• 18% of steers entering the feedlot had at least one case of BRD
• Healthy steers, not treated for BRD during the trial, and with no severe lung lesions:
  - Grew at one point eight kilograms per day
  - Had 352kg carcasses
  - With a marble score of 349
• Subclinical BRD steers, that were not treated during the trial, but had severe lung lesions:
  - Grew at one point six kilograms per day
  - Had 336kg carcasses
  - With a marble score of 326
• Clinical steers, that were treated during the trial and had significant lung lesions:
  - Grew at one point four kilograms per day
  - Had 328kg carcasses
  - With a marble score of 299

Alpacas and llamas are susceptible to many of the gastro-intestinal nematodes or “worms” that infect sheep and cattle, including barber’s pole worm (Haemonchus spp), liver fluke and the scour worms. Alpaca tend to toilet in discrete areas rather than just wherever they are like cattle and sheep. This helps to control roundworm parasites; as a result, worm burdens are often not as high as for ruminants that are less fussy about their toileting habits.

Occasional heavy barber’s pole worm burdens are reported, especially in high rainfall areas, like around Orange. Other worm types include black scour worm and small brown stomach worm.

The behavior of worms in alpacas is not well described nor well researched. Camelid farmers and enthusiasts need to extrapolate from sheep research on how best to manage and control worms.

- The benefits of good worm control include:
- Fewer deaths and illness from worms
- Fewer drenches, particularly long-acting drenches
- Improved productivity
- Prolonged life of drenches

The primary external parasite to infest Australian alpacas and llamas is the camelid chewing louse, Bovicola breviceps. These lice are spread at shows, mobile-matings and on shearing gear. Treatment is possible if you run a closed herd, but through good quarantine practices, prevention of it entering the herd is ideal. After all, alpacas are bred for their soft, light and lustrous fleece which is frequently damaged if stock are itching themselves- and so too are fences! This can also be damaging for trees and other infrastructure. 

If you are worried about parasite burdens in your alpacas, faecal testing or a veterinary consult can help you to sort it out.

Wet conditions can bring greasy heel to rear it's ugly head for many horses. Really, 'greasy heel' is a blanket term used for a vast number of causes that present with skin irritation on the legs of horses. As well as being unsightly, it is a painful condition for the horse, and can have negative performance impacts for performance horses, as well as being a welfare concern.

The causes of greasy heel

There are numerous causes of 'greasy heel' or leg dermatitis, including:

• Infectious agents, such as bacteria and fungal infections - This is often the most obvious cause, and is manageable with medicated shampoo
• Immune system dysfunction - Immune system dysfunctions attack the skin layers from the surface or from deeper and break them down. Anti-inflammatory medications can help. A veterinarian can perform tests such as biopsies to confirm the diagnosis.
• Irritants from the pasture or water source - irritant substances in the pasture, such as St Johns Wort or other poisonous plants can have an irritant effect locally. Similarly, some water sources can be really irritant- and it can be tricky to figure if it is the water itself, or the mud nearby, or plants growing near the water.
• Photosensitisation - is often triggered by ingestion of plants, and made worst by areas exposed to UV light from the sun. The skin of the legs has minimal protection and blood vessels that run close to the surface so can be a tricky place to manage.

Targeted treatments 

In cases of greasy heel, it is difficult to manage because there is not a one treatment cure all. Some horses do fine after environmental management, whilst others need diligent clipping and cleaning  regularly. There are some medications that can be helpful, and for troublesome cases, skin biopsies may need to be sent to the laboratory to get to the bottom of the issues. 

Please contact our friendly veterinary team if you have any additional questions about the causes and treatment of greasy heel in horses. This is a case where a consultation really is needed. We’re here to help!

Cattle spend their lives grazing then burping up feed and chewing their cud. If there is a sudden diet change, due to moving paddock or changing pasture conditions, this can upset the gas and bacteria in the stomach, and lead to bloat. 

You might notice bloat because cattle are typically seen with a big swollen belly, and may be grunting and uncomfortable. Often this develops within 1-4hours of the new paddock or pasture. The size of the rumen and biochemical changes means that these cattle are quickly in a life threatening situation. Without treatment, many affected cattle can die. 

