Katherine Rural Review Christmas Edition Produced by Katherine Research Station

Edition 244 December 2002

Bovine Johnes Disease

Mauricio Perez-Ruiz. Veterinary Officer. KRS. Ph: 89 739 756

Bovine Johne’s Disease (BJD) is At the end of July 2002 as a result of trace caused by the bacterium forward procedures using the NT Waybill Mycobacterium avium System, twenty properties in the Katherine subspecies paratuberculosis. were served with quarantine orders. This is a serious disease of The rest of the dairy herd left at Katherine ruminants that causes were previously quarantined and these persistent scouring and loss of animals were destroyed early in July by body condition resulting in eventual departmental staff. death. There is no treatment for this disease in infected animals and self- By the end of September, all target cattle in the Katherine Region had been located and cure does not occur. The presence of a management plan had been agreed upon this disease on a property results in by all property owners. By the same time, loss of market access to many markets. quarantine orders had been revoked for ten properties and suspect status declared for Two cows from the remnants of the ten properties. The finding of two infected Brigalow dairy herd were found to be cows, trace forward, eradication of these infected with Bovine Johne’s Disease two animals and quarantine and eradication organisms late in June 2002. These of in-contact stock demonstrated that the animals were positive reactors to a blood mechanisms in place are effective in the test but did not exhibit clinical disease. They . were destroyed and sampled according to the national BJD Standard Definitions and Other property owners with dairy cattle ex- Rules. Subsequent tissue culture was Brigalow herd have also been contacted and positive; however, faecal culture was management plans have been developed negative for both animals. for these properties as well. Results from the Victorian Institute of Animal Science and A management plan for the animals Berrimah Veterinary Laboratory do not originated from the Brigalow herd dispersal suggest the presence of BJD in any of the was formulated. The program was animals sampled so far in the Northern designed to assess the risk of Territory. establishment of disease on an individual property basis and depending on the risk assessment undergo a slaughter (the Katherine Rural Review Katherine Research Station PO Box 1346 preferred approach but not mandatory) or KATHERINE NT 0851 testing program to minimise the risk of will be closed from the Tel: 89 739 770 disease or future disease. Fax: 89 739 777 24th to the 30th of [email protected] December over Christmas ISSN 0156-9589 Buy the hay with the right form

Daryl Parker. KRS. Ph: 89739 724

At a recent Katherine meeting, hay While the form is not a guarantee, it provides producers agreed to use locally developed buyers with a detailed description of the hay and Voluntary Vendor Declaration forms to describe weed management practices if they have not hay offered for sale. had the opportunity to see the standing crop or hay before purchase. This is a demonstration of their commitment to satisfy requirements under the new Weed The form will be used in conjunction with a Management Act and offers buyers a formal documented weed management plan, which is description of the hay they are selling, chemicals currently being developed for the hay industry used and other weed management practices. All through a series of hay producers meeting being buyers can use this information when purchasing convened by NTAg* and DBIRD. hay, particularly those involved with a quality assurance program such as Cattlecare. The Voluntary Vendor Declaration form was developed following concerns raised at a weeds The Voluntary Vendor Declaration form: forum organised by the Katherine Pastoral Industry Advisory Committee. The form was ! Is voluntarily supplied by a grower to a developed as a joint effort between the DBIRD, prospective buyer NTAg, KPIAC, the Katherine District Farmers ! Contains information describing the lot of hay Association, and the VRDCA. offered for sale including where and when it was produced The Voluntary Vendor Declaration form use is ! Provides information about weed currently self-regulating, but in the future it may management practices used form part of an independently audited Quality ! Gives details of chemicals applied to the crop Assurance program for the hay industry. during the season ! Contains information a buyer can use when Participating hay growers are responding to deciding about purchasing a particular lot of increasing requests from the market for hay. information, and recognise their obligations under the new weed management act. The success Although it is a voluntary process, buyers can of any voluntary scheme such as this will ask hay suppliers for the declaration. It is part ultimately come from buyers who use the forms of a quality assurance system for both buyers in good faith. and sellers of hay, regardless of whether they are involved in a formal Quality Assurance *Northern Territory Agriculture Association Inc. program. (NTAg) is the new name for Northern Territory Irrigation, Grain and Fodder Producers Association.

KRR edition 244 From the pen of the Big Fella! Jack Peart. Director Pastoral, Regional Director KRS.

I nearly started out by saying that I’d just arrived in Katherine – it’s actually been six months since I moved down from Darwin! Hardly just arrived.

This is the first time I’ve put anything in the Rural Review so it’s a general hello to all in the Region, especially those I haven’t caught up with yet. I won’t bore you with details, but I’ve been with the Department since 1989 when I started in as an Animal Production Officer, then had a few years in before moving to Darwin as Director Agriculture and then Director Pastoral.

