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As the sophistication of genomic technologies increases and their cost continues to decrease, they are becoming routine tools in livestock breeding programs and production systems. The convergence of electronic measurement systems, cloud-based computing and fast internet enable the use of powerful decision support to help automate and manage livestock production, animal welfare and quality control. The complexity of livestock production systems, combined with the challenges of producing top-quality discretionary products for consumers, means that no single organisation has the range of expertise to support coordinated development of innovation in the relevant supply chains. Collaboration between a broad spectrum of scientists and industry partners is essential to ensure well integrated input to the design and implementation of programs to deliver improvements in efficiency, quality and profit. The need for collaboration among researchers, among research organisations and with end-users has never been more important. Collaboration brings together the skills needed to manage complex problems and enables the sharing of facilities and scarce resources within Australia and internationally. However, the most important component of effective collaboration is the early engagement of end-users to contribute to the design of programs of innovation, to ensure that investment is well targeted and that there is ownership of the problem as well as the solutions delivered through research. Although the potential benefits of effective collaboration are clear, it often takes more than logic to get individuals and organisations to work together. There needs to be a significant financial incentive combined with strong industry leadership and agreed common goals. Allocating resources to establish these foundations for effective collaboration should precede any major research and development funding initiative. The present paper argues that the new face of animal science in Australia should be structured around coordinated programs of research and development, on the basis of effective collaboration.

ASKBILL is a web-based program that uses farm measurements, climate data and information on genetics to predict pasture growth, animal performance and animal health and climate risks. The program uses several biophysical models, which are customised by user inputs, localised daily weather updates and a dynamical probabilistic 90-day climate forecast to enhance sheep well-being and productivity. This approach can minimise the requirement for manual, auto and remote measurements, thus reducing labour requirements and complexity. In this article, the animal growth model provides an example of a biophysical model used to provide predictions. This is an energy-based model and the model parameterisation is designed to be physiologically meaningful and able to be customised for the genetic merit of the animal using a growth coefficient that calibrates growth of body components and energy requirements. A key feature of the animal growth model is its forecast projections, which are based on an ensemble of simulations. The model can estimate supplementary feeding rates required to achieve target liveweights and body condition scores and stocking rates required to achieve target pasture levels. The model can be customised for a farm and its livestock and is updated daily in response to climate data. This dynamic feature enables it to provide early stage alerts to users when animal production targets are unlikely to be met.

Changes in the sheep industry over the last 20 years represent a trend that is unlikely to be reversed. The farm gate value of wool production has decreased from over $6 billion to ~$2.5 billion and the value of sheep meat has increased from $0.5 to $2.2 billion. Wool and meat are now on an equal footing in terms of the economic value of each sector of the industry. Future profitability of both wool and sheep meat production depends on achieving a high rate of productivity gain and improving quality attributes valued by consumers. Wool and sheep meat cannot compete on price or volume with synthetics and cotton in the textile market or with chicken and pork in the meat market. Differentiation based on quality and consistency needs to be measurable and clearly understood by consumers. The combination of genetic selection and good management can deliver improved productivity gain. Skills development and training will be essential for the industry to fully utilise available knowledge and new technologies.

This study describes the impact of Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBV) for post-weaning weight (PWWT), C-site fatness (PFAT) and eye muscle depth (PEMD) on lamb carcasses within the Australian Sheep Industry CRC Information Nucleus Flock. These results are taken from the 2007 drop progeny, consisting of ~2000 lambs slaughtered at a target weight of 21.5 kg. These lambs were the progeny of sires selected to ensure genetic diversity across various production traits. As expected, the PWWT ASBV increased weight at slaughter, and hot standard carcass weight. Dressing percentage was markedly improved by increasing PEMD ASBV, thus prime lamb producers will be maintaining an animal of similar weight on farm, but delivering a markedly larger carcass at slaughter. Lean meat yield % (LMY%) was highest in the progeny of sires with low PFAT ASBV, which decreased whole carcass fatness and increased muscularity. PWWT ASBV affected carcass composition but had little impact on LMY%, as the decreased fatness was largely offset by increased bone, with relatively little change in muscle content. Lastly, PEMD ASBV had little impact on whole carcass LMY%, but did appear to cause some level of muscle redistribution to the higher value loin cuts, in turn increasing the value of the carcass lean.

