Wool growers achieve increased stocking rates, increases in marking and weaning percentages, and a reduction in ewe mortality after undertaking the Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) Lifetime Ewe Management (LTEM) training program.
The training program was developed by the AWI- funded Lifetime Wool project and Rural Industries Skill Training (RIST), and draws on the outcomes of the Lifetime Wool project, which quantified the impacts of nutrition throughout the reproductive cycle on ewe and progeny performance over their lifetime.
The course is focused on practice change and delivering measurable benefits to the participants and, since it commenced in 2005–06, over 4000 sheep producers have completed the course. On average, participants report an increase in stocking rate of 9.3 per cent, an increase in marking and weaning percentage by 7 per cent, and a 25 per cent reduction in ewe mortality.
The course is delivered to small groups of five to seven sheep producers, who meet six times a year with a professional facilitator (LTEM Trainer). During the hands-on sessions, the group visits each participating farm and learns skills of condition scoring, pasture assessment and best-practice ewe and lamb management to increase reproduction efficiency and wool production, mainly through matching ewes’ nutritional requirements and reducing ewe and lamb mortality.
AWI and RIST are committed to the continuing professional development of the LTEM Trainers, a group that includes some of the most well-recognised and respected sheep consultants from across Australia. Annual LTEM Regional Trainer Forums are conducted to deliver research outcomes and updates relating to sheep reproduction and nutrition and calibration exercises for condition scoring and assessing feed on offer (FOO), and get feedback from Trainers as to improvements that can be made to the LTEM.
AWI supports woolgrower participation by offering levy payers and their employees a $1000 subsidy on the course fee of $2400 (2021), as well as covering travel costs for Trainers to access remote areas where there is no local LTEM trainer.
AWI has developed a free LTEM app, putting millions of dollars of research and extension directly into the woolgrower’s palm.