QUEENSLAND’S next generation of sheep and wool producers has shown strong support for a 2021 webinar series that covered health, husbandry, working dogs and sheep marketing.

Leading Sheep said its 10-part H Series webinars has attracted 279 attendees and almost 4000 recording views since the recordings were first made available online in April last year.

The webinar series focussed on educating and empowering the next generation of producers in the Queensland sheep and wool industry and was the first of its kind to be hosted by Leading Sheep.

The now completed H Series recordings are all available online.

Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries extension officer Jed Sommerfield said the webinar series was a great success, providing young and/or new Merino producers with practical information on how to run a successful, productive, and profitable operation.

“For those starting out in the industry, a common challenge is learning and understanding the fundamentals.

“These webinars equip attendees with the knowledge and skills to grow a sustainable enterprise by learning directly from some of Australia’s leading sheep and wool industry experts,” Mr Sommerfield said.

“Though sheep and wool is an attractive industry to be in, producers face extremely varied and complex climatic and market conditions, so it’s important that they are equipped with all the information that will help drive productive and profitable performance.”

The series features a broad range of topics presented by industry leaders, including:

Part 1: Health, facilitated by veterinarian and Queensland sheep producer, Dr Noel O’Dempsey

Part 2: Him & her (reproduction), facilitated by veterinarian and Queensland sheep producer, Dr Noel O’Dempsey

Part 3: Handling, hosted by stock handler, dog trainer and sheep producer, Neil McDonald

Part 4: Herding Foundations, presented by stock handler, dog trainer and sheep producer, Neil McDonald

Part 5: Husbandry, with lamb marking contractor and farmer, Tom Perkins

Part 6: Housing (shearing, shearing quarters and shearing shed), with Longreach shearing contractor, Rayleen Bowden Sheedy

Part 7: Harvesting (Shearing), facilitated by Fiona Raleigh, wool classer registrar, AWEX

Part 8: How to sell wool, led by state manager NSW/QLD from Australian Wool Network, Mark Hedley

Part 9: Hunger (Nutrition), facilitated by Geoff Duddy, Principal Consultant, Sheep Solutions

Part 10: How to buy and sell sheep, Gus Foott, Assessor & Delivery Agent, Nutrien Ag Solutions

Mr Sommerfield said this Leading Sheep initiative helped facilitate an interactive two-way-conversation between experts and attendees.

“Webinar attendees were encouraged to come prepared with questions and this format allowed young producers to gain a more holistic, practical understanding of the industry and best-practice techniques,” Mr Sommerfield said.

“So, if you’re new to the sheep and wool industry, looking to get into it, or diversify your operation, we recommend you jump online and check out the webinars.”

The H Series webinars can be accessed at: http://www.leadingsheep.com.au/category/recordedwebinars-videos/.

The Leading Sheep website hosts a wealth of information and resources for all experience levels, covering topics from electronic identification (EID) to exclusion fencing and genetics. To find out more, visit the website (www.leadingsheep.com.au) and sign up to receive monthly updates and details on events happening in each region.