Refining body condition score

Condition scoring a mob of sheep at key times throughout the year gives producers information to make management decisions in order to reach condition score targets for joining and lambing. Condition scoring sheep involves assessing the amount of muscle and fat covering the animal’s backbone and the short ribs. This gives a picture of the sheep’s store of energy. It is the best method for monitoring the condition of adult sheep, particularly pregnant and lactating ewes. The current advice for a wide range of regions, breeds and season of mating is a threat to the adoption of ewe management packages could reduce farm profits. This project will apply AUSFARM, a farm-system model, to re-examine these assumptions. The on-farm component will demonstrate to producers how important it is to understand their flock’s response to condition score by matching the reproduction outcomes at scanning with pre-mating body condition score. The project will also support and enhance the current cost-benefit estimates in the Lifetime Ewe Management Training adoption package for a wider set of conditions leading to increased adoption of best practice management tools.