For mild affected animals, a tube (like a hose) may be able to be passed from the mouth to the stomach. The stomach is a long way from the mouth- the tube needs to be long enough to get from the nose to the back portion of the ribs. Often a rush of air, and sometimes foamy stuff, is released. For more severely affected animals, a stab incision may need to be made to release the air. If the animal is to be saved, you will still need veterinary attention after this as well. 

The best management of bloat is prevention. Hungry stock should be fed with fibrous feed before being turned onto a green paddock- for example, feed hay before sending the freshly transported new cattle out to the quarantine paddock. Clover, lucerne and legume rich paddocks are the biggest risks. 

Bloat is a true emergency, and it is important that you and your staff know what to do in an emergency. See the link below for more information.

Mastitis is an extremely costly disease to manage, and has been worst in recent wet years locally. Some costs are clear to see: additional labour costs and the treatments themselves can really add up. Equally significant are the adverse effects on your calf growth and rejoining rates.

Here are four key elements in managing mastitis during autumn calving:

1. Manage your calving area! The control population density in the calving area. If moving hay feeders, then fence off the old area to prevent cattle from laying down in the heavily contaminated area.
2. Monitoring for signs of mastitis: It's important to regularly monitor cows for any signs of mastitis, such as udder swelling, heat, or pain. Strip test all fresh cows each milking during the colostrum period.

1. Treating mastitis: If mastitis is identified, treatment should be instigated promptly. Antibiotics are typically used to treat mastitis in cows around calving, but may need to be adjusted based on the cow's individual situation. We will work with you to develop a treatment plan that is both effective and responsible.

For advice on managing mastitis, reach out to our expert veterinary team.

An unfortunate reality of livestock farming that we all face is the necessary decision to euthanise an animal. Farmers may be required to ethanise for a variety of reasons, including management of animals considered unfit for transport or human consumption, animals facing a very poor or fatal disease prognosis or animals that are not showing signs of improvement from disease treatment within a suitable timeframe. Whatever the reason, once we make the decision to euthanise, it is essential to ensure the process is done promptly, safely and humanely.

On farm, the options we have available are:

• Captive bolt to the brain
• Close-range firearms to the brain: minimum 0.22 long rifle cartridge
• Chemical euthanasia (to be performed by a veterinarian only)

To discuss which methods of euthanasia are most suitable for your animals, talk to a member of our knowledgeable veterinary team.

The cornerstone of feeding young animals- be they calves, foals, lambs, kids is well-organised colostrum management. Improve your effectiveness with bottle fed young ones by remembering the following ‘Four Q’s’:

1.‘Quickly’: The easiest factor to manage. Colostrum should be provided for  as quickly as possible after calving. It should definitely be given within six hours of birth. After 24 hours, you have missed the boat- the stomachs change and absorption of the immune building blocks is minimal.

2. ‘Quality’: If you’re not already using a Brix refractometer, consider it if you're raising many bottlefed youngsters! They are one of the highest-value instruments you can invest in for a calf-rearing facility. Routinely measure all  colostrum with a Brix refractometer to determine the quantity required. Ideally, all calves get colostrum >22% Brix at first feed.

3. ‘Quantity’: The quantity of colostrum you should provide has the research best checked for calves. It is dependant on the quality of the colostrum as measured at collection. Here’s a quick guide to quality and quantity ratios:

• Colostrum that measures >22% Brix: Feed calves three-litre portion initially. Feed another two-litre portion after 12 hours have passed.
• Colostrum that measures <22% Brix: Feed calves a three-litre portion initially, and another three-litre portion after 12 hours have passed.

4. ‘sQueaky clean’: Staff are often responsible for a very important job: colostrum collection. Contaminated colostrum can be a source of infection for young animals, so it’s essential that milking staff maintain the best hygiene practices when collecting. Always wash, disinfect, and dry teats thoroughly before collection.

For more handy tips on colostrum management, speak with our expert veterinary team.

1. Regenerative anaemia - Occurs due to blood loss, for example from a serious cut or wound.
2. Non-regenerative anaemia - The ability of the bone marrow to produce red blood cells is compromised in some way, for example, by a disease, or a problem affecting the system that regulates the production and concentration of red blood cells in the body.