PrimaryProducer
N o1
Smart producers managing animal health
Spring/Summer 2011
www.virbac.com.au
Livestock and the
environment
Turning cattle
into a profit
Win an iPad 2!
Primary Producer.indd 1
15/11/2011 12:09:59 PM
www.cydectin.com.au
Longer worm protection
with just one injection
91 days protection against
Ostertagia and Barbers Pole worm.
Up to 49 days protection against
Black Scour worm.
INJECTION fOr SHEEP
Cydectin is a registered trademark of Virbac Australia Pty Limited. Resistance may develop to
any anthelmintic treatment. Seek advice from veterinarian or animal health advisor.
Customer Support 1800 242 100
Primary Producer.indd 2
www.virbac.com.au
15/11/2011 12:09:59 PM
Welcome
Virbac proudly presents
Primary Producer
Contents
Welcome
3
Customer Profile
Proud achievers return
4
Product Profile
Cydectin: A trusted brand
7
Industry Issues
Can more livestock improve
the environment?
8
Customer Story
Tenancity eunsures survival
10
Tips and Strategies
How to drop a drench
13
Business Tips
Turning cattle into profit
14
As a smart business owner in
an industry that relies on good
fortune, good weather and good
management, you face a myriad of
issues every day, not to mention
some of the big ones: climate change,
food security and labour shortages.
In the Community
Sheepvention
The Ekka
Minister opens new facility
16
And that’s why we’ve created
a magazine just for you.
Feedback
Addressing climate change
18
Poll Question
This magazine is published by
Virbac Australia
www.virbac.com.au
Editor
Anthony Preshaw
[email protected]
Written and Produced by
Hardman Communications
Design and artwork by
Orion Creative Solutions
Y
ou’re a primary producer and
the health and performance
of your livestock is at the
heart of everything you do.
Welcome to the very first issue of
Primary Producer, the animal health
magazine for Australia’s sheep and
cattle farmers. If you subscribe
online or using the form attached
to the cover, Primary Producer will
land in your letterbox twice a year.
In this magazine we’ll take a look at
the big and small issues facing the
livestock industry, all viewed from
the perspective of animal health.
We’ll share stories of how other
primary producers are running their
businesses, overcoming challenges
and achieving success. We’ll present
tips and advice from various industry
experts. And we’d like to hear from
you, both with feedback on the
stories in this issue and suggestions
for stories in future issues (see
Page 18 for contact details).
For those of you who don’t know
Virbac, please let me tell you a little
about us. We are passionate about
animal health. We are the name
behind some of the most trusted
animal health brands in the market,
from the Cydectin® range of sheep
and cattle drenches and Multimin®
nutritional supplements to the
SingVac® and Websters® range of
vaccines and many, many more. We’re
the largest independent company
exclusively dedicated to animal health.
Don’t forget to subscribe to receive
future issues of Primary Producer and
enter the competition to win an iPad®.
Wishing you great farming success,
Bruce Bell
General Manager
Virbac Australia
Passionate about animal health
Bruce Bell
General Manager
[email protected]
® Cydectin, Eweguard, Firstmectin, Ovastim, SingVac,Virbamec,Virbazine, Weanerguard and
Websters are registered trademarks of Virbac (Australia) Pty. Ltd. Combat is a trademark of
Virbac (Australia) Pty. Ltd. Multimin is a registered trademark of Warburton Technologies, Ltd.
Arrest and Taktic are registered trademarks of Intervet International BV.
PrimaryProducer No1 – Spring/Summer 2011
Primary Producer.indd 3
3
15/11/2011 12:10:03 PM
Proud achievers return
Lis said the pair were like sponges
during the farm visits and followed
the leads suggested by the people
they spoke to at each farm. This
led them to visit Mackies Farm in
the north-east corner of Scotland.
It has been in the same family
for five generations and has been
making ice cream for 25 years.
Rob Youl - Virbac Territory Sales Manager (Tasmania) (left), presents Phil and Lis Beattie with their
Proud Achievers Award for the Dairy category, 2010
Ice cream dreams
Tasmanian dairy farmers Phil and Lis
Beattie took out the Dairy category
of the 2010 Proud Achievers Awards.
They elected to split the prize – an
international study tour – in half
and have just returned from the
first leg of their trip, exploring dairy
operations in their native United
Kingdom. Later this year they plan
to take the second half of their
trip, visiting dairy farms in Chile.
“Entering and winning the Proud
Achievers Awards was hugely
beneficial. It’s nice to talk about
doing a study tour, but without
Virbac’s sponsorship it probably
wouldn’t be possible,” said Phil.
4
“Mackies gave us a fascinating insight
into how one family can succeed if
they really mean it,” said Phil. “They
had 500 cows on-farm plus they
purchased additional milk to make 12
million litres of ice cream a year. It’s
the biggest robotically milked dairy
in Europe and they use five wind
turbines to generate green power.
Mackies manages the entire process
from milking to making the ice cream
and even manufacturing the packaging.
They’ve also branched out into
making ice and have joined forces with
local potato farmers to make chips.”
At the other end of the spectrum,
“Since we got home we’ve been
the Beatties visited smaller farms
incredibly busy but the things we
that made just enough ice cream to
saw and learned are turning over
serve in their on-farm cafes
in our heads and
and sell in local shops.
there are lots of
“We
produce
a
ideas that we can
lot of milk but “We’re not ready to
put into practice
implement any big ideas
here,” added Lis.
it’s difficult to
yet, but there were some
make
money”
smaller, more obvious ones
Before embarking
we can put into practice,
on the trip,
like putting a long handled
the Beatties had a clear idea of
bung
in
the
bottom of the water
what they wanted to achieve.
trough for easy emptying,” said Phil.
