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BOGEE BUSH FIRE BRIGADE NOTICE:

À FIRE SEASON CARE

Permits must be obtained before lighting of any open fires—these can be obtained from our Captain Barrie Hewitt or our Vice President Peter Koshemakin.

If a total fire ban is declared at any time, all issued permits are automatically cancelled and new permits must be obtained once the ban is lifted. Heavy fines and/or gaol terms may be imposed for breaches.

When legally burning off, you must give 24 hours’ notice to neighbours and Rural Fire Service in Mudgee (so that any public concerns/reports can be alleviated.)

( IN CASE OF FIRE . . .

. . . call 000. This will activate the appropriate call-out Service proc

MUDGEE/MERRIWA RLPB and

NSW DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRIES – MUDGEE

Farm Forum

A monthly newsletter contributed by David Gardiner, Brett Littler & Jenene Kidston

and Sue Marte

JULY 2008

AGRONOMY AT THE FIELD DAYS – NO SPACE FOR WEEDS

	Friday	Saturday
9 to 10	Agronomist available for questions	Agronomist available for questions
10		What does your garden grow?
10.30	Paterson ’s Curse biological control	Paterson ’s Curse biological control
11	Learn to calibrate your spray gear	What does your garden grow?
11.30		Learn to calibrate your spraying gear
12.00	Paterson ’s Curse biological control	Paterson ’s Curse biological control
12.30		Learn to calibrate your spray gear
1	What does your garden grow?
1.30	Learn to calibrate your spray gear
1 – 2.30	Agronomist available for questions
2	What does your garden grow?	Learn to calibrate your spraying gear
2.30	Learn to calibrate your spray gear	Agronomist available for questions
3 – 4.30	Agronomist available for questions	Agronomist available for questions

Bring along any weeds or plants you would like to have identified or advice on, between 9am and 10am , 1 to 2.30 or 3 to 4.30 on Friday or between 9 and 10, or 2.30 and 4.30 on Saturday.

BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF PATERSON ’S CURSE

Unfortunately biological control is not the silver bullet that is going to see the eradication of Paterson ’s Curse in our region; it can however be an important part of an integrated weed management program that includes, grazing management, spraying, and competitive pastures.

When are weevils a good thing? When they’re eating your Paterson ’s Curse!

Over a number of years NSW Department of Primary Industries have been releasing a number of insect agents to eat Paterson ’s Curse and Vipers Bugloss. Mogulones larvatus, better known as Crown Weevil has been released throughout the tablelands including the Bathurst , Orange , Mudgee and Coolah areas.

Today they are living somewhere near you, perhaps even on your farm.

So how do you find them? Stop and look at a patch of Paterson ’s Curse, on your farm or on the side of the road. Do the plants have some of the older leaves dead or dying, some of the green leaves have holes in them and there is black ooze around the centre of the plants. If you break the crown open there will be larvae that look like white maggots inside the base of the plant. These larvae are the crown borers’ larvae.

Surveys of the central and southern tablelands this winter have revealed the weevils are widespread and active over a big area. They attack only Paterson ’s Curse and Vipers Bugloss, therefore they will not spread through areas where there is no Paterson ’s’ Curse or Vipers Bugloss, they won’t eradicate these but in time should play a part in helping to manage these weeds.

To see them up close and personal and learn a bit more about them, come along to the Agronomy site at the Mudgee Field Days on Friday or Saturday.

HORT CORNER

While the recent rains are extremely welcomed and much needed, they can cause some disease related problems during pruning. Pruning cuts can leave vines and trees vulnerable to pest and disease attack. Those wounds are perfect places for insects to enter and for fungi and bacteria to take hold. Good orchard management and hygiene go a long way to pest and disease prevention as well using common sense when pruning. While I would never wish the rain away, it would be beneficial to the health and vigour of trees and vines to prune when the skies are clear. Pruning cuts need a chance to seal themselves, to prevent pest and disease entry, and this is quicker and more likely when there are a couple of dry days in a row. It’s also a good idea when making large cuts to paint the exposed wood with a sealant or fungicide.

