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Successful Sheep Show In Bendigo

The Australian Sheep and Wool Show recently held at the Bendigo Showgrounds was very successful despite the bitterly cold weather

By Department of Primary Industries - 28th July 2004 - Back to News

According to the Secretary of the Australian Sheep Breeders' Association Andrew Ternouth, once again there was an increase in sites, marquees, livestock on display and also in the number of people visiting the show.

Andrew also reported that the sheep judges commented that the quality of stock this year was some of the best they had ever seen.

DPI staff were at the Show and discussed animal health issues and also the NLIS system for cattle. There was a steady flow of interested people through the 'Merinos To Match' stud evaluation trial.

Athol Frederick from Landmark commented that there were a total of 383 fleeces on display this year, making it the largest show of its type in Australia.

Athol reported that the award for best fleece went to Westvale Stud from Wollun in the New England area of northern NSW. This scored a total of 93.25 points out of 100 in a scoring system that takes into account commercial processing, clean fleece weight and visual assessment.

GRAZING CAPEWEED - BE CAREFUL

Dr. Mike Terry, District Veterinary Officer, Bairnsdale.

The current season has been favourable to the growth of Capeweed and dense stands are seen in many paddocks. It is often the dominant pasture species in winter following a good autumn break.

Farmers in the past have reported that they have reared top prime lambs on this plant, however, there is a down side. The plant will at certain times store high concentrations of nitrates principally in the mature stems and leaves. If weather conditions are right for inhibiting the action in the capeweed plant of the enzymes that convert nitrates to ammonia, then toxic qualities of nitrate can occur.

When nitrate is eaten by ruminants, it is broken down to nitrite by bacteria in the rumen. When nitrite is absorbed into the bloodstream it binds with the haemoglobin in red blood cells to form a substance called methaemoglobin, which does not carry oxygen to the tissues. Effectively the animal is starved of oxygen and dies. Clinical signs of nitrite intoxication include difficult, rapid breathing, gasping, salivation, scouring, recumbency and death, usually within a few hours of the onset of signs. Often the best lambs are affected, possibly because they eat more.

Sheep and cattle grazing capeweed often scour mainly because nitrate causes an inflammation of the digestive tract lining. A blood sample from an affected animal has a brownish coffee-coloured look.

Treatment is a veterinary emergency. It involves intravenous administration of an antidote best administered by a veterinarian.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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