“We produce quite a lot of milk
“You have to let the ideas germinate
but it’s difficult to make money,”
for awhile before making a decision.
said Phil. “We’re considering
We made lots of great contacts
diversification into ice cream, which
and it’s great to know they’re just
isn’t being done much in our area,
a phone call away if we want to
so we wanted to see how they’re
doing it in the United Kingdom.”
talk to them further,” added Lis.
PrimaryProducer No1 – Spring/Summer 2011
Primary Producer.indd 4
15/11/2011 12:10:04 PM
Customer Profile
Filling the gaps
Beef category winners, Colin and Sue
Anderson, of Windmalee Pastoral
Company in New South Wales,
planned their 16-day tour of New
Zealand very carefully, covering visits
to farms, universities and field days.
Their main aim was to bring back
information on pasture management
in a high rainfall area with cool
winters, so they can achieve maximum
productivity in finishing off beef cattle.
One of the Andersons’ main
observations in New Zealand was
that country’s move towards dairy
and away from beef and sheep.
“Beef cattle seem to be diminishing in
numbers with many beef properties
now in what is called ‘dairy support’
and what we would call ‘agistment’,”
said Colin. “Cows are fed during
winter when milking is ceased for a
few months and heifers are fattened,
put into calf and returned to the
dairy. We spoke to a fellow who
places nearly 5,000 dairy heifers
at 100 kg live weight on beef and
sheep properties for that purpose.”
While the New Zealand agricultural
industry is focused on milk, the
Andersons believe a similar philosophy
can be used in their operation
because the focus is on performance
as kilograms of weight gained.
“There were several other areas
of interest on the tour and we will
explore these, such as the utilisation
of perennial ryegrass mixes that
combine clovers and herbage
sown either by cultivation, direct
drill or over sowing,” said Colin.
Beef category winners, Sue and Colin Anderson, receive their award from Craig Hosking - Virbac Territory Sales
Manager (North Coast NSW) (right)
“We felt the farms’ diversification
“This type of pasture should fill the
contributed strongly to their
gap we now have between summer
overall success,” he said. “They fully
pastures becoming unproductive
maximised the available
in autumn and
resources.Very few areas
the availability of
“The farms’
were left unproductive.
winter feeds such
as oats and barley.
diversification
“The trip was a wonderful,
Brassicas, such as
contributed
stimulating and informative
turnip and kale,
experience. We found
could be used as a
strongly to
farmers we met to
winter feed source
their success” the
be
creative,
progressive
and paddock
and
aggressive
in their
rotation crop.”
respective markets and
the experience has given us the
Colin says the most successful
motivation to look at things
businesses they visited had one
differently in our own operation.”
characteristic in common.
PrimaryProducer No1 – Spring/Summer 2011
Primary Producer.indd 5
5
15/11/2011 12:10:06 PM
Customer Profile
Andrew Heinrich, winner of the 2010 Proud Achievers Award for Sheep, says the Australian sheep industry is second to none
Aussie lamb is best
South Australian sheep farmers
Andrew and Tracie Heinrich won their
category of the 2010 Proud Achievers
Awards and used the $12,000
international study tour prize to visit
the United States and Canada.
Andrew’s overall observation was
that agriculture is doing extremely
well in the United States despite the
economy not performing well overall.
“Corn and beef prices were both high
and the feeling is that those prices
rise when the price of oil rises,”
explained Andrew. “Lamb prices were
quite high too, but we were surprised
to learn that Americans really don’t
like lamb that much. Producers say it
goes back to World War II when they
only had tinned mutton, which wasn’t
very nice, and now lamb is culturally
unattractive.
“We ate lamb at every opportunity
and found that American lamb had a
6
slight taint to it and a bit of a smell.
breed was not highly productive, so
This is most likely the case because
Andrew felt the worm resistance was
of what the lamb has been fed and/
not worth the trade off. “The entire
or the way it’s been slaughtered.
experience made me realise how good
It wasn’t bad but it was definitely
our industry is. We just have to keep
noticeable. There is an avenue here
going as fast as we can.”
for us to improve the
“The entire experience
United States lamb eating
“Our
meat
made me realise how
experience and therefore
good our industry is
expand the market. On
industries
in Australia and the
the one occasion we had
in Australia
potential for growth
delicious lamb shanks in a
should
band
available. All the sheep
restaurant, it turned out
farmers we met were
the lamb was from New
together”
passionate and keen, yet
Zealand!”
some were frustrated
The health issues in the US and
by the slow progress the industry
Canada are very similar, but their
is making in their country, and the
practices in general are different
opportunities they can see available.
because they face cold weather so
We need to continue progressing
they house their sheep,” Andrew said.
as quickly as we can and take the
opportunity to help expand the
While in Canada, Andrew investigated
potential markets in the lamb/wool
Katahdin sheep, a breed that grows
industry over there.”
hair instead of wool and is worm
resistant. It turned out that the
PrimaryProducer No1 – Spring/Summer 2011
Primary Producer.indd 6
15/11/2011 12:10:08 PM
Product Profile
Cydectin®: a trusted brand
Anthony Preshaw, Marketing Manager – Retail
S
ince its introduction in 1994,
the Cydectin range of unique
and innovative drenches
has continued to develop and
progress, forging a reputation
as one of the industry’s most
successful and diverse brands.
been shown to increase
the mortality of larval and young adult
beetles, and reduce beetle breeding.
ways to make Cydectin even more
effective and more useful. There are
now 14 different sheep and cattle
drenches in the Cydectin family,
all aimed at increasing efficiency
and improving productivity.
The Cydectin range will continue
to grow into the future with
Virbac developing exciting
and unique products to sit
under the Cydectin banner.
