He informed SBS News that the frigid winter months necessitate meticulous planning for the wellbeing of sheep.

McGrath currently maintains about 1,500 sheep on his farm — a tiny portion of the 78.8 million sheep estimated to exist in Australia in 2023, according to Meat and Livestock Australia.

When and where are most sheep grazier warnings received?

NSW has the most sheep in Australia — around 36 per cent — followed by Victoria at 24 per cent and Western Australia at 19 per cent.

Source: SBS News

The BoM spokesperson said the frequency of warnings would likely increase as the weather becomes colder and wetter, especially for people living in Australia’s southern regions.

“By extension, the colder and rainier it is, the lighter the winds need to be to trigger a warning.”

Farmers shear sheep at certain times of the year to ensure that they have thicker wool for winter. Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images

Lambs, sheared sheep most vulnerable

But temperature and rainfall can be unpredictable.

‘We would’ve lost 200 lambs in a night’

“We’re in a vastly different situation with our set-up — with our paddocks and our infrastructure — now than we were then, 40 years ago.”

Livestock welfare guidelines

“Owners of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, poultry and other farm animals have a duty of care to always ensure the welfare of their animals.”

How much is Australia’s sheep wool and meat industry worth?

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations anticipate a 48 per cent surge in the producer price of Australian sheepmeat over the next decade.

Source: SBS News

Meat and Livestock Australia estimates that the country had approximately 5.8 per cent of the world’s sheep flock in 2022.