It’s been a while since we’ve had our podcast host,
Mark Ferguson
, in the guest seat on Head Shepherd. The chance to hear more about his recent trip to Ontario, Canada, was too good to pass up though. Sophie hit the record button and asked him about what he saw, where there were opportunities to create more value and what we could consider doing differently here in Australia and New Zealand.?
Here is a snapshot of a few of the takeaways from Ferg and Sophie’s chat:
- Farming sheep at minus 30°C: While sheep producers in Australia and New Zealand are no strangers to challenging climatic conditions, the truly freezing cold temperatures of winter (and warm, humid summers) in Ontario require a totally different approach to raising sheep. Barn design, ventilation and feeding efficiency are crucial considerations for indoor systems, while many Canadian farmers have successfully adapted their outdoor systems to match the environmental constraints of a short growing season and a grazing platform that is often frozen during winter.?
- High land values: In the face of rising land values, many lamb producers are making intensive production system choices, while others are innovating alongside changing land use and grazing under solar panels.??
- Looking at genetics from a different perspective: From unique breeds developed specifically for Canadian conditions, such as the Rideau Arcott, to the use of the more familiar Poll Dorset as a maternal (rather than a terminal), Ferg saw many different approaches to breeding. And, as you’d expect, he also spotted plenty of opportunities for enhanced genetics to play a greater role.?
- Economies of scale: While Canada is not short on land mass, the sheep population there is much smaller than in Australia or New Zealand. A smaller industry means that some of the things we may take for granted - access to a wide range of veterinary products or a local pregnancy scanner, for example - are not always available. While having fewer chemical options is driving innovation in the area of genetic solutions to health issues, Ferg also saw the opportunity for advances in technology to help refine management of twin- and triplet-bearing ewes.?
- Nutritional knowledge and efficiency: One of the biggest differences Ferg saw between Canadian operators and their antipodean counterparts was their detailed knowledge of sheep nutrition and how to optimise it for the greatest efficiency (indoors or outdoors).
- A matter of taste: The contrast in flavour profile between an intensively raised, corn-fed, entire ram lamb and a slightly older, grass-fed wether has certainly made an impression on Ferg! It raises questions about marketing lamb to a wide range of consumers around the globe and how we might differentiate sheep meat produced in markedly different systems.
- And ... how many ways can a sheep eat corn? Likely more ways than you’d expect!
Sophie and Ferg cover so much more, from accelerated lambing systems to handling barber’s pole and coccidia. For the full conversation, tune into Head Shepherd wherever you listen to your podcasts. Be sure to let us know if something in this episode challenged your previous way of thinking about sheep production, wherever you are in the world!
If you would like to learn more about sheep production in Canada and the Ontario Sheep Farmers organisation, visit their website: https://www.ontariosheep.org/.
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Written by Skye Rutherford, neXtgen Agri International.
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