In the Media

April 1, 2014

Facial Eczema risk peaks between March and April despite cooler nights

Data collected by Assure Quality since 2005 highlights a marked elevation in spore counts during March and April, even though air temperatures start to decline. Although cooler nights have traditionally signalled the end of zinc dosing for many farmers, what these graphs (below) show us is that there is still a significant risk of disease [...]

March 1, 2014

Nutritional strategies to help maintain production and body condition in late lactation

Although we’re aware of the importance good management over the next three to four months has on next season’s production, working out the optimal time to dry off can be far more challenging. This month’s article discusses some practical considerations to consider when deciding on when to dry off. Assessing condition scores (CS) of your [...]

February 1, 2014

Maize & WCC Silage Making

High dairy payouts have encouraged more use of maize and whole crop silages, to increase milk yields by balancing diets, filling feed gaps, maintaining pasture cover, extending lactations, and increasing condition on cows. Silages need to be made and conserved well, and used efficiently to generate increased profits for dairy farmers, as they are not [...]

January 1, 2014

Roles of Zinc and Copper in Preventing Facial Eczema

Facial eczema is a disease of the liver caused by the toxin sporidesmin. Not all animals affected show physical signs or symptoms, yet unseen liver damage can limit performance long after facial eczema (FE) season. Production losses caused by FE are often greater than they appear. Even if liver damage is insufficient to cause clinical [...]