Containment feeding workshop with Deb Scammell to help KI producers plan for summer

Hosted by the Kangaroo Island Landscape Board, the workshop will be held at Rick Morris’ farm on South Coast Road at Karatta from approximately 9.30 am to 2.30 pm. 

Clare Valley livestock consultant Deb Scammell of Talking Livestock will lead the workshop. She’s the principal author of the SA Drought Hub’s producer guide to containment feeding and an independent sheep and beef nutrition consultant with more than 20 years’ industry experience. Deb helps farmers work out what to feed and how much they’ll need to keep stock in condition when pasture is short.

Kangaroo Island Landscape Board Chair Andrew ‘Aphid’ Heinrich said the workshop would be useful for producers planning ahead for summer or dry seasons, as well as those already using containment.

“Feeding stock over summer can take a lot of time and money. Producers want to know their feed is doing the job and their livestock are holding condition,” Mr Heinrich said.

“Deb brings both the technical knowledge and experience working with farmers to help people consider what will suit their own operation.”

Containment feeding involves holding livestock in a dedicated area and supplying their feed and water needs over a period of low paddock pasture. Containment feeding is about protecting your soil and your pasture. Leaving sheep to overgraze over summer will decrease soil and pasture quality which will compound each year and degrade soils. Appropriately resting pasture will increase pasture quality. Containment feeding maintains livestock condition and allows for your farm’s soils and pasture to improve year on year.

This workshop is relevant to farmers who feed out over summer or are looking to boost stocking rates. This can include farmers who are interested in setting up confinement yards, farmers who already have yards and are looking for efficiency gains, and farmers who feed out but do not have yards. It’s about the best solution for your farm for the summer feed gap. 

Proposed topics include site selection and yard design, mob sizes and stocking density, nutrition, estimating feed requirements, managing feeding costs and moving livestock into and out of containment. 

“Getting the planning and feeding right is essential to keeping stock healthy and avoiding unnecessary costs,” Mr Heinrich said.

“We encourage producers to come along, ask questions and look at how containment feeding could fit into their farm management.”

Workshop details

• Date: Thursday 26 November 2026
• Time: Approximately 9.30 am to 2.30 pm
• Venue:  Rick Morris’ farm on 5790  South Coast Road, Karatta.
• Cost: FREE
• Registrations: Contact Ash Smith, Sustainable Agriculture Facilitator, Kangaroo Island Landscape Board, email: ashley.smith3@sa.gov.au or telephone 0437 172 877.