Looks like it is that time of the year again, seems to be always just before our annual show, that the old three day sickness is starting to hit quite a few stock in the area. For those of you who haven’t encountered it before, it is pretty easy to pick up, as the cattle become very lethargic, basically running a temperature and often laying down. We have always found that the best way to handle it is to make sure that they are in a shaded area, and basically keep an eye on them. Probably the worst thing you can do is to try and move them about too much.
The other thing that has arrived over the last few weeks has been ergot poisoning, which has come about by the abundance of paspalum. After a discussion with our local vet, he has suggested that when the paspalum is at that sticky stage, it is at it’s worst. The signs are with the cattle looking quite bright in nature, but not having any control over their legs, and cannot get up. The cure is to remove them from the area of paspalum and they seem to come good in three to four days.
Just a couple of the local seasonal problems that don’t happen every year, but more prone in great seasonal conditions like we are having.