For a variety of reasons, most of them positive, it was decided to move the position of Director Pastoral to Katherine and combine it with the Regional Director role. It was a very sound move, increasing the level of contact between the Pastoral group and the pastoral industry. The shift out of Berrimah to Katherine is also a start in relocating other positions into the region as they become vacant. meetings, and the Cattlemen’s Association will be distributing copies to members very I am very pleased to be in Katherine and am now shortly. well settled into a rural block. Please have a read of this plan and give us The Government is focussing on an economic your feedback. development strategy for the NT and as part of this, we have put together a draft development plan for the As this is the last Rural Review before the Pastoral Industry. The plan is very much a draft and end of the year, on behalf of all Katherine simply provides a base of issues and strategies to and regional staff, I wish you all the best for stimulate industry comment. Christmas and the New Year. Mostly, I wish you a speedy end to this extended dry A copy of this draft plan should reach you in the near season. future, some have been distributed at recent NTCA REMEMBER THIS AT CHRISTMAS TIME Therefore, according to EVERY According to the Alaska Department historical depiction of Santa’s of Fish and Game, while both male reindeer, EVERY single one of them, and female reindeer grow antlers in from Rudolph to Blitzen, must be a the summer each year, male reindeer girl. drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid- We should’ve known. ONLY women December. Female reindeer retain would be able to drag a fat-belly man their antlers till after they give birth in the spring. in a red velvet suit all around the world in one night and not get lost.

page ...... 3 Katherine Needles don't go on Trucking vaccine guns any old Yards how Geoffry Fordyce. Principal Animal Scientist. QDPI. Ph: 07 4754 6123 Fx: 07 4787 4998

As of the 1st of If you have injected a mob of cattle with a repeat-vaccinator gun, you will December 2002, the probably have experienced two common problems: following time limits · Persistent post-vaccination lumps, especially after using oil-based will apply for stock vaccines. held in the Katherine · High resistance to injection on the first attempt, rectified by deeper Trucking Yards: insertion of the needle at a more perpendicular angle.

Cattle are free up to five days, then a charge will be made at $1.00 per day per head. ✔ ✖

Buffaloes will have only one day in the Skin yards, then they will have to be moved.

For use of the yards Subcutaneous space phone 89739754 or 89739739 during work hours, or 89710503 Underlying tissue after hours.

By Order of the Regional Director – Both of these problems often have the same cause: incorrect orientation of Dept. Business the needle on the syringe. Industry and Resource Development A needle is a pipe cut at an angle with razor sharp leading edges. The Katherine objective when vaccinating is to get the opening of the needle resting between the skin and underlying tissues. This is achieved by orientating the needle so that at entry at about 45o to the skin, THE BEVEL IS PARALLEL Only leave WITH THE SKIN. me here for one day If the bevel faces away from the skin, the opening of the needle may still be hey in the dermis at first injection attempt, thus the high resistance. A more BOSS!! perpendicular entry is required to counter this, which results is the leading edge of the needle cutting into underlying tissues, with potential for intramuscular vaccine injection - thus the lumps.

I always have a pair of pliers in the vaccination kit so I can correctly orientate the needle. Easily done with a robust metal gun. But it can be a challenge with disposable guns.

Using the above approach, I rarely see vaccination lumps after using oil- based vaccines. And I rarely have injection problems - other than caused by faulty gear or cattle that think they don’t want a needle! About that "Watering Hole" Kieren McCosker - Animal Production Officer Ph: 89 739 751

Water is an essential nutrient for all animals. The 7.1-8.7 and 6.3-8.3 respectively. Of paramount importance consumption of water by an animal depends on the class for water medicating is that the pH remains below 8, ideally of animal and the environment it is running in. The suitability at 7.2, to prevent layering of urea in the solution. of the water supply depends on the quality of the water (salinity, acidity, toxic elements, algal growth), environmental Another important factor in the water story is toxic elements factors (air temperature, feed quality) and animal factors and algal blooms being present in water supplies. Both (age and condition of stock). of these have the potential to cause catastrophic repercussions and where productivity losses are Figure 1: Water consumption for beef cattle. suspected, the problem can be investigated by a veterinarian or animal production officer. Note that blue Average Daily Consumption Peak Daily Consumption (L/hd/d) (L/hd/d) green algae prevention needs to be in place when water medicating. B5eef Cattle 406 C2alves 203 Environmental Factors The amount of water that stock drink depends on both Water Quality water and air temperature. Animals prefer water that is at The major determining factor of water quality is the or below their body temperature. In warmer conditions, concentration of dissolved salts in the water. Surface water an animal’s daily water intake will increase by 40% on is generally said to be low in dissolved salts, as opposed average as a result of their evaporative cooling to artesian and underground water supplies. For this reason mechanism. It is important to monitor daily intake when cattle will drink more artesian or underground water than water medicating so that accurate calibration and dosing surface water. Animals drink more salty water partly can be made. because of the taste and partly due to an accelerated water turnover, so that the body can regulate the salt balance. A marginal water supply may also become a concern The amount of salt in water is usually expressed either as during the hotter months due to the increased intake. The a concentration (parts per million, ppm) or electrical salinity of some water supplies may also increase due to conductivity (millisiemens per metre, mS/m). the increased evaporation from troughs and shallow tanks.

