Containment-feeding has been used by the Yaninee farmer at his Kanimbla property since 1988 – "a real bad drought" year.

The system was expanded in 2006 when another pen was added to boost the number of feedlots to three.

Although Gregor has had to reduce total flock numbers from 2300 to 1500, without the feedlots he would have had to "quit 30 per cent otherwise".

"There were only two choices – I could keep or sell," he said.

But with 200 tonnes of storage for grain on-farm Gregor decided to keep the flock even though it was "not cheap" to do.

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