Veterinary topics, disease prevention, vaccination, parasite management and biosecurity for Australian livestock.
Paterson's curse is one of the most widespread and economically significant weeds in southeastern Australia, toxic to horses and causing liver damage in cattle and sheep with prolonged consumption. This guide explains the biology of the plant, how to identify it, its toxicity to different livestock species, management and control options, and what to do if you suspect livestock have been affected.
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Chickens, like all livestock, hide illness well in the early stages — by the time an animal looks obviously sick, it has often been unwell for some time. Knowing the early warning signs makes the difference between catching a problem in time and losing an animal unnecessarily. This guide covers the key symptoms that indicate a chicken needs attention in Australian conditions.
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Bloat kills cattle fast. A healthy steer can be dead within two to four hours of the first visible signs on high-risk pasture. This guide explains the difference between frothy bloat and free-gas bloat, which Australian pasture types and feeding programs carry the highest risk, how to prevent bloat before it happens, and exactly what to do when you find a bloated animal.
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Pigs, like all livestock, hide illness well in the early stages — by the time an animal looks obviously sick, it has often been unwell for some time. Knowing the early warning signs makes the difference between catching a problem in time and losing an animal unnecessarily. This guide covers the key symptoms that indicate a pig needs attention in Australian conditions.
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Australia runs more sheep than any other country on earth, and the breeds that have shaped our national flock — from the Merino that built the wool industry to the Dorper that transformed prime lamb production — are a direct product of selection pressure from our unique and challenging conditions. This guide covers the most important sheep breeds in Australia, what each is suited for, and which suits your production system.
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Cattle, like all livestock, hide illness well in the early stages — by the time an animal looks obviously sick, it has often been unwell for some time. Knowing the early warning signs makes the difference between catching a problem in time and losing an animal unnecessarily. This guide covers the key symptoms that indicate a cattle needs attention in Australian conditions.
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Every sheep in Australia that moves off its property of birth must carry an approved identification tag. The National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) underpins traceability from paddock to plate, and getting identification right protects you legally, commercially, and in the event of a disease outbreak. This guide covers approved tags, the colour coding system, state requirements, and how to apply tags correctly.
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Sheep, like all livestock, hide illness well in the early stages — by the time an animal looks obviously sick, it has often been unwell for some time. Knowing the early warning signs makes the difference between catching a problem in time and losing an animal unnecessarily. This guide covers the key symptoms that indicate a sheep needs attention in Australian conditions.
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Grass tetany kills quickly and without much warning. A cow that appeared healthy at morning inspection can be found in a paddock in convulsions or already dead by afternoon in high-risk conditions. This guide explains what causes grass tetany in Australian cattle, which cattle and pasture conditions are highest risk, how to recognise it early, and how to prevent it with magnesium supplementation.
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Goats, like all livestock, hide illness well in the early stages — by the time an animal looks obviously sick, it has often been unwell for some time. Knowing the early warning signs makes the difference between catching a problem in time and losing an animal unnecessarily. This guide covers the key symptoms that indicate a goat needs attention in Australian conditions.
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Weaning is the most stressful single management event in the beef cattle calendar. Get it wrong and you face immune-suppressed calves, post-weaning weight loss, respiratory disease outbreaks, and cows that fail to rebreed on time. Get it right and both calves and cows transition smoothly. This guide covers optimal weaning age, fence-line weaning, nutrition for weaners, and managing the BRD risk that peaks in the post-weaning period.
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Keeping cattle for the first time is one of the most rewarding things you can do on an Australian small property — and one of the most common sources of avoidable mistakes if you go in underprepared. This guide covers everything a beginner needs to know before acquiring their first cattle, from infrastructure and fencing through to feeding, health management and common pitfalls.
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Water is the most important nutrient for cattle, and water infrastructure is the investment that delivers the highest return of any on-farm improvement for most Australian beef operations. This guide covers how much water cattle need, how to size and design troughs for different herd sizes, placement principles that improve pasture utilisation, and the mistakes most producers make.
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Keeping chickens for the first time is one of the most rewarding things you can do on an Australian small property — and one of the most common sources of avoidable mistakes if you go in underprepared. This guide covers everything a beginner needs to know before acquiring their first chicken, from infrastructure and fencing through to feeding, health management and common pitfalls.
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Pregnancy testing is the single highest-returning management intervention available to Australian beef producers, yet many small-scale operations skip it entirely. This guide explains when to preg test, how the two testing methods work, what to do with the results, and how to calculate exactly how much an empty cow is costing you.
