Sheep

The key products of the Western Australian sheep industry are wool, sheepmeat (lamb and mutton) and live sheep. At around 12.4 million sheep, the WA flock turns off between 4.5 and 6 million sheep and lambs for meat and live export as well as 65 million kilograms of greasy wool (primarily for export markets) annually.

The Merino is the most common breed of sheep in WA, making up 80% of the state's flock. The remainder are ‘British breeds’ or so-called maternal breeds, meat specific breeds such as Dorpers and some breeds for specialty meat and fibre markets.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development's current focus is on increasing lamb supply, improving the productivity, welfare and sustainability of sheep production and developing and extending targeted information products and services to generate practice change. In an effort to increase the marking rate of lambs, the department, in collaboration with industry, has developed the More Sheep initiative.

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Articles

  • Position of the hand on the sheeps back for condition scoring sheep. The thumb should be placed on the backbone and the fingers feeling the short ribs.

    Condition scoring of sheep

    29 October 2013

    Condition scoring sheep is an easy and accurate method of estimating the condition or 'nutritional well being' of your sheep flock.

  • weaner sheep in a paddock at the breeak of season.

    Annual pasture quantity and quality in South West Western Australia

    26 November 2013

    The productivity of sheep is largely governed by the amount of pasture they eat and this is influenced by the quantity of the pasture on offer and its quality.

  • Weaner Merinos leaving the yards after being checked for flystrike.

    Early weaning of lambs in a poor season

    6 March 2014

    The feed requirements of a ewe with a lamb at foot are higher than if the ewe and lambs are fed separately. In a difficult season with short feed supplies, it is better to early-wean lambs from the

  • weaner sheep in a paddock at the breeak of season.

    Key points - managing sheep in the poor season

    9 July 2017

    Managing sheep in a poor season? This page provides some key points to consider, including feed budgets and transporting of ewes and lambs.

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    The Western Australian sheep and wool industries

    22 November 2013

    This page provides up-to-date information on the production, consumption and trade (domestic and international) of sheep meat and wool in Western Australia. 

  • sheep ear tag at gate

    Electronic identification for sheep and goats

    1 December 2022

    The adoption of mandatory electronic identification (eID) for sheep and goats is a way of improving traceability pra

  • State Barrier Fence with the installation of lap wire which has upgraded the fence to wild dog standard

    State Barrier Fence overview

    16 January 2014

    The Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 (BAM Act) provides the authority for regulations to be made for the erection and maintenance of barrier fences as a means of controlling

  • Ram scrotum with no obvious swellings, however palpation may detect abnormalities in the epididymal or testicle tissue

    Ovine brucellosis

    10 July 2014

    Ovine brucellosis is a reproductive disease that can affect all breeds of sheep.

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    The Lambing Planner

    24 October 2013

    The Lambing Planner is a simple tool that allows you to change a lambing date or a joining date to see the impacts of that on other key times in the reproductive year.

  • Photo caption: The Pasture condition guide for the Kimberley includes information for pastoralists on the 17 most common pasture types throughout the Kimberley.

    Pasture condition guide for the Kimberley, Western Australia

    27 March 2014

    This pasture condition guide can be used from the web pages or by downloading the linked documents.

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