Improving sheep nutrition

MSF with the support of Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) is on a mission to close the knowledge gap around feed and nutrition in low rainfall zones.

Key objectives

To identify and document the nutritional value and mineral content of a diverse range of Mallee pastures and grazing crops, including seasonal variations over a two-year period.

To boost producer confidence and decision-making capabilities in sheep management by developing and disseminating region-specific feed base resources and conducting educational grower events.

About the project

MSF with the support of Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) is on a mission to close the knowledge gap around feed and nutrition in low rainfall zones.

With feedback from MSF members, we’ve heard loud and clear that farmers need a better understanding of digestibility, energy value, and mineral content in a range of pastures and crops.

And it’s not just about grazing the usual suspects — we’re talking about exploring alternatives like pulses. Whether it’s building flock numbers or reintroducing sheep, MSF knows there needs to be more flexibility and better information available to address nutritional deficiencies and manage seasonal variability.

This will be achieved by the following objectives:

Identify the nutritional value and mineral content of a range of Mallee pastures and grazing crops including the variance between seasons over two years.
Develop a dataset of the nutritional value and mineral content of low rainfall pastures for use by producers and industry.
Increase producer confidence and decision-making ability in relation to sheep management through the development of region-specific feed base resources.
Conduct grower events at the end of the project to extend results, with the aim to building database of farmers to target for participating in Lifetime Ewe Management.

Guides

Gallery

Acknowledgments

Working together with farmers