Thursday June 25, 2020QUEENSLANDCOUNTRYLIFE - SOUTHERNEDITION26 queenslandcountrylife.com.au

13 25 23 futurebeef.com.au

Taking stock of your future

Use the right pain reliefPROVISION of pain

relief medication tocattle during routinehusbandry proce-

dures is increasingly beingadopted by beef producers.

The benefits of adminis-tering analgesia for castra-tion and dehorning of calvesare widely acknowledgedand supported by field trials.

There are three pain reliefproducts registered forcattle with the AustralianPesticides and VeterinaryMedicine Authority (APV-MA), one local anaesthetic -Tri-Solfen, and two non-ste-roidal anti-inflammatorydrugs (NSAIDs) analgesics- Ilium Buccalgesic OTMandMetacam 20 or 40.

Anaesthetic versusanalgesic

Anaesthetics and an-algesics target differentareas of the pain pathway.Local anaesthetics provideshort-term pain relief bytemporarily blocking sen-sory function (i.e. numbingthe area). NSAIDs are a typeof analgesic which blockinflammatory pathwaysin the body but not thesensory function.

Single ormulti-modaluse?

Anaesthetics andanalgesics can be usedindividually or together. Alocal anaesthetic can reducepain at the time of theprocedure by numbing thesurgical site. As Tri-Solfenis a topical spray, it willonly work when applied toexposed nerves, i.e. after theprocedure. An analgesic willnot block pain at the time ofthe procedure but providelonger lasting pain relief bytargeting inflammation asthe wound heals.

Which option is rightforme?

It is recommended thatproducers consult theirveterinarian for a compre-hensive understanding ofthe function and applicationof their chosen product(s)and to ensure effectivetreatment, before investingin pain relief measures.

Tri-Solfen (Bayer)■ Description: Localanaesthetic which blockssensory function, alsocontains adrenaline toreduce blood supply andloss, and an antiseptic.

■ Composition: Lignocaineand Bupivacaine(anaesthetics), adrenaline(aids in control ofbleeding) and Cetrimide(antiseptic).

■ Function: Pain relief,reduces bleeding andrisk of bacterial infection,and assists in healing bysealing and protecting thewound.

■ Application: Castration- three applications (onein each incision, finalto scrotal skin wound);dehorning - immediatelyfollowing (product mustbe applied to exposednerves at the surgical siteto work).

■ Time it takes to work:Immediately (within oneminute).

■ Claimed period of painrelief: Castration anddehorning/disbudding - upto 24 hours.

■ Meat withholding period:90 days.

■ Export slaughter interval:90 days.

■ Availability: Schedule 5drug, purchase over thecounter.

■ Presentation: 1 litre, 5 litre,and 20 litre.

Buccalgesic (TroyPharmaceutical)■ Description: Non-steroidalanti-inflammatorydrug which targetsinflammation that causespain.

■ Composition: Meloxicam10mg/ml in a buccal

(cheek) formulation.Designed for retentionin the buccal cavity, andabsorption across themucous membrane.

■ Function: Pain relief,reduces inflammation.

■ Application: Administerthe dose into the buccal

cavity that lies betweenthe molar teeth and insideof the cheek, while holdingthe mouth closed.Thisproduct is not intended tobe swallowed (althoughwill not cause harm) but tobe absorbed through themucosa of the inner cheek.

■ Time it takes to work: 10-15 minutes.

■ Claimed period of painrelief: Castration - 24-72 hours; dehorning/disbudding - researchsuggests up to 44 hours.

■ Meat withholding period:14 days.

■ Export slaughter interval:21 days.

■ Availability: Schedule 4

drug, requires veterinaryprescription.

■ Presentation: 200ml.

Metacam20andMetacam40 (BoehringerIngelheim)■ Description: Non-steroidalanti-inflammatorydrug which targetsinflammation that causespain.

■ Composition: Meloxicamin an injectable solutionin two formulations,including 20mg/ml and40mg/ml.

■ Function: Pain relief,reduces inflammation.

■ Application: Single doseonly by subcutaneousor intravenousinjection. Administersubcutaneously 10 minutesbefore the procedure.

