A Regional Veterinarian from Central Tablelands Local Land Services, Dr Watt will draw on his local experience to provide valuable advice and information to sheep producers from the Central NSW region.

One of the sheep industry’s most popular extension and adoption programs, It’s Ewe Time is a joint initiative of Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) and Australian Wool Innovation (AWI), as part of the flagship Making More From Sheep program. The forums are back in 2018 and will be held throughout NSW and QLD, with the Cowra forum to be held on July 26.

In the Cowra region, Dr Watt says black scour worm, small brown stomach worm and Barber’s pole worm are some of the internal parasites sheep producers have to contend with.

According to Dr Watt, an effective strategy against Black Scour Worm is dependent upon drenching at the appropriate time, pasture management to keep the number of parasites on pastures down, developing immunity in the livestock and making sure livestock are well nourished so they can resist parasites.

“We know that parasites die off over time, so producers can spell pastures or graze pastures with cattle to reduce the parasite burden,” he said.

"Sheep, as they get older, develop immunity to parasites, so producers need to ensure that young sheep are not exposed to a high parasite burden, but they may be okay to expose them to some parasites when they’re older.”

“Nutrition also plays a part. Animals that are well nourished and have a better immune system are much better able to handle parasites.”

The forum will provide an opportunity for producers to discuss individual aspects of their enterprise and receive practical advice and information.

The cost to attend is $35 per person, MLA/AWI It’s Ewe Time forums will be held at: Gunning Shire Hall on July 25 and Cowra Services Club on July 26.

For more information about speakers and topics, and to register visit www.makingmorefromsheep.com.au/events or contact 1800 070 099