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Academics help sheep settle into new pastures

July 13, 2005

Bahrain feedlot Mar 2005.jpg
An animal nutritionist from The University of New England will travel to the Middle East next month to help countries there in their efforts to maintain the welfare of sheep after their arrival from Australia.
Dr Darryl Savage, from UNE’s School of Rural Science and Agriculture, has already conducted a series of workshops on the nutrition and feeding management of newly-arrived sheep in Bahrain and Qatar.
"The workshops in Bahrain were so successful that we're extending the program to other countries that import Australian sheep," he said. These countries include Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Oman and Kuwait, with next month's workshops in Qatar being the next step.
"We in Australia (those in the sheep industry and members of the general public alike) need to have confidence that when we sell sheep abroad they will be managed well, even beyond our ownership," Dr Savage, pictured here at a feedlot in Bahrain, said.
"Our colleagues in the Middle East have a strong desire to improve their systems, and are very receptive to our involvement. We have a good working relationship with them, and that's going to be the key to our success."
Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) is funding the project (which started at the beginning of this year) and invited UNE's involvement.
Dr Savage is working with Dr Nigel Brown, MLA's Manager of Livestock Services for the Middle East and Africa, and Mr Peter Dundon, an Honorary Research Associate at UNE who is employed by MLA on the project.
While Dr Savage focuses on aspects of feeding and nutrition in the welfare of the sheep, the MLA officers are working on improvements in infrastructure (such as facilities for unloading sheep) and stockmanship skills.

MLA's Dr Brown, in a talk he gave last month at UNE to a meeting of the New England Branch of the Australian Society of Animal Production, made the point that if Australia did not sell sheep to the Middle Eastern countries they would buy them from countries whose animal welfare standards were not as rigorous as Australia's.
"Australia is the preferred source of sheep in Middle Eastern countries," Dr Savage said.
"So that gives us an opportunity to work with them on welfare issues."
Dr Savage pointed out that all stock feed in these countries is imported, and supplies can be limited.
"The workshops will enable us, first of all, to gain an understanding of what feed products are available, and how they're being fed to the sheep," he said. "Then we can work together on possible improvements."
For more information phone Dr Darryl Savage on 6773 3623 or
Lydia Roberts on 6773 2779.

Posted by Lydia Roberts at July 13, 2005 10:27 AM