Milk fever

Market report for 10th and 11th May 2017 Wednesday Fat Sale 300 head. Thursday Bull and Cow Sale, 22 bulls, 393 cows

There were similar numbers yarded this week in comparison to the previous sale for the fat sale on Wednesday. Demand was slightly better with most sales firm to stronger. Bullock numbers increased and averaged marginally heavier. Similar numbers in the steer and heifer sections, with steers getting the upper hand with some restocker interest in this area. A few extra veal were penned and quality was a little easier, but prices still remain steady with one smaller store steer reaching 402.2 cents per kilo. This week the yard average lifted 3 cents to 322.2.

12 bullocks made to 308.6, back 4 and averaged 288.3, firm. 22 heifers made to 324.6, up 3 and averaged 267.9, up 5. 37 steers made to 342.2, up 16 and averaged 304.6, up 28. 2.229 veal made to 388.2, back 8 and averaged 341.4, back

A large reduction of numbers on Thursday with 427 head penned, and with the return of missing buyers from last week. Prices returned to normal with the extra competition, resulting in a yard average lift of 34 cents to 209.1. There were 22 bulls yarded and the top was up 35 cents to 313.6, with the average 4 cents up at 255.8. This pattern followed through to the cow pens with a top price of 304.2, up 34 on last week and the average was 33 cents better at 204.7.

1 LimX N McKenzie, Tynong Nth 410 388.2 5 AngX R&S Bell, Drouin 278 379.6 4 R/Ang P&R Dowling, L/Valley 365 375.0 2 LimX M&B Harding, Hill End 380 372.0 1 LimX C&M Wareing, Warragul 430 371.2 1 CharX D&W Beilharz, Lang Lang 320 365.0

9 Ang 2 Ang Heifers 2 Ang A Dawson, Warragul 1 BldX M Rooney, Callignee 1 Bld C&S Murphy, Fumina Sth 1 Hfd C Maddaluno, Morwell Export Cows and Heifers 1 BldX M Rooney, Callignee 1 LimX P Jones, Flynn 1 Ang T Taylor, Lardner 1 Char A&R Fry, Longwarry 1 Lim K Millar, Drouin East 1 Ang Batty & Ferguson, B/East Dairy Cows 1 Frn C&R Buckridge, B/Buln 1 S/Hor R Franklin, Yinnar 1 Frn W Williamson, Bona Vista 1 Frn G&L Williams, Hallora 1 Frn S Pilla, Trafalgar 1 Frn H,H & D Spargo, Wgl Sth Bullocks 4 Ang Bull 1 B/B 1 D/M 1 Ang 1 M/G 1 Char

A&D Klindworth, Ygn P&R Dowling, L/Valley D&G Hunter, Trafalgar

G&F O’Brien, Trafalgar G&K O’Connor, P/ham J Cochrane, NNG N&I Jondahl, Airly A Edyvane, Monomeath

Landmark, 4. Elders, 5. Gibbon.

445 340.0 480 324.6

560 324.6 570 314.6 515 299.6 515 283.2

690 297.6 520 284.2 450 272.6 655 271.6 595 270.0 635 268.2

600 236.6 610 230.2 550 230.0 695 228.0 770 228.0 695 222.0

610

315.6

1591 1055 1312 1413 1596 1168

1513 1558

1817 1793 1542 1458

2053 1477 1226 1778 1606 1703

1419 1404 1265 1584 1755 1542

1922

780 313.6 2446 990 293.2 2902 880 285.6 2513 815 279.2 2275 885 272.2 2408 1. Scotts, 2. SEJ, 3.

An outbreak of milk fever or hypocalcaemia may only become apparent by the confronting sight of dead and dying sheep.

Hypocalcaemia, or milk fever, is a deficiency of calcium in the blood.

It usually occurs in mature, fat ewes during the last six weeks of pregnancy or the first 10 days after lambing, although other classes of sheep may also be affected.

Milk fever often follows a stressful event, such as shearing, crutching, transportation, driving, yarding, fasting or inclement weather. Milk fever usually occurs on either rapidly growing pasture, lush pasture, green cereal crops, when feeding grain, or on pasture that has oxalate containing plants such as sorrel and soursob.

A sheep affected by milk fever will initially stagger and have muscle tremors, after which become weak, slip into a coma and die quite rapidly within four to six hours.

During a post-mortem, there is little evidence to be seen in a sheep that has died from milk fever.

Cases of milk fever are often confused with, or misdiagnosed with pregnancy toxaemia or twin lamb disease. Milk fever characteristics include: a rapid onset; affected sheep remain alert; death occurs quickly; a large number of cases may occur at the one time; cases occur on lush feed rather than lack of feed; and, a good response to the appropriate treatment.

Sheep affected with milk fever should be treated as a matter of urgency with calcium/magnesium solution (often known as 4 in 1) given under the skin.

Calcium/magnesium solution is readily available from a veterinary practice or rural merchandiser.

Cases may be prevented by adding a calcium supplement if feeding grain, or by giving dry roughage to sheep on lush feed.