Eurobodalla and Bega Valley dairy farmers are urged to consider zinc oxide supplements for their stock, with high spore counts, well above the threshold of 20,000 spores/gram of pasture, being detected.
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Counts up to 45,000 in the Bega Valley and up to 35,000 in the Bodalla area have been measured this week. These are down from the highest counts recorded over the last month which have been 60,000 and 175,000 respectively.
South East Local Land Services district veterinarian Helen Schaefer said recent warm weather and moisture had combined to create ideal conditions for spore growth, which can lead to facial eczema, known as FE.
“Preventative measures should be considered such as pasture management, adding zinc oxide to cow rations at the FE dose rate and dosing other at-risk stock,” Ms Schaefer said.
“Farmers with concerns about pastures and FE are being urged to consider submitting pasture samples to the Bega Veterinary Hospital for spore counting.”
Spore counts from sentinel farms on the Far South Coast and Gippsland, and more information about FE can be found at https://www.dairyaustralia.com.au/facial eczema
Facial Eczema (FE) can have significant impacts on dairy cattle productivity, health and welfare. It is a disorder primarily of cattle and sheep.
While FE is most commonly recognized as a form of photosensitization (“sunburn”), it’s actually a disease of the liver. FE is caused by a fungal toxin. This fungus is found mainly on perennial ryegrass, particularly at the base of the pasture sward. It can also live in a build-up of dead leaf litter of any pasture type, for example, where pastures have been topped.
In autumn 2016 Local Land Services, in partnership with local producers, confirmed a number of outbreaks of FE in the Bega Valley. With the data collected, we captured the attention of Dairy Australia (DA).
They have now incorporated the Bega Valley and Eurobodalla into their annual Facial Eczema Spore Monitoring Program (FESMP) which has been conducted in the Gippsland region for a number of years.
Monitoring temperature and moisture conditions is not very useful to predict danger periods. Regular monitoring of spore counts in a selection of paddocks is essential. It involves cutting pasture samples and identifying the number of spores per gram of pasture.
DA funding has allowed us to engage sentinel farms in the region who submit pasture samples to the Bega Veterinary Hospital every one-two weeks from January through to April, as this is the typical period during which outbreaks of FE occur. The results of the spore counting are made available on the DA website.
The risk of FE increases when pasture spore counts are rising above 20,000 spores per gram of pasture, minimum nighttime temperatures >12-15 degrees Celsius and the humidity is >90% for a few days. It is recognized that counts above 100,000 are potentially toxic.
When the risk of FE increases in the area, alerts are sent out via the media and producer networks. Given that spore counts can vary dramatically amongst districts, farms, and paddocks on the same farm, producers are advised to submit their own pasture samples to assess their situation.
Management and prevention strategies include the use of a specific FE dose rate of zinc oxide in feed for dairy cattle, and minimising the exposure of stock to toxic levels of the spores by not grazing too hard.
For more information please go to: www.dairyaustralia.com.au/facialeczema or contact Helen Schaefer, District Veterinarian, South East LLS at 0417 296 739.
Stan Gorton
Walkley-nominated journalist based at The Islander on Kangaroo Island with an interest in the local community and the environment.
Walkley-nominated journalist based at The Islander on Kangaroo Island with an interest in the local community and the environment.
