Register      Login
Animal Production Science Animal Production Science Society
Food, fibre and pharmaceuticals from animals
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Water management as a future necessity in sheep feedlots

J. M. Pluske A D and A. C. Schlink B C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A School of Agricultural and Resource Economics, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, WA 6009, Australia.

B CSIRO Livestock Industries, Private Bag 5, Wembley, WA 6913, Australia.

C Present address: 29 Carrick Street, Woodlands, WA 6018, Australia.

D Corresponding author. Email: johanna.pluske@uwa.edu.au

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 48(5) 641-647 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA06282
Submitted: 12 October 2006  Accepted: 28 September 2007   Published: 7 April 2008

Abstract

Improving water management in rural towns such as Wagin, Western Australia, will decrease infrastructure damage caused by water and salinity and produce a ‘new water’ resource. The aim of this paper is to predict feedlot water demand using a bioeconomic model, H20Sheep, to determine if using such a ‘new water’ resource could be a viable option for this production system. Wagin (–33.3075 S, 117.3403 E), a township south-east of Perth, was chosen as the specific location for a sheep feedlot producing prime lambs. In this paper, the H20Sheep model was used to show how feedlot returns are influenced by the price of water, different feeding regimens and climate change. This was done by integrating feed and water intake of lambs, general feedlot water use and waste disposal. To show relative sensitivity of changing other model parameters that are not directly connected with water, changes in the purchase and sale price of lambs were also investigated. As might be expected, H20Sheep shows that returns from a sheep feedlot enterprise can be extremely sensitive to changes in lamb purchase (just over 7% increase will result in negative returns) and sale prices (a 4% decrease will generate a negative outcome). With respect to water, the findings indicate that, while increases in water use in the feedlot and price have to be greater than the increase in relative price of sheep, monitoring the biological parameters associated with water as well as water prices is still important both from a management and an economic perspective. Hence, if towns involved in the Rural Towns – Liquid Assets project, such as Wagin, decide to sell their water, the relevant policy makers should ensure that the sale price enables an effective water management system for the town and is also attractive to end-users such as feedlots.

Additional keywords: cost–benefit analysis.


Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge financial assistance from CSIRO and the University of Western Australia. They are also grateful to Colin White and Dean Thomas for providing useful comments on an earlier draft of this paper. Comments provided by anonymous referees are also appreciated.


References


AFRC (1993) ‘Energy and protein requirements of ruminants. An advisory manual prepared by the AFRC Technical Committee on responses to nutrients.’ (CAB International: Wallingford, UK)

ARC (1980) ‘The nutrient requirements of ruminant livestock.’ (Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux: Farnham Royal, UK)

Ash A (2001) ‘Climate change impacts for Australia.’ (CSIRO: Aitkenvale, Qld) Available at http://www.marine.csiro.au/iawg/impacts2001.pdf [Verified 17 February 2008]

Bell AK, Shands CG, Hegary RS, Duddy G (2003) Feedlotting lambs. Agnote DAI/42. 2nd edn. Agdex 413/17, NSW Agriculture.

Bowen M, Ryan MP, Jordan DJ, Beretta V, Kirby RM, Stockman C, McIntyre BL, Rowe JB (2006) Improving sheep feedlot management. International Journal of Sheep and Wool Science 54, 27–34. [Verified 20 February 2008]

Forbes JM (1968) The water intake of ewes. The British Journal of Nutrition 22, 33–43.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | PubMed | [Verified 17 February 2008]

Pannell DJ (2006) Avoiding simplistic assumptions in discounting cash flows for private decisions. In ‘Economics and the future: time and discounting in private and public decision making’. (Eds DJ Pannell, SGM Schilizzi) pp. 25–35. (Edward Elgar: Cheltenham, UK and Northampton, MA)

Pluske JM, Schlink AC (2005) H2OBeef: a decision tool for water management in beef feedlots. CSIRO Water for a Healthy Country Flagship, Interim Technical Report, Canberra.

Pluske JM, Barron O, Schlink AC, Aral T, Hatton T, Pridham M (2004) Managing urban salinity – integrated water management scheme. A systems approach to water and salinity management in rural towns. In ‘Proceedings 1st national salinity engineering conference, Barton’. (Eds S Dogramaci, A Waterhouse) pp. 297–301. (Institution of Engineers: Canberra)

Ridley AM, Pannell DJ (2005) ‘SIF3: an investment framework for managing dryland salinity in Australia. SEA working paper 1901.’ (CRC for Plant-based Management of Dryland Salinity, University of Western Australia: Perth) Available at http://www.crcsalinity.com.au/newsletter/sea/articles/SEA_1901.html [Verified 17 February 2008]

Robison LJ, Barry PJ (1996) ‘Present value models and investment analysis.’ (The Academic Page: Northport, AL)

SCA (1990) ‘Feeding standards for Australian livestock: ruminants.’ Standing Committee on Agriculture, Ruminants Subcommittee. (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne)

Sexton M (2003) ‘Silent flood: Australia’s salinity crisis.’ (ABC Books: Sydney)

Seymour M (2000) Lotfeeding prime lambs. Department of Agriculture, Farmnote 73/00, South Perth,Western Australia.

WAGov (2003) Securing our water future: a state water strategy for Western Australia, Government of Western Australia, summary document. Available at http://portal.water.wa.gov.au/portal/page/portal/PlanningWaterFuture/StateWaterStrategy/Content/State_Water_StrategySummary_001.pdf [Verified 20 February 2008]

Watts P, Tucker R (1994) Designing better feedlots. Department of Primary Industries, Conference and workshop series QC94002, Brisbane, Queensland.

Wiese SC, White CL, Masters DG, Milton JTB, Davidson RH (2003) Growth and carcass characteristics of prime lambs fed diets containing urea, lupins or canola mean as a crude protein source. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 43, 1193–1197.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Wilson AD (1966) The tolerance of sheep to sodium chloride in food or drinking water. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 17, 503–517.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1









1 For further detail, the model is available from the corresponding author.