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

Southern Star Rural (SSR), a Senepol stud based in Canowindra, have Senepol, Senepol x Angus and Senepol x Charolais bulls for sale on farm. SSR bulls will also be sold through the 5 Star Senepol Sale at the Gracemere Saleyards near Rockhampton, Queensland on Monday, 18th September at 11am. Contact Clayton Maynard on
0439 029 204 or visit www.southernstarrural.com.au

Felix Rams Hit the Sweet Spot

August 17, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

Felix Rams have focused on producing efficient and profitable prime lambs by breeding high performance, structurally sound meatsheep rams for 20 years. They started weighing lambs at birth in 1996, and have since weighed more than 22,500 lambs within 12 hours of birth.

Birthweight records go into Sheep Genetics – Lambplan to help eliminate the production of rams that sire lambs with excessively high or low birthweights. The majority of Felix Rams hit the sweet spot for birthweight asbv of between 0.1 and 0.5, and pfat asbv between -0.8 and +0.5. these rams are consistently in the top 25% of terminal rams for growth rate and eye muscle.

Felix Rams will have 140 Poll Dorset and 45 White Suffolk rams at their annual on-property sale at Greenethorpe on 5th September. Catalogues available at www.felixrams.com.au from 25th August, or call Rodney on 0417 499 204 or the selling agents, Allan Gray and Co on 6342 2377.

Field Day In Forbes Next Week

August 3, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

Farmers, contract harvesters, transport companies and agricultural machinery retailers are invited to attend the Be Road Ready For Harvest Field Day on Thursday, 10th August at the Forbes Central West Livestock Exchange.

The Field Day, supported by the Australian Custom Harvesters Association, NSW Farmers, WFI, Roads and Maritime Services, NSW Police and the Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Councils, will kick off with a free breakfast at 8am.

Local Australian Custom Harvesters Association Member Bob Wythes, says the aim of the Field Day is to provide information about the current regulations for safely and legally moving agricultural vehicles and combinations on the road.

NSW Farmers Parkes/Forbes Branch Chair Gavin Tom says: “NSW Farmers continuously work with RMS to ensure the needs of farmers are understood, and this hands on Field Day is a perfect way to get everyone together with the machinery that is the subject of this work.” The highlight of the day will be an interactive machinery inspection session conducted by Roads and Maritime Services and NSW Police. This session allows people to clarify what the requirements are for various vehicle and combination dimensions, safety equipment and pilot/escort vehicles.

Attendees will receive a copy of the 2017 Moving Harvest Machinery Information Kit, with all the relevant notices and information about moving agricultural machinery on the road. If the machinery or combination doesn’t comply with the dimensions set out in the general notices, a specific permit may have to be applied for.

The Field Day will also feature presentations from the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator about the National Agricultural Notice, Chain of Responsibility and other access issues.

Bred Well Fed Well Workshop In Alectown

August 3, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

Quality Wool hosted a Bred Well Fed Well workshop in Alectown for farmers last week. Hosted by Bernard and Elizabeth Dwyer, 18 participants attended the intensive oneday workshop. Facilitated by Dr Jason Trompf from JT
Agri-Source, the day combined presentations as well as hands-on practical sessions, designed to equip producers with practical tools to optimise reproduction and profitability in their ewe flocks.

Producers got to try their hand at included condition scoring, feed budgeting, ram rankings and ram selection, with follow-up courses in these areas offered for those wishing to further develop skills in breeding and nutritional management. A number of attendees indicated they’d like to participate in the Ewe Lifetime Management
program going forward.

A joint initiative between Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) and Australian Wool Innovation (AWI), Bred Well Fed Well workshops aim to help commercial producers, stock agents and many others to advance their skills in ram selection using Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs).

Control Worm Larvae

July 6, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

Worm larvae are a common issue in the cooler weather for grazing animals and can often be hard to detect.

Once the larvae eggs are passed through the faeces and conditions are suitable for development, the eggs hatch to larvae and undergo two stages of growth before developing into the third stage becoming infective.

If the conditions are suitable the larvae can develop in a very short period of time. A donor sheep infected with H. contortus cultured and incubated for 7 days at 25-27 degrees produced approximately 800,000 infective larvae that could potentially infect other sheep.

Larvae are very resilient and can survive in low temperatures, even a frost. The larvae become a major issue as it can remain in the pastures for up to 3-7 months.

Warmer and humid conditions are when the larvae are most active due to a greater demand for limited food reserves, where as in cooler temperatures the larvae is less active, consume fewer reserves and will survive longer.

Unfortunately larvae can’t be seen with the naked eye on pastures hence the importance to understand the conditions at which worm eggs develop.

Highly contaminated pastures are particu- larly unsuitable for young sheep which are at most risk of infection. Pasture contamination can also be managed with rotational crops and worm tests conducted on farm.

Sourced from AgriWest Rural

Jujube Fruit The Next Big Thing For CDS

July 6, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

Ask most people what a Jujube is and they will tell you a Jujube is a character from a Nintendo game. On a more serious note, jujube could be a big business enterprise for Currajong Disability Services as de- mand continues to grow for the exotic fruit, especially in the Far East and the Australian-Asian grocery industry.

Over the past 12 months a dedicated team of Currajong Disability Services staff, the Currajong Autism Support Group, and numerous local volunteers have ripped, planted, irrigated and treated soil at the Akuna Road farm – all to ensure a bumper jujube crop.

Despite challenges from pests such as hares, everything is on course for a good haul that will help, in part, meet the demands of the burgeoning Asian market but also, potentially, create employment for Currajong Disability Service clients and an additional income stream.

Neil Unger, CDS chairman, said the jujube fruit fetches up to $15/kg fresh. “Some like it fresh but it is also popular dry, taking on a similar consistency and taste as sticky dates,” he said.

“It is another potential arm to the CDS business model that now includes paper shredding, Carob Trees and much more,” said Neil. “We are continuing to go from strength to strength.”

The Jujube need grafting and cannot just be grown. They are tolerant of salt, cold and heat being able to withstand temps as low as -50 degrees Celsius through to +50 degrees Celsius. They are extremely resil- ient and can be profitable.

“We are hoping to expand but as you know these things take time,” said Neil. “Once this is up and running we hope and anticipate it may provide more opportuni- ties and employment.

“Again, thanks everyone for their time, effort and support,” said Neil.

By Dane Millerd

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