Foxes, wild dogs and feral cats are difficult to manage in a small farm setting. Shooting, baiting and conventional trapping may not be suitable for peri-urban farms.

At this event you will learn what small landholders can do to manage feral predators on their farms to protect livestock and improve wildlife habitat values.

The webinar and paddock demonstration will be led by Alice McGlashan, Alice will share the knowledge she has gained over the past five years managing feral predators on her rural property just outside Canberra. She will describe how to trap feral animals to reduce predation of small farm animals such as chickens, lambs and native wildlife. She will also discuss how monitoring and controlling these predators has improved the survival of native animals and birds on her property.

Webinar

At the free webinar from 9.00-11.30am Alice will cover:

• How to use the results of wildlife camera monitoring to inform trap location
• Padded jaw foot trapping of predators
•  How to set up the traps and what bait to use
• Animal welfare and euthanasia
• Releasing non target species
• The benefits and results of padded jaw trapping of feral predators
• How frequently trapping is needed to keep your property free from feral predators
• Pest Smart Safe Operating Procedures for padded jaw traps.

Paddock demonstrations

In the afternoon Alice will lead two paddock demonstrations at 1.30-3.00pm and 3.30-5.00pm in the Wamboin area (just outside Canberra). The paddock demonstration costs $11 per person and places are limited (maximum 10 people in group). When you book you can select the ticket type you want. Click register and enter your email and then NEXT to select your preferred session. 

During the paddock demonstrations Alice will show you how to install the padded jaw traps, where to install them for best results and the tricks for success for feral animal control using alternative trapping methods. During the paddock walk you will get the chance to practice setting the traps. You will see how effective feral animal control has stopped the predation of Alice’s chickens and improved the habitat for native birds and animals on her farm.

About our presenter

Alice McGlashan is a natural resource management practitioner and environmental educator who lives on a rural bush property in Wamboin. She has a Masters Degree in Environmental Science and Law, and a Graduate Diploma in Psychology. Alice spends her free time improving the native habitat on her property for wildlife and actively controls feral predators to protect her poultry and local native animals.

General conditions 

Dogs are not allowed at Small Farms Network Capital Region events (even in your car). Only registered participants are able to attend the paddock demonstration. This event is not suitable for children.

We have developed a Covid-19 safety plan and will be following National Covid-19 safety guidelines. A refund will be offered if you are sick and cannot attend. You can read the SFNCR Covid-19 policy here. 

This event is made possible with funding from South East Local Land Services. The Veolia Mulwaree Trust donated funds to help us purchase wildlife cameras for demonstration and loan.

Following on from the Enterprises for Small Farms workshop Suz Worsley-Deacon and Alice McGlashan will be leading a group for members to discuss small farm businesses. 

The group aims to facilitate discussion between people in various stages of business ownership. From planning to marketing, support, accounts and risk management, social media and insurance, and any other mystifying facet of running a small farm business is up for discussion. 

The first meeting on Zoom will be hosted by Suz is a general chat to get aquatinted, to see what issues are important to us, and how often we’d like to meet!

This event is for SFNCR members only. To register you need to be logged on as a member. If you are not a member we would love you to join.

Add your name to the wait list if the event is fully booked.

This half day workshop led by Chris Curtis looks at protecting small animals from feral predators using smart design ideas for animal housing and fencing. Feral predator control, while effective to reduce the feral animal population, is unlikely to eradicate them completely. Predator risk reduction strategies for free ranging poultry flocks and lambing ewes will be discussed.

This event will be held in Bywong with two on-farm sessions 10am-12.30pm and 1.30pm-4.00pm to choose between. Numbers are limited to 15 people per session. You are able to select the time you want to attend when you book. The workshop costs $15 per person. Tea, coffee and a light snack are provided.

About our speaker

Chris Curtis, together with Jennie Curtis, has run a small mixed farm in Bywong for over 10 years. They breed Babydoll sheep and grow fruit and vegetables. The farm also has chickens, ducks and alpacas.