■ Time it takes to work: 10-15 minutes.

■ Claimed period of painrelief: Castration - 24-72 hours; dehorning/disbudding - researchsuggests up to 44 hours.

■ Meat withholding period:Meloxicam 40 - 11 days;Meloxicam 20 - eight days.

■ Export slaughter interval:Meloxicam 40 - 17 days;Meloxicam 20 - No exportslaughter interval as thisconcentration is usuallyused for calves.

■ Availability: Schedule 4drug, requires veterinaryprescription.

■ Presentation: Metacam 20:50ml and 100ml, 250ml;Metacam 40: 50ml and100ml.Formore information,

please contact MeganGurnett, Department ofAgriculture and Fisheries,Toowoomba, (07) 4529 4221megan.gurnett@daf.qld.gov.au

The benefits of administering analgesia for castration and dehorning are widelyacknowledged and supported by field trials.

‘‘There are currently three painrelief products registered for cattlewith the Australian Pesticides andVeterinary Medicine Authority.

This having been said we need toget on with getting the best outof what we have and preserve theland’s longevity.

Ironfarmers are operating threeCaterpillar 824 Wheel Dozerscomplete with 8m (26ft) Stick rakeswhich are purpose built to suitmost conditions from Australiansteel in our Westwood workshop.

We at Ironfarmers realizethe importance of the ruralindustry to Australia.

We are passionate about thesupport we can give to helpmaintain and improve ourmost valuable asset, the land.It has been said many timesby our customers. “They arenot making any more of it”.

MOST EFFICIENTSTICK RAKING MACHINE

AW39

2144

5

The Ironfarm, 3835 Capricorn Highway, Westwood. Qld. 4702.

Ian Mundell: 0419 670 195 | Judi Goor-Mundell: 0417 618 719 | www.ironfarmers.com.au | ironfarmers@bigpond.com

CONTACT US ABOUT YOUR NEXT LAND PROJECT

Thursday June 25, 2020 QUEENSLANDCOUNTRYLIFE - SOUTHERNEDITION 27queenslandcountrylife.com.au

13 25 23 futurebeef.com.au

Taking stock of your future

Bullmanagement checklistCurrent herd bulls1. Bull health

Several diseases impairbull fertility, many of whichcan be controlled or man-aged by an effective vacci-nation program before thebreeding season.

Infection of a bull, particu-larly during a short matingseason, can have a seriouseffect on the herd concep-tion and subsequent brand-ing rates.

An annual bull vaccina-tionprogramshould include:botulism, vibriosis, clostrid-ial diseases (5-in-1 vaccine)and ephemeral fever (three-day sickness). Tick fever vac-cination may be required inspecific circumstances.

Also test for worms andtreat bulls as necessary.2. Body condition

Ideal body condition scoreis 3 (out of 5) for maximumsperm production.3. Structural soundness

Check legs, joints and feetfor injuries, stiffness andcuts/swelling.4. Breeding soundness

BULLCHECK® or a Veter-inary Bull Breeding Sound-ness Evaluation (VBBSE)covers scrotal and physical

examination, semen motil-ity, sperm morphology, andservingcapacity (if required).

A vet should do an annualVBBSE, before joining, toidentify bulls that are declin-ing in fertility. This is par-

ticularly important for singlesire herds.5. Bull age

To justify retaining an old-er age bull in the herd, thebull must be fertile, structur-ally sound and also be equal

to, or better than, the mostrecent bull replacementsfor all genetic traits usedin selection.6. Bull percentages

Have you got enough ortoomany bulls?

The 'Bull Power' projectfound that when bulls metthe minimum requirementsof a VBBSE, bull percentagesof 2.5 per cent did not jeop-ardise the branding rateson large pastoral holdings

where waters were spreadout and with large paddocks.

Purchasing bulls1. Determine your breedingobjective

Identify the traits that aremost economically signifi-cant.2. Do your research

Analyse sire summaries,dam data and sale cata-logues. Talk to your supplierabout your requirements, forexample a VBBSE certificate.3. Selection

Look at BREEDPLANEstimated breeding values(EBVs) and indexes to selectbulls that match your crite-ria. Work through your bullcost per calf and set yourprice limit and stick to it.Look at your list of selectedbulls and assess/rank forstructural and reproductivesoundness (based on theVBBSE); temperament andBREEDPLAN EBVs.