Beef cattle will show no adverse effects to salinity if the During the dry the intake of water will increase due to the concentration is below 4000 ppm (625 mS/m). If the salt animals being forced to select a more fibrous and less concentration is between 4000-5000 ppm (625-780 mS/m), digestible diet, requiring extra water to move forage through animals may be reluctant to drink the water and there may the digestive tract. As feed becomes shorter, animals be some scouring as a result, however, the cattle will adapt weaken and their salt tolerance decreases, so some without any loss in production. On the other hand, if the previously marginal waters become unsuitable. salt concentration is within the range of 5000-10000 ppm (780-1560 mS/m) there will be a loss in production and the Feeding salt or salt-based licks or blocks during dry health of the animals will decline. Young animals, heavily periods increases water intake. If water quality is marginal pregnant or lactating females, aged or weakened stock the extra salt may depress appetite and cause digestive are less tolerant to saline water. The total dissolved solid upsets – the opposite to the supplement’s purpose. (TDS) concentrations vary greatly within and between stations, however, a typical TDS range for artesian bores Watering Points on the Stuart Plateau and VRD respectively is 270-1650 Cattle graze mostly within a radius of about 5 km from a ppm and 190-600 ppm. Some bores on the Stuart Plateau watering point. This radius will decrease if the stock require have been found to have 3000 ppm TDS, this is still within more water due to lactation, salinity or dry feed. If the tolerable range paddocks have areas far from water, additional watering points will increase the utilisation of the paddock. The acidity or alkalinity of the water is expressed as a pH reading and is also important. If the pH is below 6.4 (acidic) Watering points should also be kept pretty clean. Troughs or above 8.5 (alkaline) it will cause digestive upsets. Cattle should be cleaned readily as algal growths can produce in this type of situation will reject the water and are likely to unpleasant odours in the water, repelling stock. In addition, perish. However, this problem is easily rectifiable. The if the troughs are not drained frequently, the salinity levels addition of alum or lime to alkaline or acidic water can rise due to evaporation. respectively will correct. Again the pH of the water wil vary greatly between and within stations. As an indication of References: the pH readings on the Stuart Plateau and VRD two random * http://www.agric.nsw.gov.au/reader/916. stations were chosen and their pH were found to be between * Water requirements: Stock and domestic purposes, DNR. High stocking rates suffer in dry conditions The next Pastoral Market Update will be Neil Mac Donald. Senior Animal Production Officer. in the January Edition Ph: 89 739 746 Over the last few years we have introduced Figure 1: Decline in pasture production with new higher stocking rates at Mt Sanford and increasing utilisation rates.

changed the trial from testing constant 40

stocking rates to constant utilisation rates. y 30 The utilisation rate is the percentage of the R2 = 0.809 year’s grass growth that the cattle eat. 20