Having been through the pain of having a poultry flock decimated by foxes in broad daylight, Chris has built and trialled numerous methods of protecting his animals . He has also built enclosures for the vegetable gardens to protect them from birds, rabbits and alpacas.

Chris has a Bachelor of Horticulture and has recently completed a BSc(Hons) with research into wicking beds. Away from the farm, he can be found on Saturday mornings making coffee at the Southern Harvest Farmers Market at Bungendore.

What to expect

The sessions will be outside and you will be walking to see different types of animal housing on a small farm. You will need to bring clothes and shoes suitable for being outdoors in winter.

General conditions 

Dogs are not allowed at Small Farms Network Capital Region events (even in your car). Only registered participants are able to attend the paddock demonstration. This event is not suitable for children.

We have developed a Covid-19 safety plan and will be following National Covid-19 safety guidelines. A refund will be offered if you are sick and cannot attend. You can read the SFNCR Covid-19 policy here. 

This event is made possible with funding from South East Local Land Services. The Veolia Mulwaree Trust donated funds to help us purchase wildlife cameras for demonstration and loan. 

Our Sheep Special Interest Group have teamed up with Animal Health Australia (AHA) to run a webinar and optional practical session on-farm about common sheep health issues and biosecurity practices to keep your small flock and others around you safer.

Webinar - Wednesday 30 June

At the free webinar from 7pm-8pm on Wednesday 30 June our guest presenter Ashleigh Wildridge from Animal Health Australia will cover

• What is farm biosecurity?
• What  can I do to protect my small sheep flock?
• What paperwork do I need to safely buy and sell sheep?
• How can I access small amounts of drench and vaccine?

On-farm practical session - Saturday 3 July

The on-farm practical session presented by Peter and Penny Dagg and Ashleigh Wildridge will be held in Murrumbateman from 10am-3pm on Saturday 3 July. It costs $15 per person and places are limited.

When you book you can select the ticket type you want. Click register and enter your email and then NEXT to select your preferred ticket type. Morning tea will be provided. BYO lunch if you are staying for the final session.

This session is fully booked. Add yourself to the wait list if you would like to attend if someone drops out. You can also register for the webinar only to make sure that you get the zoom link for this.

At the on-farm practical session from 10am-1pm our presenters will cover

• Design and use of sheep handling facilities
• How to inspect the health of a sheep
• Importance of herd recording
• Common sheep conditions in the Capital region
  
• Protecting  sheep against these common conditions

Participants at the practical session on Saturday 3 July have the option to also attend a sheep post-mortem demonstration from 1.30pm-3pm. This will include discussion of

• Accepted methods for on-farm destruction of sheep
• Internal and external sheep health examination
• Carcass disposal

About our presenters

Ashleigh Wildridge is a Livestock Biosecurity Research, Development and Extension Coordinator for Animal Health Australia based in Canberra. She lives on her property in Mount Fairy and has a small breeding herd of dorpers and a handful of chooks. She obtained her PhD in Dairy Science in 2018 and has been working towards improving the health and biosecurity of all livestock species in Australia since.

Peter and Penny Dagg are veterinarians and run a sheep stud, Eastern Dorpers and White Dorpers, on their 212 hectare property at Murrumbateman in the Southern Tablelands. They are committed to breeding quality Dorpers and White Dorpers with sound conformation and temperament. They also provide veterinary consulting services on flock/herd health and welfare, biosecurity, animal husbandry and management and nutrition to help farmers increase their productivity and profitability.

General conditions

Dogs are not allowed at Small Farms Network Capital Region events (even in your car). Only registered participants are able to attend the on-farm practical session. This event is not suitable for children.

We have developed a Covid-19 safety plan and will be following National Covid-19 safety guidelines. A refund will be offered if you are sick and cannot attend. You can read the SFNCR Covid-19 policy here. 

This event is made possible by Animal Health Australia, Sheep Producers Australia and WoolProducers Australia.