Over the last two weeks we held nine meetings around Eyre Peninsula covering various animal health issues relevant to producers.
 
The key issue was the changes to the OJD zones around Australia. This will change the OJD score you need to put on your Sheep Health Statement when you sell, or transfer, sheep.

There is also a new Sheep Health Statement form. New books have been posted to all sheep producers with a registered PIC (property identification code). If you did not receive a new book, contact a PIRSA office. The NVD form does not change.

Mainland South Australia had an OJD “area” score of five. From the end of March it will now be four. Sheep brought to mainland SA from Kangaroo Island, or from another state, need to have at least four points. On KI for example, most people have tested and vaccinated their sheep and could have four points.

Stud breeders have usually tested, or vaccinated, and could have built up to ten points.

When you fill out the Sheep Health Statement, in the OJD Category A section you need to put four for “area” credits. The points you get for testing, or vaccinating, for OJD have not changed. These are explained fully on the back of the form.
 
Terminal “T” tag lambs do not concern EP producers. They are lambs that are given a special “T” tag to signify they are from an OJD infected flock and must be sold for slaughter before they cut their teeth. This is allowed because sheep do not pass on the OJD bacteria until they are about two years old.

The footrot section of the form is similar to before. We are fortunate on Eyre Peninsula that we do not have footrot, so tick yes to all three questions. Checking the sheep for footrot would mean checking any limpy sheep.
 
If there is evidence of lice, or lice were present at the last shearing, tick yes. Then state the product and date the sheep were treated for lice.
  
The changes to the zones mean that Eyre Peninsula and Western Australia now have the same OJD area score of four. Now people who have brought, or bring, sheep from WA do not downgrade their own flock OJD score.
 
However, people need to be aware that the risks of getting OJD from EP sheep and from WA sheep are very different. In SA most adult sheep are examined at the abattoir and only two new infected properties have been found since June last year. We are very confident that we have the disease under control in our state. It has never been found on Eyre Peninsula.

Lambs can be very safely brought in from WA if they are sold before they cut their teeth.

In parts of NSW and Victoria there are about 700 and 200 flocks per thousand infected. In these areas farmers need to vaccinate for OJD – which is a health and welfare issue and another cost to these producers.

Other issues discussed at the meetings included; worm control, mineral supplements, NLIS tags, preparing sheep for trucking, abattoir disease feedback sheets and alternatives to mulesing.

If you have any queries contact a PIRSA Animal Health Officer or Peter Whyte, leader of the OJD program, on 08 8207 7025. Otherwise go to the web site www.ojd.com.au. There is a good map on this site.

AUTHOR: Brian Ashton, Livestock Consultant, Rural Solutions SA
CONTACT: Brian Ashton, PIRSA/ Rural Solutions Office Pt Lincoln, Telephone: 08 8688 3400 Email: ashton.brian@saugov.sa.gov.au