To find out more visitfuturebeef.com.au (searchfor 'bulls').■ Megan Gurnett,Department of Agricultureand Fisheries,Toowoomba(07) 4529 4221 megan.gurnett@daf.qld.gov.au

A vet should do an annual VBBSE, before joining, to identify bulls that are declining in fertility.

FORAGE budgeting is theprocess of calculatingforage supply and livestockdemand over a set period.

Knowing how much for-age is available assists usto make informed grazingmanagement decisions,ensures there is enoughresidual pasture at the endof the grazing period, andhelps use available pasturemore efficiently.

Jo Campbell is a tech-nical officer based at theDepartment of Agriculture

and Fisheries' (DAF) BrianPastures Research Facilityand in her role it is criticalto understand how muchforage is available forgrazing from the end of thegrowing season (usuallyMay) until the start of thenext likely growing season.

Most cattle on theresearch facility areinvolved in projects, sothe capacity to destockduring dry periods is oftenlimited. Forage budgets arecompleted on a paddock

by paddock basis, takinginto account paddock area,land types, land condition,soil and pasture condition,pasture yield (kilogram DM/hectare), and percent ofunpalatable species.

To estimate pasture yield,specific land type photostandards are used andquadrat cuts are taken ofthe dominant grass speciesto calibrate our estimates.A photo is taken annuallyin each paddock to com-pare any changes in land,

pasture and soil condition.These measurements are

critical for decision making,and can answer a numberof important questions suchas: How many grazing daysdo we have for our herd?Do we need to adjust ourherd numbers?

Visit futurebeef.com.au(search for 'forage budget').■ Jo Campbell, DAF, BrianPastures Research Facility,Gayndah (07) 4161 4007joanne.campbell@daf.qld.gov.au

FORAGE BUDGETING PROVES A VALUABLE TOOL FOR PASTURE MANAGEMENT

■ Simple calculations usingExcel take into accounttarget residual pastureto maintain adequateground cover.

■ This information isextremely valuable todetermine stocking ratesand length of grazing ineach paddock, planningpaddock grazing andspelling rotations, andidentifying if furthermeasures must be taken.

Forage budgeting

Thursday June 25, 2020QUEENSLANDCOUNTRYLIFE - SOUTHERNEDITION28 queenslandcountrylife.com.au

13 25 23 futurebeef.com.au

Taking stock of your future

Navigatingmade easier

THE Australian outback iswell known for its perilousnature and people becominglost on a property, poses asignificant health and safetyrisk. Search and rescue oper-ations can be costly in time,human resources, equip-ment, and lost productivity.

The information availa-ble to people travelling onproperties varies consider-ably. Most properties haveinfrastructure maps withvarying levels of detail andcurrency, while others haveinternal roads, tracks andwater points marked withsignposts or objects such astyres, drums and old jerrycans to indicate turn-offs.

Acclimatising to a newpatch of country comes nat-urally to some, and not somuch for others. Fortunately,advances in technology havepaved the way for contem-porary solutions to an age-old problem.

What is an offlinemobilemap app?

As the name suggests, of-fline mobile map apps workwithout wi-fi or networkconnectivity. Some popularapps allow you to downloadmaps offline, but this is gen-erally limited to only publicroads and tracks, not infra-structure and internal roadson properties.

Can infrastructuremaps be connectedwith offlinemobilemap apps?

Yes, property infrastruc-ture maps can be connectedwith offline mobile mapapps through the process ofgeoreferencing.

Georeferencing is the termused for identifying a pointon the earth's surface andmatching it to its location ona map using internationalcoordinates.

Digital property maps areusually in PDF format. A geo-referencedmap will have thecoordinates of the propertystored within the PDF.

When accessed throughspecific software applica-

tions, the GPS locations ofanything within the bounda-ry of that map is available.

Howdo offlinemobilemap appswork?