Some formulations of Cydectin were
Cydectin is based on a highly potent
specifically developed to support
macrocyclic lactone (ML) molecule,
which was originally
discovered in a soil
Cydectin Plus Fluke,
sample from Australia
Evolution of the Cydectin Brand
Cydectin Eweguard SE B12
in the 1980s. It is built
Cydectin LV
on the key features of
Cydectin SE
Cydectin LV SE
Cydectin LA for Cattle
high potency, persistent
activity and dung beetle
1994
1995
1997
1998
2000
2001
2004
2005
2006
2007
2010
safety, making Cydectin
one of the most trusted
Cydectin Injection
Cydectin Plus Tape
Cydectin Weanerguard SE B12
Cydectin Oral
brands in animal health.
Cydectin Pour-On
Cydectin plays an
important role in
the management
of resistant worms
and in slowing the
development of further resistance.
In sheep, Cydectin can kill worm
strains resistant to white and clear
drenches and products in the
Cydectin range have also shown
efficacy against worm strains resistant
to ivermectin and abamectin.
All Cydectin products offer some
degree of persistent activity; from
oral drenches for sheep that offer
14 days’ control, to long acting
injections for sheep and cattle that
control worms or protect against
severe worm challenge for up to
120 days, depending on the worm
species. With long-acting worm
control, producers see improved
productivity and can drench less often.
Cydectin is also now a part of
the Virbac range of animal health
products.Virbac is constantly
investing in research, looking for
Cydectin LA for Sheep
Cydectin Plus Fluke Solution
Cydectin Eweguard
Cydectin Weanerguard
animals at particular life stages.
Examples include Cydectin Eweguard®
SE B12, Cydectin Weanerguard®
SE B12, Cydectin Plus Tape and
Cydectin Plus Fluke solution.
Virbac acquired the Cydectin brand in
2010 and now has the largest range of
sheep and cattle drenches in Australia.
Eweguard SE B12 and Weanerguard
SE B12 offer a combination of a
Cydectin drench and a 6 in 1 vaccine,
with the addition of selenium (SE)
and vitamin B12 to treat and prevent
a number of deficiency diseases.
Providing a number of treatments
in one dose is the ideal way to
minimise the labour associated with
administering animal health products.
All Cydectin cattle products have no
known impact on dung beetles, giving
producers the peace of mind that you
don’t get with most other drenches.
The active ingredients in other
commonly used drenches have
Anthony Preshaw
Marketing Manager – Retail
[email protected]
PrimaryProducer No1 – Spring/Summer 2011
Primary Producer.indd 7
...
7
15/11/2011 12:10:13 PM
Can more livestock improve
the environment?
C
attle and sheep graze away
vegetation and produce
millions of tonnes of methane
so, much as they’re an important part
of Australian agriculture, reducing
their numbers would
be better for the
“The best
environment – right?
Not necessarily,
according to
some experts.
grazed a small area in an intense
burst, then moved on, leaving the
grazed area to recover for weeks or
months. But when grazing is constant,
Mr Savory believes, rangelands lose
biodiversity and soils
become impacted by the
way
animals’ hooves. As the cycle
to ...address
continues, more rainfall runs
climate change off the soil surface and plant
growth is less abundant.
is to increase
Over time, the land moves
towards desertification.
livestock
In fact, there’s a
density”
school of thought
that says the best
way to improve degraded land, reverse
desertification and address climate
change is to increase livestock density.
One of the key proponents of this
theory is Allan Savory, a Rhodesian
grazier and biologist. The method
he has developed over the past 40
years is called Holistic Management,
and at its core is a belief that
increased livestock numbers are
an essential part of the solution
to climate change issues.
Mr Savory argues that the negative
environmental impact often
associated with livestock is actually
due to the way they’re managed.
He points to the African savanna,
where millions of ruminants and
other animals thrive but don’t cause
land degradation.Yet Mr Savory,
commenting on a worldwide trend
while he was in Australia recently,
said “We are producing more
eroding soil than we are food.”
Looking at the African model, what
Mr Savory noted was that the animals
8
But what about the other
impacts of livestock,
especially the methane they
produce? It is regularly mentioned
in discussions about climate change,
so surely more livestock, even if
it’s good for plants and soil, must
remain a questionable decision.
Mr Savory accepts the role
of methane in climate change
– but he says the benefits
of the Holistic Management
approach are so significant they
counter any downsides.
He says that periodic animal
disturbance keeps certain plants
in check, provides opportunities
for others to grow, and turns
over nutrients. He points to
grazing exclusion zones in the
United States where the trend
has not been towards greater
biodiversity, but to desertification.
of hooves trampling litter into soil.
No imaginable technology can
replace biological decay on twothirds of the world’s land,” Mr Savory
said while in Australia recently.
With wildlife no longer able to
manage rangelands and with global
food demand on the rise, Mr Savory
sees livestock as the solution.
As he said recently, “We have no
option but to add another tool: large
herbivores. In practice, that means
that only livestock can save us. It’s
not a case of whether it’s desirable
to run cattle: we have no option.”
The key is, he says, to change the
way we do it – moving away from
set-stocking and rotational grazing
that runs to the calendar and moving
towards ‘planned grazing’ that relies
on his Holistic Management technique
to constantly re-assess depending on
factors ranging from the rainfall to the
conditions of a particular pasture.
Allan Savory was bestowed with
Australia’s international Banksia
Award in 2003. The award is made
to the person “doing the most for
the environment on a global scale”.
