Feeding sheep is becoming expensive.

ALTERNATIVE feed options for hungry sheep will be considered in a keenly-awaited ‘funny feeds’ webinar next week.

Organisers are expecting national interest in the webinar being co-ordinated by Western Local Land Services and Sheep Connect NSW on Tuesday, May 29.

Landholders throughout the Western region and further afield are being encouraged to attend the webinar that will give an overview of some of the more unusual feed options available and some of the pros and cons associated with them.

The ‘funny feeds’ webinar, is available to anyone with computer with internet connection and those unable to attend can register and get a link to a recording.

The webinar will feature a presentation from the widely-respected Geoff Duddy, who is the owner and manager of Sheep Solutions.

Mr Duddy has spent over 30 years servicing regional, state and national sheep and wool producer enquiries, specialising in sheep meat production, new and introduced sheep breeds, pasture and grain-based finishing systems and marketing.

Western Local Land Services Team Leader – Agriculture, Gemma Turnbull hopes landholders can make the time to attend the webinar as it may offer them some new feeding options or dispel some of the misunderstanding surrounding by-product feeding or less common feed types.

“Landholders that have been feeding for a considerable time have been making enquiries as to other potential feeding options for their stock,” Ms Turnbull said.

“This webinar will answer all those questions and offer some great advice with regards to stock feeding, while there will also be an opportunity for landholders to ask questions of Geoff after his presentation.”

Mr Duddy and Ms Turnbull said feed options to be discussed in the webinar will included cotton seed, grape marc, almond hulls, onions, pumpkins and rock melons.

Ms Turnbull said people just looking at different and cheaper options as the dry conditions continued and other feedstuffs becaome more expensive.

“Using unusual other feed types to complement other feeds becomes fairly commonplace, but there are often issues and warnings that come with them that people need to be aware of.

“There are a lot of people feeding and now having to re-evaluate because the feeds that they have been purchasing are becoming harder to get or more expensive,” she said.

“Some of them are just looking at a bit of a re-evaluation of what their options are and availability as close as possible to home, which for this area can sometimes be difficult, because we are not a big cropping area.”

She said enquiries indicated the webinar is going to be popular across the state and interstate.

“It’s not just us that is experiencing a dry period and difficulties obtaining feed for livestock.”

The free webinar will commence at 1 pm AEST on May  29 and participants are required to register beforehand.

To register, visit www.lls.nsw.gov.au/western and for further information on the webinar, contact Ms Turnbull on (02) 6870 8632.

Landholders looking for further information on seasonal conditions and what support is available should visit www.droughthub.nsw.gov.au The webinar is provided through funding by Catchment Action NSW.