For more than a decade, Dunluce Station in north-west Qld was waging a losing war with wild dogs.
At its worst in 2001-02, Ninian and Ann Stewart-Moore, Hughenden, experienced $30,000 in losses in their 20,000-head Merino flock.
They needed a solution quickly and turned to guardian dogs Maremmas.
Within three years of the dogs living with the flock, mortality had dropped from 15 per cent to just 3pc, mainly through natural causes.
Later this month, Mr Stewart-Moore will share his experiences running and breeding Maremmas during two Natural Resource Management workshops at Wudinna and Angaston.
“During the 1980s and 1990s, we had hardly any wild dog problems, but as sheep production declined with the economics of woolgrowing, there was less and less baiting programs in the area,” he said.
“We were the northern-most property running sheep and the dogs took hold, killing and maiming sheep and lambs. We had nearly a decade of weaning rates as low as 50pc.”
In 2002, 24 Maremmas from a North West Vic breeder were introduced on the 46,500-hectare property.
Mr Stewart-Moore admits it was a steep learning curve.
“It is a totally different relationship to what most farmers are used to with herding dogs – they (Maremmas) are free range and their own bosses,” he said.
The dogs’ success came from physically protecting the flock, but also deterring other dogs from entering the territory.
Mr Stewart-Moore said two to three dogs to each mob of 1000 to 2000 sheep in 1000-1500ha paddocks had worked best on Dunluce.
“Once you got to three or four (dogs), it was a play group rather than a security team,” he said.
Maremmas proved effective until 2014 when the family sold the last of its sheep to focus on its Droughtmaster cattle herd.
Mr Stewart-Moore said Maremmas, which live to about 10 years of age, could be the answer for some SA pastoralists battling wild dogs.
“We were fortunate it worked well in our open downs country. In timbered country, it would not be quite as easy with the sheep more scattered,” he said.
“You have to be committed to ensuring the dogs bond, but they only require food and a bit of maintenance.”
Running Maremmas in close proximity to neighbouring properties using 1080 baits may also prove a problem as the dogs sometimes wander off, but he believes this can be overcome.
Success stories on event program
Farmers and researchers will highlight the benefits of using guardian animals to reduce flock predation at an upcoming Natural Resources Eyre Peninsula forum.
NREP sustainable agriculture officer Mary Crawford said predators, such as wild dogs and foxes, could really affect the bottomline of sheep production, especially when lamb and wool prices were high.
“This is a chance to discuss the complementary methods available to reduce predation,” she said.
The event will be held at the Wudinna Sporting Club on June 20, while a similar event, run by Natural Resources SA Murray-Darling Basin, will be held on June 22 at Yalumba Winery, Angaston.
- RSVP: 0407 187 878 or mary.crawford@sa.gov.au