“Eliminating large grazing animals
from landscapes removes a vital
mechanism for the decay and
cycling of organic matter through
an animal’s stomach, or the action
PrimaryProducer No1 – Spring/Summer 2011
Primary Producer.indd 8
15/11/2011 12:10:16 PM
Industry Issues
A local perspective
Allan Savory started his work in
Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and is
now based in the United States, but
he has a global following, including
here in Australia. Among his local
supporters is Graham Finlayson,
a New South Wales farmer and
former Nuffield scholar.
Graham and his wife, Cathy, run
Bokhara Plains, a 17,000-acre property
nestled between the Bokhara and
Birrie Rivers near Brewarrina in New
South Wales. They are dedicated to
demonstrating how, even in a region
with minimal rainfall, much can be
done to nurture the land with new
thinking and advanced practices.
Former Nuffield scholar, Graham Finlayson, says Holistic Management’s planned grazing is the only
one that takes into account all of the variables necessary for long-term success
for long-term success. Also, this is
the only grazing type that plans on
actual improvement year in, year out.
him by a friend in 2001. “Since 2001
Cathy and I have diversified our
As part of Graham’s 2008 Nuffield
business into tourism, developed
scholarship, he undertook a study
off-farm investments and continued
tour to review different approaches
to transform our landscape using
to regenerative agriculture.
the principles and strategies we
have learned. This has included four
“Focusing on profitability rather than
separate periods of being totally
solely on production goals – which
de-stocked on our own
can be misleading –
country, twice for over
and using a disciplined
“We fully
12 months, so we fully
approach to decisionunderstand
understand the difficulty
making allows us to
and strain of making tough
maximise the potential
the difficulty
decisions,” he says.
of the critical livestock/
pasture/money
balance,” he says.
and strain of
making tough
decisions”
“Regenerative
landscape and livestock
management embraces and
enhances conservation outcomes
without the need for sacrificing
productivity at all, if done well.”
He first encountered Holistic
Management in a book given to
According to Graham, there
are some misconceptions
about ‘cell grazing’ that
have arisen because of a focus on
a hard and fast system and poorly
constructed trials. “Rotational grazing
is bandied about as being better than
set-stocking, which it is, but Holistic
Management’s planned grazing is
really the only one that takes into
account all of the variables necessary
“Holistic Management involves
complex management requiring
flexibility and a strong focus on
improving the ecology in conjunction
with production goals. If grazing
is designed to leave behind a high
level of biomass including standing
vegetation and ground covering litter,
then not only is the health of the grass
maintained but the water retention
capability is improved and soil erosion
through wind or water naturally
reduced. That alone would allow us
in Australia’s dry areas to utilise far
more of the actual rain we get.”
More information
To find out more about
Holistic Management, visit
www.savoryinstitute.com or
www.holisticmanagement.org
PrimaryProducer No1 – Spring/Summer 2011
Primary Producer.indd 9
9
15/11/2011 12:10:20 PM
Tenacity ensures survival
Planning for the future. George, Pip and Rick Hacon’s management practices are helping secure a bright future for Kallala Station
T
he past 80 years has seen
Queensland’s Kallala Station
go from strength to strength.
Located 160 km south-west of Mt
Isa, Kallala was originally a sheep
station. The property became a
cattle station 40 years ago and now
holds 8,000 head of prime Brahman
cattle that are mainly exported
to international beef markets.
George and Pip Hacon run the
300,000-acre property along with
their son, Rick, who is the fourth
generation Hacon on the station
since it was originally purchased by
George’s grandfather around 1930.
George says that tenacity and a
proactive approach to managing
the land have played crucial
roles in the station’s survival.
10
pastures have improved and even
“While cattle producers are price
takers and not makers, we do have
though we’re in light rainfall country
full control over our management
it’s very good soil,” said George.
practices. We want to be able to
“Cattle actually promote the
one day hand over a property with a
regeneration of stressed areas on the
sustainable future,” said George. “Our
land. They are a lot gentler on the land
prospects in respect to managing the
than sheep, which will help ensure
land are looking good at the moment
that Kallala Station can
and I think a bit of tenacity
support our herds for
goes a long way.”
“We want to
generations to come.”
...hand over a
The Hacons demonstrated
property with The well-being of
that tenacity four decades
ago when a wool price
a sustainable those herds, as well as
maintaining acceptable
slump and a succession
future”
stock levels depending
of dry seasons forced
on
conditions,
is high on the agenda.
them to reconsider their business.
Their transition from sheep to
cattle proved a prosperous one.
“There have been no regrets about
moving away from sheep. The
The Hacons annually vaccinate their
whole herd against botulism and
regularly use an injectable drench for
internal and external parasites. They’ve
PrimaryProducer No1 – Spring/Summer 2011
Primary Producer.indd 10
15/11/2011 12:10:25 PM
Customer Story
also just introduced a new health
program, using Virbac’s Multimin
Injection for Cattle for their weaners.
“Our cattle are very quiet, calm and
content. This helps produce the best
grass fed beef and bulls. There’s no
money in wild or discontented cattle.
We have no cattle over ten-yearsold and we have a good turnover
of young breeders,” said George.
For more than eight decades Kallala
Station has survived droughts,
floods, bushfires and fluctuating
livestock prices.Yet George
says there is currently another
threat to its sustainability.
“We are competing against the mining
industry for jobs and we’re losing
the battle. We’re losing a wealth
of expertise and skills,” he said.
“We rely on our employees for
mustering, drafting and processing
our cattle. The skills they need include
the ability to handle cattle and ride
motorbikes or horses safely and well.
When you’re on a property it’s also
vital that you’re able to carry out
maintenance on plant equipment
such as windmills and small engines
to keep the station operational.”