When using any sort ofnavigation system, a dot gen-erally appears on the screento indicate the user's currentposition (this is a blue dot inGoogleMaps).

When a georeferencedproperty map is accessedthrough the appropriatemobile software application,a dot will also appear to indi-cate the user's position.

The difference is thatthe map being viewed is aproperty map - which, if upto date, will show where the

user is in relation to markedinfrastructure such astracks, fences, water pointsand yards.

Do they offer otherfeatures?

There are several differentmobile map app products,and the features includeddepend on the individualproduct and subscriptiontier. With certain productsusers can:■ plot and recordinformation aboutlocations

■ import and export placemarks

■ measure distance and area■ georeference photos.

This means that in ad-

dition to using the app fornavigational purposes, it canbe used to record the coor-dinates of broken infrastruc-ture orwhere equipmentwasleft behind (including a pho-to attached to that placemarkon the map) so that otherscan locate it.

Each product providesdifferent options, and usersshould consider their needsand speak to the manu-facturers before choosinga product.■ For more information,contact Meg Humphrys,pastoral extension officer,Department of PrimaryIndustry and Resources,Alice Springs, 08 89518144.

Acclimatising to a new patch of country comes naturally to some, and not so much for others. Offline mobile appshelp out with this problem.

Take theworry outof gettinglost in theoutback

UREA increases ammonialevels in the rumen andblood, and this becomes aproblem if ammonia in theblood exceeds what the livercan convert back into urea.

Urea can kill cattle ifeaten too quickly, for exam-ple, when cattle are new tosupplements, are hungry,or have a depraved appetitefrom being deficient in pro-tein, phosphorus or salt.

Even though regular ureasupplements increase theability of the liver to detox-ify ammonia over severalweeks, this ability can be lostwithin a week without sup-plementation.

The main signs of ureapoisoning are: twitching earsand facial muscles; grindingteeth; frothy saliva; bloating;difficulty breathing; stag-gering; spasms just beforedeath; dead cattle near theurea supplement.

If caught early, cattle canbe treated using a stomachtube passed into the rumento relieve the bloat and thenused to drench the animalwith cold water; 45 litres foran adult cow followed by 2-6L of 5 per cent acetic acid orvinegar, 0.5-1L for sheep.Thisreduces the alkaline-cor-rosive effect of ammonia inthe digestive tract and con-version of urea to ammonia.Repeated doses of vinegarmay be needed as signs mayrecur after 30minutes.

Visit futurebeef.com.auand search for 'urea'.■ Megan Gurnett,Department of Agricultureand Fisheries,Toowoomba(07) 4529 4221 or megan.gurnett@daf.qld.gov.au

Ureacan killif eatenquickly

Manufacturers of quality cattle equipment

★ Calf & Weaner Races – straight and curved★ Manual and Hydraulic Calf & Weaner Branding Cradles★ Stainless steel and freeze brands★ Paint brands and Crow Bars

Australian Owned | Family Operated | 07 4668 5317 | sales@morrisseyco.com.au |www.morrissey.com.au

Thursday June 25, 2020 QUEENSLANDCOUNTRYLIFE - SOUTHERNEDITION 29queenslandcountrylife.com.au

13 25 23 leadingsheep.com.au

Wormegg counts: worth itWITH improved seasonalconditions across much ofthe state, sheep producersare being reminded thatvisible symptoms of a wormburden in even a small per-centage of the mob shouldbe taken seriously.

Jed Sommerfield, LeadingSheep Manager and SeniorExtension Officer with theQueensland Department ofAgriculture and Fisheries,said symptoms like paleinside eyelids and gums, lag-ging or collapsing, scouringand bottle jaw, are all signsthat sheep may have wormsand need testing.

A Worm Egg Count Test(WEC) is the most efficientway to understand the pres-ence of worms in a flock, asit identifies the number ofworm eggs in sheep faeceswhich indicates the wormburden of the animal.

Critical to accurate WECtesting is ensuring that arepresentative sample size istested.

"It's really important thatproducers don't just test thehandful of sheep that appearsymptomatic," Mr Sommer-field said.

