PRODUCERS in the eastern Wheatbelt are now being forced to make the tough decision about de-stocking as the dry conditions continue.
Lack of pasture and water are taking their toll on sheep flocks and even in traditional sheep-growing areas such as Kojonup, Darkan and Williams, pasture is being chewed down as quick as it is growing.
Katanning saleyard manager Rod Bushell said July and August was normally a quiet period for the saleyards with yardings around 15,000 head, but things had been unusually busy with yardings of 22,000-25,000 head.
Mr Bushell said the increased yardings were definitely a sign of a tough season.
"We've been getting a lot of ewes and new season lambs and we've seen entire lines rather than just top drafts," Mr Bushell said.
"We're also seeing bigger lines from the eastern Wheatbelt, particularly areas such as Kulin and Hyden.
"Last week we had a mob that were weaned on the Monday and then had to be sold on the Wednesday."
In a further blow to farmers forced to sell, Mr Bushell said demand and prices for mutton and lamb had dropped off.
He said whereas previously, producers could expect to get $90 a head for their mutton, prices were now around $70.
"Lamb prices have come off too, because processors are all booked up, but I don't expect that to last," Mr Bushell said.
"There hasn't been a lot of interest from the live export sector because there are no boats around at the moment but we've had quite a few producers from around Esperance and Albany buying younger sheep.
"If there is no rain in the next week or two, we would expect current trends to continue."
The Agriculture and Food Department is encouraging farmers to plan now for managing stock through summer and autumn.
Moora-based development officer Janette Drew said with very slow pasture growth rates experienced so far this season, the amount of paddock feed on offer (FOO) in many areas was well below that needed to supply adequate feed for grazing sheep.
FOO is the amount of pasture in front of an animal at any one time, measured in kilograms of dry matter a hectare.
"A feed supply and demand budget will help determine whether there is enough feed to carry stock through summer and autumn," Ms Drew said.
"Farmers need to look at their feed on offer, what grain and hay is on hand for supplementary feeding and how long it will last with current demand.
"Feed budgeting is a logical process and the department has developed excellent tools to assist producers with this."
Ms Drew said if feed demand significantly exceeded supply, farmers should consider reducing stock numbers earlier rather than later.
"It's a good idea to develop a plan with your stock agent on how to maximise the returns from the stock which are offloaded," she said.
Department research officer Mike Hyder said critical limits of FOO depended on the desired growth target for animals.
Mr Hyder said it was important to remember that FOO was a guide only and became less reliable as pastures dried off.
"The key way to gauge if your animals are on target is to monitor them," he said. "Condition scoring is the simplest and quickest method of doing this"
Producers can access information on FOO assessment in the paddock, key grazing levels, feed budgeting and condition scoring from the department website www.agric.wa.gov.au or by contacting their regional department office.
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