Speaking of pest and disease, grape growers I need your help. While you’re out pruning your vines, could you be on the look out for borer damage in the canes. You’ll be able to tell the damage quite easily by the frass that gets left behind as the borer larvae feed. The frass is a reddish brown, can be quite crumbly or spongy and pulls away from the vine easily, exposing a tunnel beneath. This pest is causing some extensive damage in other areas and we’re trying to get an idea of how wide spread the problem may be. If you’ve got damage, please give me a ring so I can collect some samples (6372 4700 or 0427 800 379). These pests are voracious eaters and nothing is currently registered for their control.

Speaking of grapes, there will be a seminar on August 6, location to be advised (somewhere in Mudgee). The NSW DPI seminar is on composting and mulch and will discuss results from a recently completed 3 year trial. While the research was conducted in grape vines, the work may have wider application in the agricultural community. For more information contact me or look for the details in next month’s Farm Forum.

2008 LIVESTOCK PROGRAM FOR FIELD DAYS

Lecture	Time
CATTLE
What trades make you Money? Live animal assessment	10:00 am and 3:00 pm
Predicting you cattle performance? Fat & Growth calculator	10: 30 am and 1:30 pm
Bring cattle home - are you introducing health problems?”	11.00 am and 1:00 pm
“*Fast Food*” – Temperament, does it impact on meat quality?	12 noon
NLIS - Making it work for you?	12:30 pm
Beef cattle breeding DVD - Q&A.	Continuous
Drought and supplementary feeding cattle.	Continuous
Want to set up an NLIS Account?	Continuous
General NLIS Information	Continuous
General management and marketing advice.	Continuous
SHEEP
Selecting the right ram – how can I pick the right one for my flock?	11:30 am
Practical assessment of the Ram – is he ready to work?	2:30 am
General management and marketing advice.	Continuous
General NLIS Information	Continuous
Drought and supplementary feeding sheep.	Continuous

BUYING BULLS

With the Northern bull sale season fast approaching, producers need to start planning now to ensure that they purchase bulls which fit into their breeding program and that their breeding program is focused on traits which are economically important.

It is important to establish well defined breeding goals, a clear understanding of the requirements of the market(s) being targeted, and a good knowledge of the available differences in economically important traits both between and within breeds. The key elements to success in any breeding program are careful long-term planning, the use of good information to help in decision-making, and, above all, consistency and patience in the pursuit of breeding goals.

Below is a stepwise approach to planning and implementing a successful breeding program.

Step 1. List the traits of economic importance

Step 2. List your future customers’ requirements

Step 3. List your future herd production targets

Step 4. List your herd’s current performance

Step 5. List your breeding goals

Step 6. Choose an appropriate breeding system to achieve your goals

Step 7. List your criteria for selecting replacement bulls

Step 8. Prioritise the selection criteria

Step 9. Apply patience and consistency in implementing your breeding program

LICE

Unfortunately when people have lice problems they tend to blame their neighbour or who they bought the sheep off. Stray sheep and bought in sheep are always a potential source of lice regardless how good the control is in the parent flock as they most likely have different treatment and shearing times. Shearing and exposure of lice to heat, cold and wet is the major lice control measure. Chemicals can provide added protection and insurance but are not a substitute for good nutrition and management. And when resistance arises they are a waste of money. Apart from clean musters and shearing, good fencing and nutrition are vital for lice control. So when you next choose a chemical to prevent lice infestation please choose wisely. Treatment is an expensive option and many dollars are lost before signs are seen and treatment can be applied. Also beware of wool residues. DJG.