"For largermobs, especial-

ly where Barber's pole wormis an issue, the more animalssampled the better.

"The number of wormsvaries greatly between ani-mals, the more animals youcan sample the more accu-

rate the results."A WEC test is the best way

for a producer to understandwhether sheep should bedrenched. Additionally, ithelps producers identifythe type of drench needed

and when additional testingmight be required.

"It is recommended thatWEC testing is carried outwhen you have sheep show-ing symptoms, when lambsare four to six months old

or prior to weaning, beforemustering, six weeks after agreen flush of feed or aftercongregation inasmall area."

The steps to complete aWEC test are straightfor-ward, and include:

■ getting aWEC test kit fromyour supplier

■ deciding when to test(ensuring time for postageof samples that avoidstests being held in the postover the weekend)

■ collecting fresh dung,ideally when the mob iscamped or grazing closetogether

■ completing the submissionpaperwork, packing andposting the samples in linewith the instructions

■ you will then receiveresults that will show theaverage level of worminfection in your sheep.Leading Sheep recently

held a webinar on managingworms.

To view the recording, visitleadingsheep.com.au andlook for Recorded Webinarsunder the Resources tab orvisit wormboss.com.au.

Leading Sheep is an im-portant partnership betweenthe Queensland Departmentof Agriculture and Fisheriesand Australian Wool In-novation and is supportedby AgForce.

For more information,contact us at leadingsheep@daf.qld.gov.au.

A WEC test is the best way for a producer to understand whether sheep should be drenched.

ASWE move into thecooler months with someautumn rain in the gauge,livestock producers need tobe mindful of the potentialgermination of pimelea.

The plant is most toxicwhen it is in its dry formand can lead to major cattlelosses.

"While most cattlewill avoid grazing greenpimelea, the dry stalks aredifficult to spot amongstother pastures and it onlytakes two grams of dried

pimelea per day to lead totoxicity in small weanercattle," Queensland Depart-ment of Agriculture andFisheries extension officerHannahVicary said.

Pimelea is most preva-lent when dry summers arefollowed by wet winters,and rainfall events in earlyautumn through winter canlead to widespread germi-nation.

"Most poisoningsoccur between August andJanuary, when the dry plant

material is present," MissVicary said.

"While the clinical signsare more prevalent in cattle,sheep can be impactedwith intestinal irritation andblack scours, which can befatal.

"Fortunately, sheep donot experience the oedemaseen in cattle, as they lackthe thick pulmonary mus-cle.This means that grazingsheep or goats in pimeleainfested paddocks can be aviable management strate-

gy for producers, providedthey are closely monitoredfor any signs of diarrhoeaor loss of condition."

If you have a paddockwith a mix of pimelea andgrass, consider grazing itwith sheep.

To view case studies onhow other sheep producershave managed pimelea, vis-it futurebeef.com.au (searchfor 'Understanding PimeleaPoisoning of Cattle') oremail leadingsheep@daf.qld.gov.au

LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS MUST PREPARE FOR THE EMERGENCE OF TOXIC PIMELEA

■ First time sheepproducers have thechance to learn fromAustralia's leadingindustry experts.

■ Leading Sheep's 'HSeries' webinar programfeatures educationalinformation across sheepand wool productiontopics.

■ Register online vialeadingsheep.com.au.

WEBINAR SERIES

Tractor and Engine PartsStock a large range of quality parts for; Massey, Ford, Case IH, John Deere,New Holland, David Brown, Zetor, Fiat and Perkins parts specialists.Quality suppliesStock an extensive range of filters, oils, hand tools, workshop equipment,hydraulics, PTO driveline and so much more, just ask, we are bound tohave it.2nd hand part sourcingSpecialists in chasing 2nd hand parts for all makes and models. If wecan't find it - it can't be found.Reconditioned and second hand engines also available

80 years experience between Peter and Rick,

279 Eastern Drive, Gatton, QLD | 07 5462 1026 | www.gattonfarm.com.au

T t d E i P t

80 years experience between Peter and Rick,so you know you are in good hands to find the right part

Importers ofquality KMPbrands andproducts