Livestock Matters forum for Pingaring

Some of the initial species proved unproductive and many years of trial and error followed.

More than four decades later, salinity still has a detrimental impact on some parts of the farm.

However, it is a somewhat different story for Ian's son Dean, who uses saltbush to bolster lamb survival rates on marginal land.

Next Thursday, March 23, the Wyatt farm is set to host the WA Livestock Research Council's annual regional Livestock Matters forum, which includes a farm tour of the shade and shelter belts on the Wyatt property.

Dean Wyatt farms more than 3500 hectares with his wife Danica and four daughters, with Ian still having his hand on a smaller scale.

The Wyatts run a 60:40 mixed cropping and Poll Merino - a percentage of which are mated to White Suffolk sires.

About 25 years ago, Old Man saltbush and various salt tolerant eucalypts were planted in alleys to try and drive productivity in saline areas.

In total there is about 450 hectares of saltbush including Old Man, River and Anemeka species, and existing plantations.

Some of those plantations are 30-years-old, stand over two metres tall and in more recent times have provided shelter to multiple bearing ewes.

"Initially, saltbush was used as a way to keep cropping in saline affected areas," Mr Wyatt said.

"The alleys were cropped continuously up until about five years ago, when we realised it wasn't working at the full extent we hoped for.

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"(Like many in the industry) my focus shifted to shade and shelter, and we decided to run multiple bearing ewes in those areas instead.

"Last year single ewes were also lambed there due to logistics."

The main established alley paddock is 80ha and is split in half to run two mobs.

Block plantings - whereby the whole paddock is saltbush - are used for containment in the autumn months to help pastures "get away" when it rains.

Mr Wyatt also started seeding cereals in the alley paddocks, to ensure ewes would get good nutrition without having to move far from the lambing site.

He said this had increased lamb survival rates by about 5-10 per cent in multi-bearing ewes and 12pc in single ewes.

"Benefits beyond the survival rates, are that we have found by running smaller mobs, the ewes have been in better condition," Mr Wyatt said.

"We have bigger paddocks in the Wheatbelt, which aren't really suited to sheep production.

"We try to split them up with temporary electric fencing to keep sheep in the smallest mob sizes possible."

During lambing, ewes are split into mobs of around 150 for multiple bearing ewes and 350 for singles.

Mr Wyatt found not only did they perform better, their condition score managed to keep up.

"Generally we pull up the fencing a week or so before we tail," he said.

"Then they all just merge back into a bigger mob, which makes management easier."

Mr Wyatt is also set to discuss his move to non-mulesing in 2019 - and the ramifications of that with farm consultant Ed Riggall, electronic tagging of all ewe lambs last year and farm succession at the forum.

Keynote speakers at the forum include CSIRO agricultural scientist Dr Hayley Norman, UWA's School of Agriculture and Environment and Institute of Agriculture associate professor Dominique Blache and Murdoch University sheep research scientist Serina Hancock.

Dr Norman will look at the latest science can offer in shade and shelter, while Dr Blache and Dr Hancock's focus will be on reproductive and heat management strategies that could apply.

Tottenham, New South Wales, farmer David Greig, who farms a similar-sized operation with similar strategies on breeding and shelter, will also attend.

"In terms of our changed management practices to respond to lower rainfall and an objective to increase lamb survival - we are about five years ahead of Dean in the changes we've made," Mr Greig said.

"This means I can bring a perspective that gives everyone some greater assurances that these strategies work over the longer-term."

Registrations for the event are essential at walrc.com.au/events