SELENIUM DEFICIENCY

This has been confirmed in 2 mobs of cattle in the past month causing ill thrift in yearlings and possible death in calves. Pastures can be treated with Selenium fertilisers such as Selcote® or stock can be supplemented with injections, drenches, pour ons or rumen bullets to correct and prevent this problem. Selenium deficiency can cause white muscle disease or contribute to ill thrift. Selenium is a trace mineral vital for the production of vitamin E. This is a powerful antioxidant and important for resistance to infectious diseases and normal fertility. Most of the Great Dividing Range has been identified as Selenium deficient. Seasonal effects usually mean this is observed in the autumn or spring due to the dominant pasture species and mineral uptake. Many minerals compete with Selenium for absorption. Molybdenum is mostly the culprit, so Selenium deficiency is common on improved pastures where Mo fortified super has been used. DJG

PINK EYE IN SHEEP

There has been a bit around the Gulgong area with some flocks badly affected. There are 2 main organisms causing this disease. Mycoplasma conjunctivae and Chlamydia pecorum. Samples collected found Branhamella ovis which is another common isolate. Pinkeye prescription ointments may help but treatment is often unrewarding. Supplementary feeding and shedding tend to spread this disease and are contraindicated in an outbreak. Eye patches may help to relieve the pain and prevent the spread. They have proved to be of great benefit in cattle. Vitamin ADE can also help to prevent and cure pinkeye which is often seen in dry autumn seasons. DJG

COCCIDIOSIS IN CALVES

Calves dying with blood scour in a Bylong herd were diagnosed with acute Coccidiosis. The faecal smears came up negative but pathology slides showed masses of this intracellular parasite in the intestines. It can be a problem during dry times when calves congregate and pick around hay mulch areas or watering points chasing a green pick. Moving hay feeding trails about and making sure water troughs do not leak or run over helps to avoid this problem. Special prescription treatments are available through your veterinarian. DJG

OJD

A couple of abattoir tracebacks have led to the confirmation of OJD on 4 properties. It seems the warnings during the drought re possible increased risk of infection due to soil and faecal ingestion have proved accurate. Some year drops from 2003 on seem to be worse than others and are probably related to poor nutrition with reduced immunity and increased exposure to soil and the infecting organism. Lambing and weaning paddocks need to be carefully managed to minimise the risk of infection and make sure there is plenty of feed. Gudair® vaccination is also advised to reduce the risk in at risk flocks and to control the disease in infected in flocks. Be sure to insist on a signed animal health statement when buying sheep to reduce the risk of introducing this disease and check points are calculated accurately. DJG

. Don’t worry that someone else may have already rung, or that your call may end up a false alarm—call 000 anyhow. Please try and determine the correct property address/rural number as this is the best indication of location for emergency services. For all other non-emergency or administrative matters, phone 6372 4434 or - 6379 0891 - this is a 24 hr. s

FARM FORUM - DPI MUDGEE

WINTER CROPPING GUIDES NOW AVAILABLE

Weed Control in Winter Crops 2008 and the 2008 Winter Cereal Sowing Guide are now available from your local NSW DPI office or your local rural supplier. To get a copy stop in at your local agribusiness store or phone the NSW DPI office on 02 6372 4700 or Jenene Kidston on 0427 401 652. JK

NO SPACE FOR WEEDS

Is the theme at the NSW DPI agronomy site at the Mudgee Small Farm Field Days. Bring along all of your weed questions and any plants that you want identified, and the bookshop will feature weeds and other plants.

EARTH MITES ARE OUT AND ABOUT

The first few cool cloudy days in autumn triggers earth mite hatching. In this area we get a mix of Red Legged Earth Mites, and Blue Oat Mites. Usually they live together in the same paddocks. If you kill off one and not both of them the population left will expand to fill in the space left by the ones that you killed, so it is important if you are considering spraying to use an insecticide that will kill both types of earth mite at the same time. A few of these include omethoate eg Lemat, alpha-cypermetherin eg Fastac, Benfenthrin eg Talstar, chlorpyriphos or dimethoate eg Rogor.

