Study Tracks Facial Eczema Impact on New Zealand Sheep Farms

A study by Beef + Lamb New Zealand is providing vital insights into the impact of facial eczema on sheep farms across the country. The research, which involves tracking fresh sheep manure, has entered its third and final season. Principal scientist Cara Brosnahan from Wellington highlighted the importance of this study in understanding the disease that poses significant risks to livestock.

During the second season of the study, researchers detected low levels of facial eczema spores on four sheep farms in Otago. Additionally, spore presence was confirmed on one sheep farm in Southland during the first season. The disease can affect all grazing livestock, except horses, when they ingest sufficient amounts of toxic fungal spores found primarily in ryegrass pastures.

Farmers were notified whenever spores were detected in their manure samples. They were encouraged to continue sampling to monitor spore levels, with recommendations to contact a veterinarian if spore counts rose. The environmental conditions can lead to an increase in fungal spores, but livestock may not exhibit visible symptoms if they ingest low levels.

Hidden indicators of an infection may include reduced productivity or an increase in empty pregnancies. Clinical signs have been observed from Northland to the West Coast, with more than half of the manure samples from the northern region of the South Island showing clinical signs of the disease. The study aims to confirm the relationships between farm elevation, pasture height, and neighbouring spore counts in its final season.

Participation in the study is straightforward and free. Farmers collect manure samples biweekly from October to May. Beef + Lamb provides the necessary kits and covers postage costs. In return for their participation, farmers receive results to assess their facial eczema risk, a subsidy of $40 for faecal egg counts, and the opportunity to be selected for monthly faecal egg counts and larval culture testing.

This initiative is crucial, especially as the economic impact of facial eczema exceeds $330 million annually for the sector. Dr. Brosnahan emphasized the need for more farmers to participate, particularly those who have never had facial eczema detected on their farms. “Those results help build our understanding of this devastating disease,” she stated.

Facial eczema can lead to severe liver damage in livestock, resulting in lower fertility, weight loss, decreased milk production, and even death in extreme cases. “There’s no cure, so you’ve really got to be on top of the management before that happens,” she added.

Sheep farmer Graham Evans from Barr Falls Farm in Owaka is an active participant in the study. He encourages other southern farmers to collect and send their flock’s fresh manure samples to help track the disease’s impact. “We don’t know what we don’t know, do we?” he remarked, noting that the process takes about 30 minutes.

Evans has yet to find facial eczema spores on his property but recognizes the inevitability of the disease spreading south. “It doesn’t matter whether you believe in climate change or not. It’s going to happen,” he asserted. His participation is aimed at helping future generations of farmers by contributing to the collective understanding of the disease. He hopes to see more southern sheep farmers engage in the study, as conditions vary significantly between regions.

The final season of this crucial research represents a pivotal moment for New Zealand’s sheep farming community, with the potential to shape management strategies for facial eczema going forward.