Season 2026

This map shows total rainfall across the State so far in 2026.
Rainfall has varied widely, from high totals in the south-west to much lower levels in inland grain-growing areas.

This map shows how 2026 rainfall compares to past seasons using historical records (1975-2025).
It highlights areas experiencing above average, average, or below average seasonal conditions.

This map provides an estimate of soil water available to crops based on rainfall and evaporation.
It gives an indication of how seasonal conditions may be influencing crop growth across different regions.

• An increasing number of producers are adopting confinement feeding for livestock in the autumn/winter feed gap. This is a useful way to manage nutrition, ground cover and delay grazing pastures. Careful nutrition and animal health management is required. More information on setting up confinement feeding can be found in our Confined paddock feeding and feedlotting of sheep factsheet.
• Pregnant ewes should be released from confinement 2-3 weeks before lambing. Provide unlimited hay and continue supplementing in paddock for at least a few days to allow the rumen to adapt to pasture. Continue supplementing if pasture supply is inadequate.
• Pregnancy scanning ewes is an important part of feed budgeting as nutrition requirements vary depending on stage of pregnancy and number of lambs being carried. Allocate feed according to stock requirements. A twin bearing ewe needs much more feed than a dry or single bearing ewe.
• Monitor livestock during lambing, watching closely for hypothermia, mismothering and metabolic diseases such as pregnancy toxaemiaand hypocalcaemia.
• Revisit your feed budgets regularly and adjust supplementation to ensure stock are meeting condition score and weight targets. Energy demand peaks in late pregnancy and lactation. A green pick is not enough to sustain pregnant and lactating stock. Ensure adequate roughage is available to stock during supplementation.
• Use Pastures from Space for current FOO and Pasture Growth Rates to estimate when adequate FOO will be available to stock, and determine when supplementary feeding can cease.
• Lamb marking should be carried out between 2 and 12 weeks of age. A 5-in-1 or 6-in-1 vaccination should be used with a follow up dose at weaning. Pain relief options such as anti-inflammatories and local anaesthetics are also available for lamb marking and mulesing.
• For July-lambers, allocate and preparing lambing paddocks based on previous paddock history, access to feed, water and shelter and give the annual pre-lambing vaccination.
• Review parasite control programs, monitor worm burdens through faecal egg counts and drench if necessary, and manage lice risk in sheep before winter conditions reduce treatment options.

• Review sire performance as most bull sales have concluded for the year. Use joining and pregnancy test results to assess which sires delivered the best outcomes. Begin planning early for spring bull purchases or semen orders to secure preferred genetics.
• Manage early‑winter feeding as pastures are still establishing. Energy supplementation may be required until Feed On Offer (FOO) reaches levels that support maintenance and lactation. Prioritise young cows and first‑calvers to prevent condition loss.
• Protect establishing pastures by monitoring FOO closely and adjusting grazing pressure. Consider short‑term confinement feeding to avoid overgrazing germinating paddocks and to support pasture recovery after the break.
• Support cows with calves at foot during peak lactation. Assess cow condition regularly and ensure adequate energy intake. If feed is limited, early weaning or creep feeding may help maintain cow fertility heading into spring.
• Plan for dry‑season resilience in pastoral regions where rainfall may still be variable. Use seasonal outlooks, feed budgeting tools and decision guides to evaluate options such as destocking, agistment or holding core breeders.
• Implement winter parasite control with a focus on internal parasites, which increase with cooler, wetter conditions. Conduct worm egg counts, review drench strategies for young stock, and monitor for lice or ticks depending on region. Maintain strong biosecurity practices to reduce disease risk.