Stock Containment (Sheep) Workshop

Recent years have demonstrated that producers are seeking opportunities to protect vulnerable pastures and landscapes without having to compromise on the livestock carrying capacity of their property. A growing solution is the implementation of Stock Management Areas into their management system.

Although Stock Management Areas, also known as Stock Containment Areas, enable producers to remove grazing pressure from vulnerable drought impacted pastures and landscapes, deciding if an SMA is beneficial to your business is challenging; from determining if you have the appropriate resources, time and management tools, and have suitable feeds and understanding of nutritional requirements, to understanding and applying the economic value and consequences of utilising a SMA before, both during and after drought. 

Stock Management Areas, their use and maintenance can be complex but can also protect and enhance your existing on-farm assets.

How do we actually approach and effectively employ Stock Management Areas in our businesses though?

The Saving Our Soils Project (2022-24) lead by Local Land Services in partnership with Holbrook Landcare Network aims to address the above challenges and help producers make productive, informed decisions relating to SMA establishment and practice.

The purpose of this project is to provide opportunities in the form of workshops, designed to support decision making when designing, and budgeting for stock containment, and develop awareness of economic, natural resource, animal health and labour considerations of SMAs.

HLN’s first Stock Containment Workshop was held in Table Top and focused on cattle. It was a great workshop and the participants all enjoyed the morning, and left with a better understanding of SMAs.

Our next  Stock Containment Workshop will be focusing on sheep, and will be held in Tarcutta on 11th September 2023.

Save the date! More details to follow…