George says they’re always on the
lookout for headstock people/
overseers, ringers, jackaroos and
jillaroos but he’s worried that
the training and education for
agricultural workers focuses too
much on bureaucracy and not
enough on practical skills.
“It’s a concern when you have
young people graduating from
agriculture courses who are
unable to fix a windmill and
have no practical experience
with livestock,” said George.
“We’re teaching these skills to
our younger workers. We want
to ensure a future for Kallala
Station and teaching the younger
generation how to manage and
sustain the land proactively is vital. ”
Multimin® makes major impact
L
ast year George and Rick
injected 116 steers with Multimin
Injection for Cattle. The Multimin
steers were then measured against
an untreated mob of 110 steers.
After just one injection of Multimin,
George says he’s been amazed
by the remarkable results.
“We selected the poorest performing
steers to be injected with Multimin and
the untreated mob was in much better
condition,” said George. “All of these
steers were the same age, origin and
all living in the same paddock so the
results have really impressed me.”
Over 197 days, the untreated mob gained
95.81 per cent of their start weight while
the Multimin treated mob gained 114.9
per cent of their start weight. This meant
that the treated mob, which wasn’t faring
well to begin with, managed to keep up
with untreated mob and become viable
for sale. This would not have been possible
without Multimin, according to George.
“This is a significant weight gain by
the Multimin treated mob. I wasn’t
expecting them to do well, so it
surprised me big time,” he said.
“Before the comparison we’d brought
the 116 steers in from another
property where the grazing conditions
were certainly a lot tougher. They
were by far our worst performers.
“We gave Multimin to the ones that
needed it the most and it’s brought
them up to speed. We believe our
comparison has proved that there is
great value in using Multimin to boost
the overall health of our weaners.”
The Hacons are now using Multimin for all
of their weaners to help give their cattle the
best start to grow strong and stay healthy.
“I’m already recommending Multimin
to other producers. If your soil is
lacking trace elements and nutrients
levels and your cattle are 20 or 30
kilograms behind, Multimin will help
make a difference,” said George.
Virbac’s Multimin Injection for Cattle
is a multi-mineral injection, designed to
strategically top up essential trace minerals
prior to economically or nutritionally
critical events such as calving, joining and
weaning. It may assist in reproductive
performance, immunity and growth.
Peter Daley
Technical Product
Manager – Multimin
[email protected]
PrimaryProducer No1 – Spring/Summer 2011
Primary Producer.indd 11
11
15/11/2011 12:10:31 PM
Watch their
amazing performance
after weaning.
Trace minerals assist bone growth, development and health in weaner calves.
MULTIMIN® is a multiple mineral injection for cattle containing
selenium, zinc, copper and manganese. These trace minerals aid
in reproductive function of the breeder herd and the bone growth
and development of young stock. For further information call
your Territory Sales Manager today.
MultiMin®. Essential minerals for performance at weaning.
multimin is a registered trademark of Warburton technologies ltd.
Customer Support: Tel 1800 009 847
Primary Producer.indd 12
www.multimin.com.au
15/11/2011 12:10:33 PM
Tips and Strategies
How to drop a drench
Susan Swaney, Livestock Technical Services Manager
A
strategy of two drenches in
summer has long been used
by sheep farmers in southeastern Australia to reduce the risk
of a high worm burden in winter
(when the parasites numbers peak).
Now, a trial conducted by the
Mackinnon Project has proven that a
single dose of Virbac’s Cydectin® Long
Acting Injection for Sheep (Cydectin
LA) can be more effective than the
traditional two-dose strategy.
The trial compared the two
strategies by measuring egg counts
and subsequent worm burdens
picked up from pasture. The
pasture contamination from eggs
put down by the sheep during
summer was significantly less from
sheep treated with Cydectin LA
compared with sheep treated
with two short-acting drenches.
More importantly, sheep grazing on
those less-contaminated pastures
the following winter picked up
significantly lower worm burdens
– and had to be drenched less
often – than the twice-drenched
sheep. This shows that Cydectin LA
is an outstanding summer drench
strategy for south-eastern Australia.
This may be an important strategy
for producers if we continue to
have wet summers like the last one.
Normally we rely heavily on a dry
summer to help kill the pasture
portion of the worm population.
This, combined with effective,
short-acting summer drenches,
can drastically reduce the worm
population for the following winter.
A wetter than usual summer has
a number of effects. Firstly, sheep
keep picking up parasites off the
green pasture, which then deposit
more eggs, leading to a higher level
of contamination than seen in drier
years. This means an increased worm
challenge in the following winter.
Secondly, it allows entree to new
species, like barber’s pole worm
(Haemonchus contortus), that are not
usually an issue for the southern
states. Barber’s pole worm thrives
in wet, warm conditions so last
summer was perfect. For the
first time in my 30 years as a vet
I saw it on farms where it had
never been diagnosed before.
One Western District farm had
previously had larval cultures done
that showed 2 per cent barber’s
pole worm. Last summer, the result
had rocketed to 99 per cent.
Barber’s pole worm is a prolific
egg producer – around 10,000
per day per worm. It also has a
short cycle from egg to egg-laying
adult, so you can have heavily
contaminated pastures in a short
space of time. Worse still, the worm’s
larval stages are very detrimental
to sheep so newly drenched
sheep can become reinfected and
affected within a few weeks.
While the barber’s pole worm egg
is susceptible to cold weather, the
larvae are very resistant, so frosts
can’t be guaranteed to eliminate
Haemonchus. We may see a serious
problem again this spring and summer.
Keep a close eye on worm egg counts.
If this summer looks like it might be
wet again, use a long-acting drench
like Cydectin LA. It gives not less than
91 days’ protection against susceptible
barber’s pole worm and Teladorsagia
(Ostertagia). It will give you the best
chance of reducing your parasite
burdens, ensuring a more productive
year and saves having to give the
second summer drench and, possibly,
other drenches in autumn and winter.
