Free upcoming guardian dog workshop

Eyre Peninsula farmers are invited to a free guardian dog workshop on Tuesday 20 June.

The guardian dog workshop includes five interstate farmers and researchers speaking about the use of guardian dogs as part of their livestock farming.

Natural Resources Eyre Peninsula Sustainable Agriculture Officer Mary Crawford said wild dog management and farming profit margins are at the forefront of many northern Eyre Peninsula land managers minds so it is important to consider all solutions to predation from wild dogs.

“One of the guest speakers is Ninian Stewart-Moore, a pastoralist from Queensland who uses maremma dogs as guardians of his 12,000 dohne and merino sheep and 4,000 droughtmaster cattle.

“We also have Andrew and Glenda Bowran speaking who are Victorian based farmers stocking 600 cattle and 2,000 merino sheep. They use maremmas to help keep their stock safe from wild dogs,” Ms Crawford said.

“Dr Linda Van Bommel from the University of Tasmania and the author of the book Guardian Dogs Best Practice Manual for the use of livestock guardian dogs will be speaking as well as Dr Euan Richie from Deakin University on guardian dog research.

“I’m keen to get a good turnout of local farmers to this event so we can discuss the benefits and concerns of using guardian animals, particularly the effectiveness of using maremmas on very large properties.

“I would like farmers to come away with an understanding of how guardian animals can provide significant economic, social and environmental benefits to a farmer,” she said.

Guardian animals workshop

Date: Tuesday 20 June 2017

Time: 9:30am – 3:00pm

Location: Wudinna Sporting Club rooms

Register your attendance by 16 June to Mary Crawford on 0407 187 878 or email mary.crawford@sa.gov.au

For more information visit the Eyre Peninsula NRM website.

The guardian animal workshop is funded through the Australian Governments Pests Cost Us All initiative and run by the Eyre Peninsula Natural Resources Management Board.