Publication Date

5-1992

Series Number

Research report 1/92

Publisher

Department of Agriculture Western Australia

City

Perth

ISSN

0157-6259

Abstract

Sudden unpredicted rainfall during summer has caused high mortality rates in newly shorn sheep on at least two previous occasions. These occurred at Darkan, Western Australia, in 1982 (Buckman 1982) and at Kybylolite in the south-east of South Australia in 1960 (Geytenbeek 1982).

Geytenbeek (1982) reported an average mortality of 8.3%, which was highest for sheep within five days of shearing. The mortality declined for animals shorn more than seven days before the rain.

Buckman (1982) reported an average mortality of 27.9% which was highest within 12 days of shearing. The losses related directly to the amount of rain received.

The main cause of death in both surveys was hypothermia, affecting sheep of all ages. There was a poor response to treatment and paddock shelter.

A report from Northern Ireland found a significant correlation between the degree of adverse weather conditions and level of pneumonia in sheep (Mcilroy et al. 1989). Farmers in the Northam Advisory District in the western part of the Department of Agriculture's Central Agricultural Region, have described deaths in sheep with respiratory distress one to two weeks after exposure to extreme adverse weather conditions.

About 20% of the sheep in Western Australia are shorn between November and April (ABS 1990) so a large number of sheep are at risk during summer storms.

Number of Pages

11

Keywords

Sheep, Weather, Mortality, Western Australia, Shearing

Disciplines

Agricultural Science | Agriculture | Animal Sciences | Climate | Environmental Monitoring | Sheep and Goat Science

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