Journal article
Facial eczema management protocols used on dairy farms in the North Island of New Zealand and associated concentrations of zinc in serum
EL Cuttance, MA Stevenson, RA Laven, WA Mason
New Zealand Veterinary Journal | TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD | Published : 2016
Abstract
AIMS: To describe and evaluate the current practices used to manage and prevent facial eczema (FE) in North Island dairy herds, and determine the within-herd prevalence of cows with elevated activities of gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), and with concentrations of Zn in serum <18 μmol/L. METHODS: Between January and May 2014, 105 herd managers from throughout the North Island of New Zealand were invited to participate in the study when regional spore counts for Pithomyces chartarum started to rise towards 30,000 spores/g pasture. Managers selected 10 representative cattle that were weighed and blood-sampled by the herd veterinarian. Blood samples were analysed for concentrations of Zn in se..
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Funding Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge DairyNZ and Sustainable Farming Fund for funding the trial and VetEnt for constantly providing resources and additional funding to publish all of the FE findings from four years of research.