Following an extensive process, spanning nearly two years, the Salvation Army Crisis Services was funded to establish and operate a primary health service in St Kilda for injecting drug users in accordance with guidelines set out by the Victorian Department of Human Services. On 1 September 2004, Access Health was officially opened in a large building adjacent to Crisis Services and the primary Needle and Syringe Programs Locked in Crisis Services. In this paper, we seek to provide an insight into the initial establishment phase of a primary care facility designed to meet the health needs of a particularly vulnerable population. It outlines early trends in client need and the service response developed to meet these needs. It also touches upon the relationships that service management has pursued, the structure of the service, and the processes that have been put in place to address the (relatively few) teething problems that have arisen in the facility's first months of operation. In doing so, it provides insight of relevance to all practitioners who encounter the issues that marginalised and vulnerable clients with complex needs often bring.

This article addresses the potential role that the Australian Needle and Syringe Program (NSP) could play to assist the delivery of primary health care to ?street-based? injecting drug users (i.e., those who spend the greater part of their lives ?on the street?). Their personal circumstances mean that street-based drug users are particularly vulnerable to health problems. However, they also face obstacles that discourage their use of health care services. Consequently, relatively minor health problems may be allowed to deteriorate until emergency treatment is required. As one of few established services frequented by street-based drug users, NSPs may be in a unique position to intervene at an early stage of need. This article draws upon research undertaken with street-based drug users at the primary St Kilda NSP. Some 150 drug users were surveyed. A further 32 were interviewed at length. Users described the obstacles that discouraged their use of mainstream health care services. This article argues that these obstacles - primarily issues of accessibility and attitudinal barriers - might be addressed by linking primary health care services with existing NSP services. NSP staff could draw upon their relationships and skills to refer clients to linked health services.

Steer progeny of lines selected for either low residual feed intake (high efficiency) or high residual feed intake (low efficiency) were grown out in a feedlot and measurements of feed intake, liveweight gain and faecal parameters were combined to investigate associations with starch digestion. There were significant differences between sire progeny groups in faecal pH and faecal dry matter content indicating genetic differences in starch digestion. This variation occurred even after differences in dry matter intake were accounted for. Furthermore, there was a significant association between these faecal parameters and mid-parent Estimated Breeding Values for residual feed intake, rib (12/13th) fat depth and rump fat depth (Australian P8 site). This confirmed an association between parameters believed to describe starch digestion and genetic variation in important production traits. Low faecal pH and faecal dry matter content were associated with higher residual feed intake (i.e. lower efficiency).

This review concentrates on factors influencing the nutritive value of cereal grains for animals and strategies, in particular processing and storage, which may be used to optimise fermentation and digestion. The main focus is on the utilisation of starch in cereal grains by ruminants. Extensive comparisons have been made between grains and between animals to understand the reasons for differences in pattern of fermentation and/or intestinal digestion in response to a range of processing techniques. In addition, differences between the animal species have been reviewed to understand further the factors critical for maximising post-ruminal starch digestion.

This study investigated the effects in sheep of feed intake and exercise training on (i) the level of glycogen in muscle, and (ii) carcass quality traits including growth rate, carcass weight, fat score, and the ultimate pH of muscle. Merino wethers, 12-months-old and starting body weight 38 kg, were individually penned and housed indoors. The effects of nutrition and exercise were tested for 2 levels of activity (sedentary v. exercised) and 4 levels of feed intake (1, 1.3, 1.5, 2.2 x maintenance) with 8 sheep per group housed individually. Exercise training was for 1 h at 8-9 km/h (approx. 55-65 VO2max), 3 times per week from week 4 to 9 of the experiment. The diet was 20% cereal straw, 26% lupin grain, 53% barley grain, mineral and vitamin premix, and virginiamycin. Animals were slaughtered at an abattoir in week 10. Regular exercise reduced growth rate, carcass weight, and fat score, but did not affect intake. At the highest level of intake, carcass weight was reduced by 0.53 kg and fat depth over the 12th rib (GR fat depth) by 6.3 mm, suggesting that muscle yield was increased. At all sampling times, the level of glycogen in the m. semimembranosis (SM) and m. semitendinosis (ST) increased linearly with increasing feed intake. Regular exercise caused increased glycogen level in SM samples immediately post-slaughter and in the SM, ST, and m. longissimus dorsi (LD) 48 h post-slaughter. The ultimate pH of muscle was reduced as the level of feed intake increased for all muscle groups. Exercise caused a reduction in the ultimate pH of the ST with no change for the SM and LD. The results indicate that glycogen levels in muscle are highly responsive to nutrition and regular exercise. In addition, exercise caused a reduction in subcutaneous fat with no change in feed intake.