Susan Swaney
Livestock Technical
Services Manager
[email protected]
PrimaryProducer No1 – Spring/Summer 2011
Primary Producer.indd 13
13
15/11/2011 12:10:36 PM
Turning cattle into profit
Sandy McEachern, Holmes Sackett
P
rofitability is the key goal
of any business but there
is a big difference between
maintaining a strong average level
of profitability over time compared
with reaching intermittently
high levels of profitability.
Seasonal conditions and market
prices obviously affect profits from
year to year, but Holmes Sackett
benchmarking shows that the
most profitable producers remain
comparatively more profitable in
both the good and the bad times.
These producers are, over the longterm, three times more profitable
than other serious producers.
In other words, achieving higher
profits cannot be put down
to dumb luck or location.
For a beef business, profits are
gained by producing as much beef
as possible at a reasonable cost
and then achieving a high price
for that beef. Given equal rainfall
and land, the most profitable beef
producers achieve the following:
1. Higher than average kilograms
of beef per hectare – but
not the highest.
2. Lower than average cost per
kilogram of beef produced
– but not the lowest.
3. Similar prices for the
beef produced.
By ensuring your production system
is efficient, you can spend more per
equivalent hectare and yet achieve a
14
lower total cost of production per
Stock numbers will determine
how much pasture is consumed.
kilogram of beef produced because
You can achieve extra
the return on investment
“In other words, stock numbers by
is a very large increase
matching feed demand
in production.
achieving
to likely feed supply.
higher profits
Efficiently utilising
As feed supply changes,
the pasture on your
cannot be
you need to be flexible
property is the most
put down to
with stocking rates
significant way to drive
to accommodate
dumb
luck
production system
large shifts and also
efficiency – even more
or location.”
have resilience in the
so than growing more
production system to accommodate
pasture than you already have.
smaller and shorter-term variations.
This efficient pasture utilisation
You can achieve this resilience by
is a combination of:
1. How much pasture
is consumed?
2. Are the animals consuming
it able to effectively turn it
into kilograms of beef (and
therefore more income)?
Sandy McEachern
Holmes Sackett
[email protected]
PrimaryProducer No1 – Spring/Summer 2011
Primary Producer.indd 14
15/11/2011 12:10:42 PM
om.au
Business Tips
focusing production into the most
reliable pasture growing seasons
(calving and weight gains in spring).
The second question is whether
the animals are effectively turning
the grass into beef. To achieve this
you need the right combination of:
1. Young animals to old animals.
Young animals have higher
feed conversion efficiency than
older animals, so they’re good
at converting good quality feed
into weight gain. Older cows
are good at turning low quality
feed into production through
pregnancy and lactation.
2. Animal health.
When growing out steers,
worm issues will obviously limit
production so drenching is
particularly important for this
age group. Heifers being kept as
replacements and mature cows can
also cause a loss in net production
if their health needs aren’t met but
they are usually less of an issue.
The most profitable producers
spend about the same per head
on animal health as the average
producers, but still manage to achieve
more production per DSE (Dry
Sheep Equivalent). They do this by
having a productive system in the
first place as well as by targeting
their animal health treatments on
the things that will cause the most
economic loss in their business.
Pasture utilisation is incredibly
important but often overlooked.
The most profitable producers get it
right in good and bad years. They also
ensure the potential production from
that pasture is not wasted because of
inadequate animal health treatments.
Cutting corners doesn’t increase
profits but weeding out unnecessary
costs is essential. The most profitable
producers know the difference.
Drenching costs can make money
T
he most important animal health
issue for beef producers – and the
best way to ensure good pasture
utilisation – is to reduce the worm burden
on the most important classes of stock.
Ostertagia is the most important worm
Weaners (weaned calves) are the most
important animals to consider. They have
not yet developed good immunity to
worms, so they are more susceptible to the
effects of a high worm burden. Immunity
develops from 6 to 20 months of age,
so good worm control is essential for
young stock during this period of time.
stomach lining all emerge at once, causing
A weaner with a significant worm burden
will lose feed efficiency which is a waste
of resources. It is animals in this age group
that are destined for sale that deserves
the most attention in the herd. In higher
rainfall areas where worm burdens
are more significant, regular drenching
with effective products or use of longacting products is required to eliminate
the impact of worms on this group.
As well as covering the most
important animals in the herd, it is
absolutely essential to cover the
appropriate life stages of the worm.
in southern Australia and even adult
cows can be severely affected by Type II
Ostertagiosis. This is where the larvae
of the worm that forms cysts in the
significant damage to the stomach wall
and poor feed utilisation. It can be hard to
diagnose, so it’s important to use a drench
that will kill Ostertagia in late summer.
Liver fluke is a problem in some areas
and drench programs may be required if
fluke presence has been confirmed. Of
the fluke drenches, the most important
is the autumn drench when both
immature and mature flukes are present.
Attention needs to be given to product
choice for this drench because not all
products kill immature flukes. Up to two
subsequent drenches could be required
on properties with severe infestations.
By combining the right drench
program with the right group of
animals, you can dramatically increase
production and, as a result, profit.
PrimaryProducer No1 – Spring/Summer 2011
Primary Producer.indd 15
15
15/11/2011 12:10:46 PM
Sheepvention
David Anderson, Product Manager
O
n the first Monday and
Tuesday of August each year
approximately 25,000 people
flock to the Hamilton Pastoral and
Agricultural Society’s biggest farming
event – Sheepvention – where Virbac
has been a major sponsor since 2002.
