Flooding caused feed supply issues on The Old Man Plain

This current flood is a 'once-in-a-lifetime' event and in 1956, they hadn't the heavy fall of local rain which occurred during November.

But that is no consolation to Colin McCrabb as he watched daily the inundation of the family properties Avenel and Millabong gradually restricting the movement of sheep to higher ground.

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The Billabong Creek is a complex system which is unregulated from its headwaters near Holbrook, and it also receives water from the Yanco Creek, which is an off-take from the Murrumbidgee River near Narrandera.

Although it is the major waterway across the Old Man Plain, the Billabong Creek is not the only source of flooding for Mr McCrabb.

"The Two Mile Creek is causing us a lot of trouble, restricting our access to the northern paddocks which are free from the flooding," he said.

The Two Mile Creek, which in parts is over two metres deep, is one of several normally dry configurations which finger their way across the plains and filling the Cooper, Black and Dillon Swamps north of Wanganella.

Creeks like Sheep Wash, Brown's Creek, Delta and Caroonboon Creeks, are not clearly defined by banks, and might seem harmless enough when dry.

"It is the local water which has caused all the creeks to run," Mr McCrabb said.

"When 100mm rain falls is a very short time, it has nowhere to go but through that creek system, which then spreads out over country not usually flooded.

"And the thick pasture growth is also slowing the movement of the flood water."

But such is the slow rate of fall, east to west, the water flows out over the land rather than being contained within a relatively narrow 'valley'.

And with the confluence of those streams forming an 'inland sea', you begin to understand Colin McCrabb's dilemma.

"We have a big triangle of water from those creeks," he said.

"The Billabong is basically full and is meeting the water from the other creeks and it just can't get away."

Mr McCrabb is watching country on Avenel subject to flooding he has not seen in his lifetime.

"That is causing us a lot of trouble limiting our movement of stock, and is seriously damaged the nutrition of our pastures," he said,

"It means I have lost access to about fifty percent of my country, even though only about 15pc is under water.

"Most of our breeding ewes are stuck between the Billabong and Two Mile creeks, and we are getting ready to join."

Mr McCrabb mentioned he will also have to start feeding as the value of the pasture has been lost due to the steady inundation of water causing the ground to become sour and the grass to rot.

"We will have to carefully move the ewes as best we can to where we can truck them to the higher country," he said.

"Our irrigation country is dry, and has been a backup for us, but we need to get the sheep put onto the native country where they will do better."

There haven't been any stock losses due to floods but Mr McCrabb is aware of some management and health issues concerning his sheep.

"We shore in October, and although it went on for some time, it does mean flystrike is the least of my problems," he said.

"Worm burden, which we are continually monitoring and pink eye, especially in our young sheep from the pollen irritating their eyes after walking through the long grass is a real concern and we are addressing them.

"Mosquitoes and the bacteria Mycoplasma ovis which causes blood infections are also a worry for our young sheep."

Mr McCrabb said the winter at Wanganella had been pretty dry, but had a very good spring before the heavy rainfall which led to all of his problems, one of which is the conservation of fodder.

"We were able to make some hay at the beginning of November on our irrigation country," he said.

"But with the wet paddocks, feed crops cannot be sown and in other areas where they haven't been able to make any hay, there could be real issues with availability of fodder for stock next year."

Mr McCrabb pointed to the possibility he will have water over his country well into the new year and perhaps as late as Easter.

"At this stage, I don't see it drying out much before then," he said.

"And the big issue is we won't have any decent pasture regrowth until a good autumn break, only rubbish will grow over the summer, so we will be relying on our native bushes and whatever hay we have."

Mr McCrabb does have 3000 tonnes of silage buried underground, of which 1400 tonnes was made this year and he said when it was made - he hoped never to have to use.

Along with hay made in November, it could be consumed during the coming summer if alternative supplementary fodder cannot be sourced.

"The situation is as bad as a drought," he said.

"We also feed a lot of corn to our mature sheep and that might be difficult to source.

"It has been hard on our sheep, standing in water and with lack of nutrition, they are becoming susceptible to whatever disease is about."

Mr McCrabb is conscious his management will 'have to be right at the point'.

"We will be very tired, and mentally exhausted by the end of it, but we are in a reasonable position," he said.

"Basically we are in a much better position than many others, just flood waters have caused management issues, as we have had a long lead time to prepare, we just need to be mentally tough."

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