Earth mites love to eat green plants. They particularly like young pasture seedlings pasture legumes, and canola but are not too fussy and will eat seedling grasses, capeweed and other weeds too. Look for damage in your crop or pasture before you start looking for tiny little earth mites. Earth mite damage to plants appears as silver patches or marks in the leaves of plants. The first signs of damage will appear on legumes and capeweed. When you see damage then look for the culprit, and consider taking action. The best time to look for them on overcast days or late in the afternoon on clear sunny days. JK

DARK CUTTING

In the last few weeks there have been a large numbers of cattle suffering from Dark cutting, the worst result was from one producer who had almost 50% of their cattle cutting dark and received a $0.75/kg discount for those animals that cut dark. Other producers have reported between 20-30% of cattle cutting dark. Lots of processors discount dark cutting, some of these discounts vary from 20-75 cents per kilogram, costing producers hundreds of dollars.

Dark cutting can be minimised and there are some general rules which will help producers do that:

Cull poor temperament cattle.
Train and educate your cattle. Yard weaning can reduce sickness and increase performance in feedlots.
Keep the time from mustering to slaughter as short as possible.
Avoid selling stock during extreme weather or seasonal conditions e.g. hot, humid, cold, wet.
Do not slaughter heifers in oestrus.
Do not paddock steers or spayed heifers with unjoined heifers before sale
Ensure that cattle grazing pasture are growing at an adequate rate, greater than 0.6 kg/head/day before slaughter. Pastures should provide a minimum herbage mass of 1000 kg of green DM/ha, which is 70% digestible, to achieve this growth rate in stock.
If pasture quantity and quality is poor, supplementation may be required at least two weeks before dispatch. The supplements must have a high ME (>12 MJ/kg). Examples would be high quality silage, grain or pelleted feed rations. If feeding grain, producers should use rumen modifiers to minimise grain poisoning and introduce grain gradually into the cattle diet.
Minimise the activity of stock from the start of mustering to slaughter. Muster slowly and quietly, and allow stock to rest before transport.
Do not mix mobs less than two weeks before slaughter.
Keep noise to a minimum.
Cattle treated with Hormonal Growth Promotants should be slaughtered only after the payout period for the product has expired.
Avoid poor handling facilities. These restrict the natural flow and movement of stock. Avoid boggy or poorly drained yards.
Do not use electric prodders.
When trucking stock, ensure the truck is of good construction—non-slip flooring, trailer suspension and bruise free panelling. Cattle should never be over loaded or under loaded. Stock mixed in transport from different mobs should be immediately re-drafted at their destination yards. Identify different stock and inform the transporter.
Do not present sick or injured stock for slaughter.

You can get more information on dark cutting from the www.dpi.nsw.gov.au BJL

MAKE USE OF THAT DRY FEED

Using dry feed is something producers can do quite easily. Some like the convenience of blocks while others make their own dry licks, use a pre made dry lick, or use protein meals. Dry lick and blocks both use urea and therefore have the usual risk that producers need to be aware of.

In the last few years I have been on properties where all of the above methods of protein supplementation have been used successfully though some had mixed results. Producers need to work out the cost of the protein and what they are trying to do to get their animals to increase in weight, maintain weight or to control weight loss. Blocks are ok at minimising weight loss but are not that cost efficient and you are paying for that convenience. There are some ways you can minimise the cost and that is by making your own blocks. Information is available on www.dpi.nsw.gov.au

There are a number of different types and they can be used to both minimise weight loss and to promote some weight gain. Dry licks with grain or protein meals as a base product will tend to promote some weight gain through the energy content of this feed. I have seen dry licks used and weight gains achieved of up to .8kg/head/day with steers. (People seeking dry lick recipes can contact me.)

Protein meals are where I have seen the best results. This is because most of these meals as well as supplying very high protein levels (22-50%) also have very high energy contents (some as high as grain) Most protein meals are safe with very few risks, the only exception to this is soya bean meal when it is not fed regularly enough.

Before using any of these products producers need to work out what they want to do and what targets they have for their livestock. Then you need to sit down and work out the cost and your need of convenience.