A major feature of Sheepvention
is the always-successful Ram Sales,
co-sponsored by Virbac and the
Commonwealth Bank. Both Open
Class short and long wool winners
in the judging categories received
cash and product prizes from Virbac.
Another highlight of the event was the
presentation in the Virbac marquee
by Australia’s leading dung beetle
expert, John Feehan. Fitting in well
with Sheepvention’s theme this year
of Sustainability in Farming, John spoke
about how dung beetles contribute to
both sustainability and pasture growth.
Kinghorn of Byaduk,Victoria.
William entered the competition
to win $500 worth of Virbac
animal health products and will
receive his prize shortly.
David Anderson
The famous Cydectin Lamb Pie
was a winner again this year,
raising more than $400 for the
Western Districts Hospital.
Product Manager – Sheep
[email protected]
Other winners included William
The Ekka
Will Keen, Product Manager – Cattle
T
he Royal Queensland Show
– affectionately known as
the Ekka – is a great chance
for us to meet with grass roots
producers and get a better sense of
what challenges they’re facing and
how we can provide solutions.
This year Virbac sponsored the
stud beef with winners receiving
a combined prize of cash and
Virbac animal health products.
The products on offer included
Cydectin Long Acting Injection
for Cattle, Cydectin Pour-On or
Multimin Injection for Cattle.
The calibre of entrants in all the
stud beef categories was extremely
high and it was good to see the
general positivity around the
cattle industry in Queensland.
Also in the Virbac marquee, visitors
were able to enter their details to win
16
a prize pack consisting of $500 worth
of animal health products. The winner
at the Ekka was Phillip Hague of
Lake Cargelligo New South Wales.
The Ekka is a hugely important
event in the Queensland
and northern New South
Wales agricultural calendar,
so it was great to be able to have
most of our local team there.
Will Keen
Product Manager – Cattle
[email protected]
PrimaryProducer No1 – Spring/Summer 2011
Primary Producer.indd 16
15/11/2011 12:10:52 PM
ep
com.au
In the Community
Minister opens new facility
Bruce Bell, General Manager
O
n Thursday 1 September, the
staff at our Penrith, New
South Wales, research and
manufacturing facility gathered to
witness the facility’s official opening.
New South Wales Minister for
Primary Industries and Minister
for Small Business, the Hon.
Katrina Hodgkinson MP, officially
opened the new offices, which had
undergone substantial renovation.
Also in attendance was NSW
Farmers’ Association President Fiona
Simson, along with senior Virbac
representatives including Chief
Operating Officer Dr Pierre Pages
and Area Director APISA (Asia, Pacific,
India, South Africa) Pierre Contat.
In her speech the Minister
congratulated Virbac on the improved
facilities and commended our
investment in jobs and infrastructure.
“We have to keep our multi-billion
dollar livestock industry disease free,”
she said. “The work done by Virbac
is a vital link in the chain that keeps
this industry safe and prosperous.”
Ms Simson said the NSW Farmers’
Association welcomes Virbac’s
investment, saying it makes a
statement about our commitment to
the industry. She also called on the
government to commit more funds to
agricultural research and innovation.
Following the official opening, the
Minister and Ms Simson accompanied
me on a tour, taking in both the
beautiful new offices and the
state-of-the-art manufacturing
plant. The Minister pronounced
our facility “outstanding”.
Virbac took over the facility
in January 2010 as part of the
NSW Primary Industries Minister the Hon. Katrina Hodgkinson (left) officially opened Virbac’s new facility
along with (L-R) Virbac’s Dr Pierre Pages, Bruce Bell and Pierre Contat, and NSW Farmers’ Association
President Fiona Simson
acquisition of the Fort Dodge
livestock business and immediately
set about upgrading the facilities.
We upgraded the factory first
and the next step has been
to renovate the offices so we
could better accommodate
our expanding workforce.
The products we manufacture
in Penrith include the Websters
and SingVac ranges of vaccines,
which protect sheep and cattle
against various diseases that can
cause serious production losses.
Vaccines are the way of the future
in animal health. Our facility is a key
centre for developing these products.
Having a local facility is tremendously
valuable to producers who can
be certain that the Virbac product
they’re using has been developed
specifically for Australian conditions.
We are one of the few large animal
health companies that has both
manufacturing and research facilities
in Australia. A percentage of every
dollar we earn from sales is
reinvested in R&D. We plan to invest
significantly in this facility over the
next few years to continue to increase
capacity and develop new vaccines.
More than 100 staff are employed
in Penrith and more than 260 staff
Australia-wide.
The office renovations took 10 weeks
and were completed three weeks
ahead of schedule with minimal staff
disruption. The refurbishments include
individual switching of office lighting
and intelligent air conditioning – both
designed to save energy. Staff chose
photographs for the walls taken
from a series by renowned French
photographer Frédéric Decante,
who also provided the photographs
used in our Milperra head office.
Bruce Bell
General Manager
[email protected]
PrimaryProducer No1 – Spring/Summer 2011
Primary Producer.indd 17
17
15/11/2011 12:10:55 PM
Feedback
Addressing climate change
W
ith the recent
announcement of a
carbon tax that will
affect all Australians, discussions are
turning again to how we can all ensure
our industry is environmentally
sustainable, specifically in terms
of carbon production.
For livestock producers this can
be easier said than done, with
the methane and nitrous oxide
emissions from sheep and cattle
alone accounting for up to 10.2
per cent of greenhouse gases1.
The last two decades have seen
a dramatic reduction in the
amount of methane produced2
and a report funded by the
Queensland Government found
that – if all carbon sinks such as
trees, grass and soil are taken into
consideration – the Queensland beef
industry is almost carbon neutral,
despite comprising almost half of
Australia’s cattle population3.
