The restocking of pastoral regions is a tale of variation in SA, with some pastoralists having started to rebuild their flock and herd numbers, while others are waiting for more rain and the softening of livestock prices before making key decisions.
Nutrien Port Augusta branch manager Cameron Paul said some areas in the north-west pastoral region had had a "good run" with rain since mid-2020, but its patchy nature meant just as many had missed out.
"Some areas have managed to hold onto their breeding ewe numbers, and are up to 60 per cent to 70pc of what they normally carry, so they probably aren't too panicky about buying sheep. One or two good lambings and they're straight back into the game," he said.
"In the north and north-east country, a lot of that area is still hoping we get a really good run leading into winter, and a good winter - while some parts are looking good, we're a long way from being back up to what people normally carry."
Mr Paul said stocking rates varied from completely destocked, to 20-30pc carrying capacity in the more marginal areas in the north and north-east, with a few doing slightly better.
He said only a small number of his clients had bought stock recently - rebuilding their numbers by 15-20pc - with high livestock prices a major factor in restocking decisions.
"If we can get another rain in the next couple of months, some guys might try and operate in the scanned in-lamb market, but that depends on where pricing goes at that stage," Mr Paul said.
A few people capitalised on rains before Christmas to work in with traditional joining times, but since the new year there hasn't been as much buying, it's more been about agisted stock coming back.
- IAN FEATHERSTONE
Pastoralist Keith Slade, Moolooloo and Moorillah Stations, via Blinman, said about 110 millimetres of rain had fallen across his property since the week before Christmas, but follow up rains were vital.
"We have unbelievable feed at the moment, but we need an April/May rainfall and more into winter to get feed going into spring," he said.
"You get one big rain, and think you're away, and then if you don't get anything else, you grow a bit of feed but it doesn't go to seed properly, sheep get back a little bit but they don't get fat by any stretch."
Mr Slade has a total of 2000 Merino ewes at Moolooloo and Moorillah, and is looking to sell the stations with 2000 sheep on them before moving full-time to his Murray Town property, Gowan Hills, so he will not look to restock any further.
"Restocking isn't a one-year fix, and I think a lot of people would be going for the natural restocking, by breeding sheep from whatever they have left," he said.
"You can't go interstate or where there is a drought and buy 3000 sheep at $50 a head, even sheep that aren't in great condition are still $150-200 a head, or cows with calf at-foot are still making $2000 minimum."
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Elders Broken Hill, NSW, livestock agent Ian Featherstone said the first step for many pastoralists in his area had been to bring back stock that had been away on agistment.
"A few people capitalised on rains before Christmas to work in with traditional joining times, but since the new year there hasn't been as much buying, it's more been about agisted stock coming back," he said.
"Almost all the stock that has been away is back now, but we're probably still only back to about 20-30pc of total stocking rate for the Broken Hill area.
"If we get another good general rain, there will be some guys choosing to restock, but with not quite enough feed around yet, and the prices being so high, there are certainly a few things that are holding people back at this point.
"Prices have come off the boil a bit in the past few weeks, but people would just like a little more feed on the ground before they start forking out that sort of money to up their breeding numbers."
Mr Featherstone expected many pastoralists to try to get back to 30-40pc of their carrying capacity, and then breed the rest themselves, rather than buying in stock.
"A big limiting factor is the quality of stock, people want something that is vendor-bred and hasn't been traded a couple of times. We need stock that is suitable for this country," he said.
He expected cattle producers to hold off on restocking more so than sheep producers.
"At the moment, the price of cattle is such an extreme, and a slower return on investment, whereas generate income from sheep a bit quicker - cattle producers have to look a little more long term," he said.
It's no good paying big money for sheep if dogs then predate them.
- GEOFF POWER
But overall, Mr Featherstone said it had been a promising start to the year for most pastoralists.
"We are already miles ahead on where we were last year, last year it wasn't it wasn't until March last year when we saw the first of the rain," he said.
"If we could get a good general rain by the end of the month, that would really set us up to finish the summer pretty strongly, going into winter."
WILD DOGS STILL POSING A THREAT
With SA pastoralists potentially looking to begin rebuilding sheep and cattle numbers, wild dogs remain enough of a problem to be factored in when making restocking decisions, particularly in the northern areas of the state.
Orroroo sheep producer and SA Dog Fence Board chair Geoff Power said it was vital to consider wild dogs when thinking about restocking.
"It's no good paying big money for sheep if dogs then predate them," he said.
"The drought has taken out some dogs, but there are still some there, although with the trapping and baiting programs, I believe we are having some effect on them.
"Strategic baiting will take out quite a few dogs, especially young dogs, then we need to move trappers in, to trap cunning dogs, and the opportunistic way to get a dog is to shoot any you see, but a lot of the time you don't see them, you just see the damage."
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Nutrien Port Augusta branch manager Cameron Paul said wild dog numbers were "a fair bit back" on the numbers seen 12 months ago, but still posed a threat.
"They are still a real problem, and threat to what we're doing, so they're always in the back of people's mind, especially as you get closer to the (Dog) Fence," he said.
Rawnsley Park Station owner Tony Smith, via Hawker, said wild dog numbers on his property had reduced in recent times, largely due to the drought, but he was on watch for the upcoming autumn lambing period.
"The whole outback took a hammering over this drought, there are about 25pc of the roos there were five years ago, probably less than 25pc of the goats too," he said.
"The wild dogs don't necessarily take the ewes, but they (wild dogs) scare them, so lambs get abandoned, you get half as many lambs as you think you should have."
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