More information is available on the web from www.dpi.nsw.gov.au BJL

THELERIA (TICK FEVER LIKE DISEASE) IN BEEF CATTLE

Some bought in cattle from the west have been falling ill with symptoms of tick fever. They are weak and wobbly with pale yellow gums & eyelids, & dark coloured urine. They have been diagnosed as being infected with the blood parasite Theleria which is a relative of the true tick fever parasite Babesiosis. This small blood intracellular parasite can be spread by bush ticks, possibly other blood sucking parasites and by mechanical means such as vaccination needles. Often infections remain latent for long periods with no signs shown, but when stressed by transport or nutritional deficiencies or concurrent infections, the disease can become apparent with weight loss, abortions and possible deaths.

Treatment should include good feed and rest. The antibiotic group, Oxytetracycline, may be prescribed by your practitioner and will help prevent secondary infections but may not cure the disease. At the time of writing NSW DPI veterinarians are checking to see if some more specific tick fever treatments may be available on special prescription. DJG.

THE MULESING DEBATE & ANIMAL WELFARE IMPLICATIONS

Last month I attended the NSW Farmers meeting to discuss the Swedish ban on Aussie wool. It was a most interesting evening. The Swedish video and transcript contained obvious misleading noises and misconceptions. Lambs squealed like pigs when mulesed and the head of the Swedish veterinary association had obviously not visited his colleagues down under. He probably owns a dog and cat practice and has never seen a sheep!

So this week I was most amused to get an invitation to the 7^th International Sheep Veterinary Congress to be held in Norway in 2009. The theme is “Sound sheep, safe food, warm clothes and landscape preservation”. The main difference to Aussie sheep and landscape I notice in the brochure photos is that the desert is Alpine and the sheep have little wool.

Herein is the root of our problem I believe. Like Belgian Blue breeders going for maximum beef yield who now have to do a caesarean section to guarantee the life of their cows and calves, we have gone for broke in selecting for wool yield, and we now have to mules. No big deal some people say but do you know the suicide rate for Belgian veterinarians is one of the highest in the world? Apparently it is not much fun trying to open up a cow for the 3^rd or 4^th time to try and find the uterus to get the calf out. Especially at any hour of the night or day and for very little pay!

An old sheep cocky and shearer once told me while I helped him and his brother during mulesing, “You know we don’t like doing this Dave. We are not cruel buggers like them city folk think. We just have to do it to save the sheep from fly strike.” It works very well and like OJD vaccination it is a once in a lifetime procedure. Probably doesn’t cost as much either, or hurt any more. Sheep appear to have a remarkable tolerance or higher threshold to surgical pain. Maybe it is due to natural endorphins. Anyway that is another story.

It seems some breeders have already made excellent progress towards breeding sheep that may not be as dependant on mulesing to prevent breech strike. Some claim similar wool yields through longer staples in plainer bodied sheep with less wool around the breech area. Shearers will be happier with the product and some production costs may even go down. Higher weaner survival rates and longer shearing life may also be a bonus if we back off the selection for maximum wool yield a little. The main thing is for wool breeders to remain positive and learn from this threat to our fabulous industry for the sake of safe food, warm clothes and landscape preservation. I believe the current appeal of the snowy national parks owes much to the past landscaping by sheep and cattle.

Some of our critics such as the president of the Swedish veterinary association also need to check their own backyard. I believe unnecessary cruelty of animals is supported by many dog lovers who choose to buy pedigree pets with many inbred genetic weaknesses such as hip dysplasia, squashed in faces, long weak backs, excessive hair coat, various eye abnormalities and many more defects selected for by fashion and show ring judges. The livestock industry is not the only one with glass windows and probably has a much purer motive and justification for their alleged genetic cruelty. DJG.

ALL PIGS MUST BE BRANDED BEFORE MOVEMENT TO SALEYARDS OR ABATTOIRS

The stock diseases regulation 2004 requires all pigs to be identified with a swine brand before leaving the property. The swine brand is the last 6 numbers of a PIC and is registered to the property owner. If you do not have a PIC or swine brand you may use a special crown brand obtainable from your local RLPB. This may be picked up and used on a deposit system for a nominal fee or if you do not know how to brand a pig or know a neighbour who can help a ranger may be able to assist and show you how to do it. This app