Facial Eczema was the main topic of two Q&A sessions held by Farm Source in February, discussing spore measurement, disease impact and different zinc dosing methods with industry experts.
Facial Eczema is one of the country's most challenging ruminant diseases which is generally under-diagnosed and causes major production losses on-farm. While the name suggests facial symptoms, the damage from facial eczema is ultimately subclinical, with liver damage being the biggest concern. Often when exterior symptoms are noticed, it is far too late.
With some of the webinar attendees noting higher than usual spore counts for the time of year, Emma Cuttance, Head of Epivets, says being vigilant and proactive is the only way to be.
"Any dramatic increase in spore count needs to be checked. Keeping an eye on that spore count and ensuring your herd has sufficient Zinc is just essential."
The recent changeable weather events over what are traditionally dryer months of the year have seen much higher rainfall combined with increased humidity, adding more moisture to the ground sitting within the dead matter around the base of pasture, Emma says.
"We are in a period where we have a problem with changing weather conditions and the resulting factors from that, meaning we often have to monitor our spore counts for a much longer period than we previous have," says Paul Jamison, Farm Source Project Manager, Milk R&D.
Paul estimates that production losses from Facial Eczema each year could be between 5-35 million kilograms of milk solids (kgMS) due to the subclinical damage being suffered by cows.
"Prevention is key as there is no cure."
Ensuring your herd is sufficiently dosed with Zinc can help to prevent your cows suffering from Facial Eczema.
ZincCheck takes a herd-level approach, with a bulk milk sample test to determine if at least 70% of the herd have enough Zinc in the blood to pass across into the milk at 20 micromoles per litre, Paul says. ZincCheck is only $99 per test and the first one is free for Fonterra farmers.
For more information or to book in your test, contact your local Farm Source TSR or visit our website.
Watch our Expert Q&A sessions on YouTube
If you missed the Expert Q&A sessions you can watch them now on our YouTube. The first session discussed spore measurement and ZincCheck with Veterinarian and Head of Epivets Emma Cuttance and Farm Source Project Manager, On Farm Milk R&D Paul Jamieson.
The second session looked at the merits of different zinc dosing, presented with Seales Winslow Consultant Nutritionist Paul Sharp and Farm Source Senior Veterinary Manager Mike Shallcrass.