THE next topic in the popular series of BeefConnect webinars hosted jointly by Beef Central and FutureBeef this year will focus on Improving the Effectiveness of Wild Dog Control.

The one-hour webinar, which can be accessed from the convenience of your farm or office computer, will be held at lunchtime (specific times for each state published below) on Friday, November 15.

The impact of wild dogs on Australia's cattle and sheep industries is a major concern for many producers.

In an earlier Beef Central article, “How significant is Wild Dog impact?” a number of research projects were highlighted, which provided pointers to economic impact:

• one early study from 1968 in Queensland suggested that up to 30pc of calf losses could be attributed to dog predation
• A study in the Tanami region of Central Australia showed that after two big seasons (when there was plenty of food about for wild dogs), one beef herd producing only 47pc calving, with 6pc of surviving weaners showing evidence of dog-bite.
• a regional NSW study suggested that for every calf carrying evidence of dog-bite, another three had probably died from predation.
• a study in northern SA found that after an effective dog control program, calvings improved by 30pc.

Apart from direct calf loss, the overall impact on industry came from a number of areas, research showed.

Two studies suggested hydatids carried by wild dogs could produce significant financial loss. One study showed that in Queensland abattoirs, about $7 million worth of offal was condemned and lost each year because of hydatid infection.

Similarly, neospora had potential to be a problem in some areas, such as the NSW north east coast, where dog numbers are increasing.

Damage to cattle hides can also be substantial. Hides are downgraded in value based on dog bite damage, together with tick scars and wounds, brands and general scratches from barbed wire and other sources. A small amount of work had been done in this area through an AgForce study which examined saleyards prices for dog-damaged animals.

In the upcoming BeefConnect webinar, experts will discuss:

• the ecology and biology of wild dogs and the impacts of hybridisation
• how to best utilise the current control tools available to industry (baits, trap, shoot, guardian animals, fencing) and
• an update on some new tools on the horizon, and
• the process of establishing local Wild Dog Committees and how this has improved the effectiveness and efficiency of control programs throughout Central Western Qld.

While this presentation will focus on QLD, NT and WA, it will still be relevant to other parts of Australia that suffer from wild dog attacks.

Guest presenter will be Brett Carlsson, Queensland Wild Dog Coordinator with AgForce Qld, joined by hosts Jon Condon (Beef Central) and John James (FutureBeef).

 

Who should register for this webinar?

This event is for anyone involved along the livestock supply chain where wild dogs are an existing or potential threat, including producers, agents, land and natural resources managers, consultants, extension personnel and others.

The session will be recorded and a link will be sent to all those who register. For those who cannot take part on the day, they can replay the session later, at their convenience.

Date: Friday 15 November

Time: 12:30pm AEST (Brisbane), 10:30am (Perth), 12:00pm (Darwin), 1.00pm (Adelaide) or 1.30pm (Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart).

 

To successfully participate in this webinar

1. Reserve your webinar seat now by following this link, or copy and paste this link into your web browser: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/527699798. You need to register to receive your personal login details (if you don’t receive an automated response within a minute or so, check your junk email folder).
2. Click the option to ‘Add to Outlook calendar’ to get an automated reminder to join the webinar.
3. Test your computer set-up beforehand by going to this Citrix website (http://bit.ly/citrix_test) and click on the ‘Join a session’ link. If you have problems, contact your local computer support people or the friendly GoToWebinar support folk (1800 356 792 in Australia).
4. Join 10 minutes early on the day of the webinar. You can interact by typing questions in the Q&A panel or by raising your ‘electronic hand’ appearing on your screen.

 

BeefConnect webinars prove extremely popular

This is another BeefConnect webinar event, brought to you through a partnership between FutureBeef and Beef Central.

The series of BeefConnect webinars this year have proven to be extremely popular with beef industry stakeholders across Australia. Convenience, interactivity and relevance are often raised by participants as key features.

Last week’s webinar on the Seasonal Climate Outlook for Summer, featuring BOM climatologist Vikash Prasad and DSITIA’s Dave McRae, attracted 353 participants from across Australia.

If you would like to watch the recording or see the presentation slides from last week's Seasonal Climate Outlook webinar, click here (just scroll down if you don’t see it immediately).