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A healthy cross section of liver (left) compared to a liver affected by FE.
AGRIFEEDS LTD’S Time Capsule facial eczema-prevention product is now available in a single bolus for larger cows.
Marketing manager Debbie Schrader says, “In the past farmers have had to dose larger cows with a combination of smaller Time Capsules and other zinc products to get full protection.
“A new Time Capsule bolus for 400-600kg cattle means farmers now need only apply one capsule to cows weighing up to 600kg, saving labour, time and money.
“With the average Jersey cow weighing 400-450kg, the average Friesian 500-600kg and the average Kiwi Cross 450-550kg, this is good news. It means farmers only have to apply one capsule to each cow for four weeks protection against facial eczema at times of high risk, and five weeks at times of low risk,” she says.
Facial eczema causes damage to the liver which can lead to serious health and production losses in cattle, including reduced fertility and milk production, if preventative treatment is not applied.
With the option of ‘one cow, one capsule’, the application is simpler and protection adequate, Schrader says. She advises not to be fooled by hot dry conditions. “Dead and dying pasture litter combined with heavy dew is a haven for the fungus which causes facial eczema.
“Not all animals show physical signs and farmers may not be aware stock have a problem until it is too late,” she says.
Developed by AgResearch specifically for New Zealand conditions, the Time Capsule is a controlled slow release capsule providing animals a consistent daily dose of zinc for at least four weeks protection in cattle and six weeks in sheep.
Blood and autopsy samples from cows that were sick or died after grazing swedes in Southland last winter have confirmed liver damage but the role, or not, of the HT strain of the crop in the epidemic is still unclear.
LIVER DAMAGE is indicated in a DairyNZ analysis of the blood and autopsy samples the industry body collected from dairy cows experiencing ill-health after grazing on swedes in Southland.
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