04 July 2024
The Tasmanian Livestock Health Monitoring report for April 2024 is now live on the Animal Health Australia (AHA) website.
The Livestock Health Monitoring program collects confidential and anonymous information on livestock diseases and conditions observed by rural service providers and abattoir data from the National Sheep Health Monitoring Project in Tasmania.
A summary of the key findings from the April report is below.
Seasonal Disease Alerts
Barber’s pole worm: residual infestations could still be present in sheep and lambs on irrigation and even on dryland in some areas. Infective larvae should die out on pasture after a few heavy frosts and stop new infestations.
Black scour worms: high egg counts are still being seen. Monthly worm egg counts on weaner sheep are recommended.
Footrot and scald: are starting to spread in some areas.
Liver fluke: Eggs can be present in Fluketests now, but blood tests are the best way to detect migrating fluke in live animals.
Lucerne red gut: seen as sudden death with a very bloated carcase on irrigated lucerne or clover. Offering roughage such as hay or straw or alternating between pasture and the lucerne/clover can help prevent cases.
Nematodirus: If weaners are scouring, have sub-optimal growth rates and some Nematodirus eggs in the egg count this justifies a drench.
Pleurisy: is showing up in abattoir reports, slowing prime lamb growth rates and resulting in trimming at the abattoir. Check MLA’s myFeedback to see if there is any data on your lambs processed this season.
Pulpy kidney: Make sure lambs get a booster if going onto rich feed such as clover or lucerne and into feedlots or droughtlots.
Weaned lamb scours: If lambs are scouring and worm egg counts are zero or very low then coccidia, Yersinia or Campylobacter gut infection could be involved; consult with your vet on best options for diagnosis and treatment.
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