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Livestock management courses demonstrate safe, healthy handling techniques

Terry Sim, September 4, 2016
Leonie Spriggs from Tilpa took part in the Advanced Stock Movement and Management workshop held at Yantabangee Station, Wilcannia.

Leonie Spriggs from Tilpa at the Advanced Stock Movement and Management workshop at Yantabangee Station, Wilcannia.

ADVANCED Livestock Movement and Management workshops across western New South Wales have demonstrated safe and healthy stock handling methods to the region’s producers.

The workshops hosted by Local Land Services Western Region at Ivanhoe, Wilcannia and Bourke, have highlighted new strategies to help overcome livestock industry challenges such as staff shortages and an aging workforce.

Over the three days at each workshop, livestock expert Neil McDonald demonstrated practical and effective ways of handling livestock, with a focus on understanding animal behaviour to reduce stress on livestock and enable less physical exertion by the stock handler.

At the Bourke workshop Pastoralist Glenn Humbert said he learnt that through using good communication combined with the correct livestock handling procedures, he could enhance desirable outcomes in health and safety, animal welfare and performance, grazing management, environmental benefits, farm profitability, and staff and family enjoyment and retention.

“We not only learnt, but were entertained as well with his very descriptive story based teachings followed up with well-rehearsed practical demonstrations,” he said.

He was confident the new techniques learnt would improve outcomes in participants’ operations.

Sharnee Spencer demonstrates the ‘leader technique’ at the Advanced Stock Movement and Management workshop at Bourke.

Sharnee Spencer demonstrates the ‘leader technique’ at the Advanced Stock Movement and Management workshop at Bourke.

Local Land Services Western Region officer Rob Dini said 39 people attending the three workshops illustrated the significant interest in more effective and efficient stock handling and grazing management strategies for the western region.

“The workshops also proved to be an excellent opportunity for landholders to share their experience in managing stock to better manage groundcover and to discuss techniques for controlling total grazing pressure.”

Senior Land Services officer for rangeland grazing management Kyra Roach said the Bourke workshop demonstrated extremely practical and successful ways of handling livestock and how to start and incorporate the use of working dogs to develop an understandable system for livestock movement, improved economic welfare and WH&S outcomes for all involved.

The workshops were subsidised through funding from the National Landcare Programme. For further information about Advanced Livestock Management & Movement workshops contact Rob Dini (Buronga) on: 03 5021 9430, or Kyra Roach (Bourke) on02 6870 8626.

Source: Local Land Services Western Region.

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