Flavomycin, a glycolipid feed additive, was evaluated for its potential to improve wool growth and liveweight gain in sheep of two ages and from two different sources. Sheep came from two locations in the Mediterranean climatic region of Western Australia's agricultural area-Mount Barker, with a relatively high rainfall and Wongan Hills with a relatively low rainfall and shorter pasture growing period. Forty weaner sheep, from each source, initially eight months of age and with a mean liveweight of 29 kg (s.e. � 0.3) were studied. There were also 40 adult sheep, from each source, initially 20 months of age with mean liveweights (Wongan Hills) 42 kg (s.e. �0.5) and (Mount Barker) 51 kg (s.e. � 0.7). All animals were housed individually in the one shed and fed a pelleted ration at a level equivalent to 3.1% (weaner) and 3.5% (adult) of each animal's liveweight. The pelleted ration was based on wheat and lucerne chaff, lupin grain and fishmeal. Flavomycin was included at 20 mg/kg pellets and there were 16 sheep of each age and source fed this medicated diet. Twenty-four sheep were fed the unmedicated diet. Wool growth was increased by flavomycin by 14.5% (P < 0.05) but only in adult sheep from Mount Barker. Inclusion of flavomycin in the diet increased liveweight gain in sheep of both ages and from both sources. There was no significant effect of flavomycin on fibre diameter of wool in sheep from the different age groups and sources.

Many reports on the use of bentonite to increase wool growth indicate variable responses and it is often claimed that this variability is related to the chemical characteristics or the form in which the bentonite is fed. This paper describes 3 experiments in which there was consistency in the type and form of the clay. There was also comparison of the effects of dry and hydrated bentonite. In the first experiment, 64 sheep were individually penned and fed wheat chaff ad libitum. Thirty sheep were fed chaff only, 17 sheep received dry bentonite added to their chaff (20 g/kg chaff) and another 17 sheep had 23.7 g/day of bentonite added to their drinking water. Inclusion of bentonite in the drinking water significantly increased wool growth (P0.05) but liveweight gain was significantly increased (P

In 3 experiments, groups of 5 Merino rams were individually fed a pelleted ration at maintenance (1 kg/day), with or without 750 g/day of lupin grain, and kept indoors under conditions of natural light and temperature. Measurements of scrotal circumference and liveweight were made during winter, spring-summer and autumn, for periods of 42-49 days. Ambient temperatures and daylengths were recorded. The season of the experiment affected the rate of change of scrotal circumference. Rams fed the maintenance diet showed a pattern of increasing scrotal circumference, starting in late spring after the spring equinox and reaching a maximum in autumn-early winter, then decreasing in mid-late winter after the winter equinox. Scrota1 circumference responded to increased nutrition under all daylength regimes and the magnitude of this response was influenced by the season.

Fifteen rams were used in a series of three experiments in which different nutritional treatments were allocated to groups of 5 individually housed animals (3 treatments per experiment). In all experiments one group received only the basal ration (1 kg/day of a pelleted diet) and a second group was fed this ration plus 750 g/day of lupins. The remaining three treatments were: (1) the basal ration plus an intra-abomasal infusion of casein (200 g/day) and glucose (1 12 g/day); (2) a pelleted diet consisting of the basal ration plus oil (60 g/day) and VFA salts (255 g/day), together with an intra-abomasal infusion of casein (200 g/day) and glucose (112 g/day), and (3) the basal ration plus 800 g/day of barley. Experiments were carried out over a period of 42-49 days and measurements were made of testicular size, wool growth, liveweight and digestibility of the diets. The results of this study were compared with those of a number of published and unpublished experiments. Testicular growth was highly correlated (r= 0.86) with liveweight change in a curvilinear relationship. Change in liveweight and respiration rate were highly correlated with digestible energy intake (r=0.79 and r=0.94 respectively). Wool growth was highly correlated (r=0.97) with crude protein intake and nitrogen balance, with digestible energy having only a marginal influence. There was also a high correlation (r= 0.85) between digestible energy intake and testicular growth, with dietary protein having only a marginal influence. Comparison of these data with published data on testicular growth in rams confirmed the above relationships. It was concluded that testicular growth in rams responds more to digestible energy intake and liveweight change than to crude protein availability.