Can you see the danger in this paddock?

The dark green patches in this pasture are where stock has urinated. The grass grows darker and thicker, thanks to the higher nitrogen levels in the urine.

Over summer, these patches develop much higher spore loads of the fungus that causes facial eczema in cattle, sheep, goats, alpaca, and llamas due to:

•

more dead leaf matter sitting at the base of plants due to urine scald;

•

a sheltered, moist environment for fungi in the dead leaf matter due to the thicker grass above.

Most pasture will become grass dominant as dry periods develop during summer. Livestock prefers pasture at urine patch sites and end up ingesting high levels of spores.

There are a few easy steps to take to protect your livestock from facial eczema.

•

Use zinc supplements throughout summer, starting in early January – zinc takes about three weeks to reach a protective level in an animal's body. Spore numbers start reaching the danger zone from February onwards.

•

Rotate stock once pasture is around 5cm high to avoid spore ingestion.

•

Don’t top pasture – this leaves a thicker layer of litter at the base of pasture, increasing the spore load – or catch clippings if you do.

•

Lower stock numbers over summer so there's more grass for the stock you keep.

•

Plant paddocks in alternative pasture plants which don't support high numbers of fungi, such as mixes of white and red clover, chicory, tall fescue, and plantain.

READ MORE:

What is FE, and why it's a year-round problem thisnzlife.co.nz