SHEEP producers wondering whether the money spent on animal supplements and vitamins improves the health of their flocks may now have the answer.
Growers from the Merino-Link group in Young teamed up with researchers from Charles Sturt University to investigate the costs and benefits of their sheep supplements.
MerinoLink chief executive Sally Martin, Young, said little research had been done in this area.
She said producers were keen to see the cost advantages of sheep vitamin and mineral products on the market, especially considering big price variations.
CSU ruminant health and production researcher Dr Luzia Rast, Wagga Wagga, said there's a lot more work ahead to determine which products producers are using, why, and what the results are.
"There are a lot of questions that need to be answered and the reason we don't already have answers is because there is such a wide range of treatments producers are buying and mixing themselves," Dr Rast said.
She said her "inkling" was that a lot of product was used throughout the industry, and many producers weren't measuring effectiveness.
The first stage of the research, an online survey, is already underway.
Dr Rast has invited participants who run commercial sheep enterprises (a flock of 500 sheep or more) to complete the survey before its closing date, April 15, 2015.
Following its completion, five to eight trials will take place on properties throughout NSW.
The field trials would involve the application of supplements to groups of sheep, with regular monthly data collection visits to be carried out by research team members.
Dr Rast said the details of the field trials will depend on the results of the survey.
She said they have had a positive response to the research from producers and animal pharmaceutical companies.
"The feedback we're getting is everybody is looking forward to having more accurate and up-to-date information to work with."
The project is funded by the NSW Sheep Industry Fund.