Land conservation also plays a
key role in farming sustainably and
minimising emissions. Most livestock
farmers already diligently plant more
trees, conserve native vegetation and
monitor the health of their soil.
An alternative concept is called
Holistic Management (see story
on Page 8). It has gained some
traction locally. The theory proposes
that increasing, rather than
decreasing, livestock numbers is
the best way to improve degraded
land, reverse desertification
and address climate change.
This is done by allowing animals to
graze in one area intensively for a
relatively short burst, then move
on to allow that area to recover
for weeks, months or even years.
Holistic Management proponent
Allan Savory believes the benefits
of this approach actually outweigh
any negative effects of the methane
produced by these animals.
The Australian Government has
funded the Reducing Emissions from
Livestock Research Program (RELRP)
to help producers develop practical,
on-farm solutions to reduce emissions
without sacrificing productivity.
For more information on this
program, visit http://bit.ly/rswd8u
Source: Australian Government National Greenhouse Gas Inventory
Source: Meat & Livestock Australia media release (28/01/2010) “Australian red meat uses less carbon”
3
Source: Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries report PR09-4651 “Net carbon position of the Queensland beef industry”
1
2
Poll question
Q
What do you
believe is the best
way livestock producers
can ensure their enterprise
is both economically and
environmentally sustainable?
WIN
an
iPad
18
A Carbon tax/trading scheme
B Land conservation/planting trees
C Reducing livestock numbers
D Holistic Management
E Other
Go to:
www.primaryproducer.com.au
to register your vote.
Subscribe to Primary Producers online at www.primaryproducer.com.au
(or using the attached subscription form) for your chance to
win an Apple iPad® 2!
Conditions of entry: 1: Entries open 9.00 am (AEDT) 15 November 2011 and must be received by 5.00 pm (AEDT) 1 February 2012.
2: To enter you must fill in the required details and subscribe to Primary Producer magazine. 3: Entry is open to owners and managers of
commercial livestock (sheep or cattle) enterprises in Australia. Entries are restricted to one entry per person. Entries are restricted to one
entry per livestock property. 4: The prize is an Apple iPad® 2 Wi-Fi+3G 16GB, valued at $729 (RRP) incl. GST. 5: The winner will be chosen via
barrel draw, which will be undertaken by the Promoter at 361 Horsley Road, Milperra NSW 2214, on 1 February 2012. The winner will be
announced on the website www.primaryproducer.com.au at 5.00 pm (AEDT) 8 February 2012. Full Terms and Conditions can be found at
www.primaryproducer.com.au. iPad is a registered trademark of Apple Inc.
PrimaryProducer No1 – Spring/Summer 2011
Primary Producer.indd 18
15/11/2011 12:11:05 PM
Don’t forget critical treatments
for the upcoming season
Cattle
Cydectin® Long Acting
Injection for Cattle
Give your weaners the best
chance to maximise growth
Cydectin Pour-On
Kills worms for longer, nil
withholding, rainfast and no
known impact on dung beetles
Virbamec® Pour-On
Broad-spectrum internal and
external parasite control
Multimin® Injection for Cattle
Trace mineral supplement to maximise
growth and development in weaners
Hy B12™
Maximise vitamin B12 status and
prevent deficiency in weaners
Vaccines
Websters® 5 in 1 Vaccine
with Vitamin B12
Weaner vaccination - the only 5
in 1 vaccine with vitamin B12
Fly Control
Arrest® Easy-Dose
Nuisance fly control for dairies
Tick Control
Taktic EC and WP
Cattle tick and paralysis tick control
Cydectin Long Acting
Injection for Sheep
Excellent summer drench or
barber's pole treatment
Cydectin Oral +/- Se
Kills worms for longer - 14
days against Ostertagia and
barber's pole worm
Cydectin Weanerguard® +/- Se B12
Combination long-acting
drench and 6 in 1 vaccine, also
with Se and Vitamin B12
Cydectin Plus Tape
Lamb treatment with
tapeworm control
Firstmectin® +/- Se
Lamb treatment with
tapeworm control
Virbamec Oral +/- Se
Broad-spectrum short-acting drench
Combat™
Mix with a range of oral drenches
to help combat resistance
Multimin Copper Free
Injection for Sheep
Trace mineral supplement to maximise
growth and development in lambs
Hy B12
Maximise vitamin B12 status and
prevent deficiency in weaners
Vaccines
Websters LV 6 in 1 Vaccine +/- Se
Ideal vaccine for lambs and ewes
Reproduction
Ovastim®
Increase your lambing percentage
in prime lamb-producing ewes
Fly Control
Virbazine® Liquid
14 weeks protection
against blowfly strike
Drench
Nutrition
®
Sheep
Summer Drench
Nutrition
PrimaryProducer No1 – Spring/Summer 2011
Primary Producer.indd 19
19
15/11/2011 12:11:16 PM
www.cydectin.com.au
The longest lasting
protection going around.
For long term protection against Haemonchus, Ostertagia and
Trichostrongylus choose Cydectin® Long Acting (LA) Injection for
Cattle. Just one small dose of Cydectin LA is enough to give long
term protection against Haemonchus for 120 days, Ostertagia for
112 days and Trichostrongylus for 72 days.
That puts it in a world of protection all on its own.
Insist on Cydectin Long Acting Injection and really protect
your most important assets.
Contact your local territory sales manager today
No known
impact on
dung beetlesˆ
Cydectin is a registered trademark of Virbac Australia Pty Limited.
^While every species has not been tested, four major species have. See label for details.
Customer Support 1800 242 100
Primary Producer.indd 20
www.virbac.com.au
15/11/2011 12:11:17 PM