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Watch Out For Scouring Sheep

Producers are advised to monitor their sheep for possible worm outbreaks as we head into spring.

By Department of Primary Industries - 7th September 2005 - Back to News

Short pasture lengths may have been conducive for worm larval pick-up by grazing sheep. The milder temperatures earlier in August have possibly exacerbated this by aiding egg and larval development and survival.

Young sheep are most susceptible to worm burdens. Late pregnant and lambing ewes are also very susceptible due to their diminished immunity at this time.

Lambs will also be at greater risk as they start grazing pasture contaminated by ewes shedding large numbers of worm eggs.

Depending on the type of worm drench used, sheep grazing contaminated pasture can ingest infective larvae which can mature and start laying eggs within only 3-4 weeks.

Worms are not the only cause of scours. Gastro-intestinal infections caused by Yersiniosis and Campylobacter can also causes scouring in lambs and young sheep.

Grain poisoning or acidosis should be considered as another possible cause of scouring when supplementing with cereal grains or pellets.

For sustainable worm control producers should implement an integrated worm control program. This involves a combination of strategies including strategic timing of ‘effective’ drenches and regular monitoring of worm levels using faecal egg counts.

Producers should contact their veterinarian or DPI animal health staff to obtain the correct diagnosis of any disease and advice on sound treatment and management.

LOCAL SOIL GUIDE PRODUCED

Everything you need to know about the soils of the Bairnsdale and Dargo regions can now be found in a new comprehensive guide.

The development of this guide has been a joint project between the East Gippsland Landcare Network and the Department of Primary Industries, with funding from Natural Heritage Trust.

Soil Scientist Ian Sargeant has surveyed the 18 major land systems on the 22,000 hectares of freehold land from Stratford to Lakes Entrance and north to the Mitchell River National Park, including Dargo.

Ian has combined information from a 1992 Department of Conservation, Forests and Lands survey and his own field observations to produce the map and supporting documentation.

"Sustainable Soil Management: A reference to the major agricultural soils of the Bairnsdale region," will be officially launched at the Flaggy Creek Hall on Tuesday 20^th September at 9.00 am.

A demonstration soil pit will be dug to allow Soil Scientists Ian Sargeant and David Rees to get their hands dirty while discussing soil characteristics.

This will be an interactive session where landholders will have the opportunity to ask questions regarding local soil types.

The guide contains geological and geomorphological information on the local area and gives detailed explanations of each land system with soil descriptions and soil chemistry. There is also a section on interpreting soil tests.

The guide also contains lists of native trees and shrubs of the Bairnsdale area and a list of weeds that are important to this region.

‘Sustainable Soil Management: A reference to the major agricultural soils of the Bairnsdale region,’ is now available from the DSE Bairnsdale office.

Contact Julianne Sargant on 5152 0603 for more information. If you would like to attend the launch please call Julianne for catering purposes. Morning tea and lunch will be provided.

SALTY SOLUTIONS

A salinity and perennial pasture workshop was recently held at Inverloch where dryland salinity in Gippsland was explored and management techniques were discussed.

The workshop was held in conjunction with the Co-operative Research Centre for Plant based Management of Dryland Salinity, Landmark, Bass Coast Landcare and the Department of Primary Industries (DPI).

Salinity is an issue in Gippsland with approximately 24,000 hectares of land affected. In addition to this, there is approximately 26,500 hectares of wetlands affected by salinity. These figures are believed to be an underestimate of area affected due to the limited data available.

The salinity workshop started with a farm walk on the property of John Murray and sharefarmer Richard Luykx, where the group observed a salinity discharge site.

Mick Dortmans from DPI Leongatha explained that land clearing and the replacement of cleared vegetation with low water using, shallow rooted plants has contributed to the salinity problem.

Peter Ockenden from DPI Wangaratta pointed out salt indicator plants during the field walk. These included annual beard grasses, sea barley grass, buck’s horn plantain and water buttons on the saline site.

"As the land becomes more saline, the more productive grasses such as rye grass and sub-clover can no longer survive, and more salt tolerant species appear," Peter said.

The second stop during the field walk was a salinity monitoring bore which is used to assist in determining local groundwater characteristics, particularly the depth to the water table and the salinity of the groundwater.

Greg Cook from DPI Leongatha explained that there are approximately 80 monitoring bores across South Gippsland which are coordinated by the DPI. Greg also outlined how ground water bores were installed. There was an opportunity to sample the ground water, which tasted ‘really salty’ and had a ‘high’ salinity reading (EC 13,000).

The group then looked at some salinity mapping – electromagnetic technology the Bass Coast Landcare Network use. This consisted of a 4-wheel motor bike, a mounted GPS and an EM31. The EM31 can measure salt to five metres of depth. This equipment is used to help map and understand where possible future outbreaks of salinity may occur so that appropriate management options can be put into place.

There is a range of management options to control salinity and many of these were discussed at the field day. Revegetating sandy rises and high recharge areas on the farm using indigenous species tries to address the cause of the problem by reducing the amount of water entering the water table.

Other management controls focus on addressing the symptoms of the problem such as drainage and establishing salt tolerant pasture species on the affected site. The protection of remnant vegetation was also highlighted during the day as a great opportunity for assisting with salinity control.

For assistance with planning salinity management solutions for your farm, the Department of Primary Industries can help you to develop a Soil Management Plan. The Soil Management Plan helps to identify areas of soil degradation on the property and develop solutions or management practices to help reduce or prevent continuing problems. It comprises of a map, recommended Best Management Practices and general soil information.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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