Photo source: Deborah Maxwell

Develop the skills and confidence to manage your weaners to achieve performance targets that improve animal welfare and whole farm profitability.

The primary focus of High Performance Weaners (HPW) is to instill a 'measure-to-manage' approach that will provide participants with the key decision making tools for weaner management. HPW will help improve the reproductive performance of ewe lambs - particularly for prime lamb flocks.

HPW involves groups of 5 sheep producers undertaking 6 meetings during the year. Each meeting is strategically timed to coincide with key stages of weaner management, with session 1 held off-farm (involving multiple groups). Sessions 1 - 3 have a particular emphasis on pre-weaning management and establishing monitoring systems to suit individual enterprises. Sessions 4 - 6 enables participants to refine their weaners performance and provides further opportunities to modify their current management practices.

HPW is structured to maximise knowledge retention, skills development and practice change. The program involves professional facilitation of self-selected discussion groups, practice by doing, on-farm demonstration and teaching others.

Why should you attend?

HPW is a hands-on training program with a measure to manage approach that will assist wool and lamb producers understand:

• Economic benefits of improved weaner management
• Lamb and weaner health management
• Pre and post weaner nutrition

This will assist producers to minimise weaner mortality, optimise weaner growth rates and increase conception rates for producers joining ewe lambs. Participants will develop the skills and confidence to manage their weaners to achieve performance targets that improve animal welfare and whole farm profitability.

This information has been provided by Rural Industry Skills Training (RIST). To find out more please download the HPW brochure below.

Testimonial

“Conception rates in ewe lambs went from 93 per cent in 2009 to 124 per cent in 2010, as a direct result of doing the High Performance Weaner course.” - James Peddie, Gazette.

For more information contact RIST (Rural Industries Skill Training) contact Darren Gordon on 03 5573 0943 / 0408 114 656 or via email to dgordon@rist.com.au