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Keeping pigs for the first time is one of the most rewarding things you can do on an Australian small property — and one of the most common sources of avoidable mistakes if you go in underprepared. This guide covers everything a beginner needs to know before acquiring their first pig, from infrastructure and fencing through to feeding, health management and common pitfalls.
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Choosing between a 5-in-1 and 7-in-1 cattle vaccine is one of the first decisions every Australian beef producer faces, and getting it right can mean the difference between a protected herd and an expensive, avoidable loss. This guide explains what each vaccine covers, when to use each, the complete annual cattle vaccination program, and the sensitisation protocol for naive cattle.
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Keeping sheep for the first time is one of the most rewarding things you can do on an Australian small property — and one of the most common sources of avoidable mistakes if you go in underprepared. This guide covers everything a beginner needs to know before acquiring their first sheep, from infrastructure and fencing through to feeding, health management and common pitfalls.
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Keeping goats for the first time is one of the most rewarding things you can do on an Australian small property — and one of the most common sources of avoidable mistakes if you go in underprepared. This guide covers everything a beginner needs to know before acquiring their first goat, from infrastructure and fencing through to feeding, health management and common pitfalls.
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A practical cattle health guide for Australian beef producers covering the core annual vaccination program, drenching strategy for internal parasites, tick management, and the most important diseases affecting Australian cattle — including leptospirosis, bovine respiratory disease, and pinkeye.
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Australia has more cattle than people, and choosing the right breed for your property, climate zone and market is one of the most consequential decisions a cattle producer makes. This guide covers the key Australian beef breeds — from the dominant Angus through to the Brahman, Droughtmaster, Murray Grey and Wagyu — and explains which suits your conditions.
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Varroa destructor arrived in Australia in June 2022 and eradication was abandoned within 18 months. Every Australian beekeeper keeping European honey bees now needs to understand how to monitor for varroa, when to treat, and which treatment options are approved in Australia — before the mite destroys their hive.
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Beekeeping in Australia is more accessible than ever, but also more complex than it was even five years ago. Varroa mite is now established in eastern Australia, registration is mandatory, and the choice of bee type and hive design matters more than ever. This guide covers everything a first-time beekeeper in Australia needs to know before acquiring their first hive.
Read article →Johne's disease is one of the most insidious and economically damaging livestock diseases in Australia. There is no cure, no practical treatment, and infected animals can shed the bacteria silently for years before showing clinical signs. Here's what every Australian farmer needs to know about identifying, testing, and controlling Johne's disease in their herd or flock.
Read article →A practical farrowing preparation checklist for Australian pig keepers — what to have ready before your sow gives birth, and what to watch for in the first 48 hours.
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Scours in calves — neonatal calf diarrhoea — is the leading cause of death in beef and dairy calves under one month of age in Australia. Understanding the pathogens involved, the critical role of oral rehydration therapy, and how to prevent outbreaks before they start can dramatically reduce calf losses on your property.
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Footrot is a contagious bacterial infection that attacks the soft tissue between the claws of sheep, cattle, and goats, causing painful lameness and serious production losses. Here's how to identify it, treat it, and stop it spreading across your property.
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One of the reasons quail are popular with Australian backyard keepers is their reputation for being hardy, low-maintenance birds. And it's largely true — a well-managed quail flock in clean, appropriate housing with the right diet will stay healthy for…
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How to incubate and hatch Coturnix quail eggs successfully — temperature, humidity, turning schedule and hatch-day care for Australian keepers.
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Internal parasites are one of the most significant health threats to sheep in Australia. Every year, worm burdens cost the Australian sheep industry hundreds of millions of dollars in lost production, treatment costs, and animal deaths. For individual farmers, unchecked…
Read article →Ducks are often described as hardy, disease-resistant animals — and compared to chickens, they genuinely are. Their tolerance for cold and wet conditions, their lower susceptibility to many common poultry viruses, and their naturally robust constitution means that a well-managed…
Read article →Drenching is one of the most important routine health tasks on any livestock property. This guide covers worm control basics, species-specific dosing for cattle, sheep and goats, drench gun calibration, and withholding periods you need to know before sale.
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Heat stress is the leading cause of sudden alpaca death in Australian summers. How to prevent it, recognise early signs, and respond when it happens.
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Keeping your goats healthy is both a welfare obligation and a financial imperative. Disease losses — whether from deaths, reduced production, veterinary costs, or poor growth — can quickly erode the profitability of any goat enterprise. The good news is…
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