10 Previously, with constant stocking rates, each paddock’s utilisation rate fluctuated with the 0 0 1020304050 variable wet seasons. We have changed to -10 constant utilisation rates to get research % change in carrying capacit -20 results that are more precise and which will utilisation % apply across a broader range of seasons. Recovery of Pigeon Paddock (16% This change means that we work out the utilisation) amount of grass in each paddock in April each year, and either add or subtract dry stock at One of the trial paddocks, Pigeon, started in the subsequent muster to keep the estimated worse condition than the others because it was utilisation rate constant. heavily grazed when the site was still part of a larger paddock. Therefore although its stocking Although we still believe the best utilisation rate has been moderate (10 per sq km) pasture rate (balancing maximum animal production conditions deteriorated from 1993-96. Had the with good pasture condition and minimum seasons been worse, this paddock would not risk) for the Mitchell grass pastures and black have been sustainable. basalt soils of Mt Sanford will lie between 20% and 30%, we need to test the extremes. The situation now is that this paddock has Therefore we have introduced utilisation rates recovered. Where there was nothing but bare up to 45% with the expectation that some of soil, short-lived annuals and unpalatable grasses the higher rates will not prove viable, and will like Feathertop, there is now a good perennial have to be abandoned in due course. grass mix including Mitchell grass. The yield has greatly improved. This year the paddock Paddock name Previous Current utilisation Treatment dates averaged 2.7 T/ha, while in equivalent years Cows/sq km % Quail 5 93-99 previously it grew less than 1.5 T/ha. Parrot Creek 7.5 11 93-02 Pigeon 10 16 93-02 Budgie 15 22 93-02 Our conclusion from this is that reversal of poor Wedgie 18.5 28 96-02 Quarrion 22.5 35 00-02 condition is possible, but it takes several years, Larry Mac 30 45 00-02 and requires much lighter stocking rates than could be sustained in a paddock that started in High utilisation reduces grass growth good condition. Because we have experienced such a good run of seasons, the stocking rate Over the last few years, grass growth on the in the paddock has been light enough, but for a site has averaged 2.2 tonnes/ha, and from while that did not appear to be the case. this we estimated the number of cattle we would need for each paddock. However, when The pastures in the highest utilisation we came to adjust the animal numbers in May paddock this year, we found that the lighter utilised paddocks had up to 30% more grass than In the highest stocked paddock (48% utilisation) expected, while the amount of growth in the the total pasture remaining at the end of October heavy utilised paddocks had declined by up annual component was down to 720 kg/ha. Over to 15%. In fact there was a very clear 55% of that was composed of species like relationship, as shown in Figure 1. canegrass, feathertop and silky browntop which are virtually uneaten by cattle in the dry season. Figure 2: Cattle under a tree in Budgie. Only 30% of the pasture was composed of palatable perennials plus 10% annuals. If we assume that the cattle are able to eat half of that, then only 144 kg/ha of feed is left in the paddock. If we allow 8kg per day for breeders (reduced dry season appetite), they will run out of feed in 60 days – around Christmas. So, if the rains are really late, it could be time to abandon this treatment.

Cattle condition Figure 3: Pasture in Oct, 2002. Wet cows in the two highest utilisation rates are in a poorer condition than at any time since we started grazing trials at Mt Sanford. Weaning has improved the situation, but the highest rate (45% utilisation) will be monitored very carefully until the wet arrives, as it may be necessary to pull individual cows out.

Despite the dry year, cows in the lighter utilisation paddocks are in fair condition.

Merry Xmas & Happy NY From the Crew at KRS Call for Interest for Breedcow & Dynama

Trudi Oxley - Animal Production Officer Ph 89 739 763 Fax: 89 739 777 email: [email protected]

I am trying to see if there is enough interest out there for the running of this course. If so the presentations will be kept small scale, with only a couple of stations attending each seminar at a time. Below I have included a program of a previous school. However, the content can be modified to suit each group when presenting.

Purpose: * To train participants in principles of herd budgeting (cash flow and profit comparisons) to enhance herd profitability and financial management. * To train participants in the use of Breedcow and Dynama computer software for herd budgeting.

If Undelivered please return to: PO Box 1346 KATHERINE NT 0851

Program: Day 1 Day 2 * Introductory session * Return to Dynama for a more comprehensive exercise * A brief tour of accounting (balance sheets, profit and loss, * Demonstration with group exercise of MonthCFL cash flow budgets, fixed and variable costs, etc.) (monthly cash flow) and Taxinc (calculation of livestock * How to look at the business with a view to improvement: trading accounts for taxation early warning) programs. * Is there a better way to run the herd? – comparing profits * Explain investment analysis concepts including return of different herd structures on capital, discounting, net present values and internal * Evaluating change using Investment Analysis. rate of return. These apply to Destock and InvestAn * What do we do when the plan comes unstuck? programs. * Introduction to Dynama program * Demonstration of InvestAn program. * Explain and discuss the concept of Adult Equivalents (AE). * Group exercise with Destock program comparing * Full exercise with Breedcow program testing better turnoff forced sales options or purchase opportunities using options for an existing herd. gross margins estimates. * Demonstration with group exercises of Prices and AECalc Katherine Rural Review programs, used (optionally) to calculate net prices and adult Department of Business equivalent (AE) ratings. Show how the data from these Industry and Resource programs is transferred to Breedcow, Dynama etc. Development

PO Box 1346 KATHERINE 0851 Tel: (08)898739739 Reproduction of Rural Review Articles Fax: (08)89739777 [email protected] The Northern Territory Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development welcomes the reproduction of articles appearing in this newsletter, but requests that the technical information be confirmed with the Editor or Author, prior to publication. The department also requests that acknowledgement Page...... 8 be made for any original work sourced from the Katherine Rural Review