September 2013
Livestock
Bovine TB still needs vigilance
Woolshed servicing
by Alan Wheatley
• On farm Woolpresses & machines • WorKshoP Handpieces Electrical & Conventional (all brands) • sell Used Woolpresses, reconditioned machines, Handpieces. Combs & Cutters • BUY Presses, machines & Handpieces
The battle against bovine tuberculosis is being fought in all farming areas of New Zealand, but none more keenly than in Canterbury. TBfree NZ reports there are 13 dairy and beef cattle herds currently infected with bovine tuberculosis (TB) in the Canterbury region. A small number of these cases are in South Canterbury which, while classified as a TB Vector Free Area (VFA), does not mean it is immune to TB. Communications Adviser at TBfree NZ, Mike Hansen says pigs are an on-going issue in the battle against bovine tuberculosis. “While infected pigs can’t directly pass it on to cattle, animals they scavenge can
become infected and it’s those animals that cattle interact with that do the damage.” Mr Hansen says possums for example can become infected with TB from a pig, and cattle being naturally inquisitive, will often approach a sick or distressed possum and the simple of act of licking will be enough. TBfree New Zealand National Disease Manager Dr Kevin Crews agrees and says people must consider the consequences of transporting and releasing wild pigs into areas where the wild animal
population is known to be free of TB. “The beef, dairy and deer sectors are still vulnerable to bovine TB. We are all working hard to eradicate this disease and the illegal release of pigs into the wild is an unacceptable risk.” He says wild pig heads and offal should be buried deep enough that the remains cannot be scavenged. People should also be aware of the TB risk when handling pig carcasses. To reduce the chance of becoming infected, hunters should disinfect knives and gear after
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use, cover any cuts and open wounds and wash thoroughly after cutting up animals.
rD Services
Most of the South Canterbury coastal area is an established vector free area or VFA and TBfree NZ wants it to stay that way.
(ray Dunick)
Phone 03 322 7486 or 0274 444 623 Email: ray.dunick@xtra.co.nz
Adding Value. From Farm To Market. Contact a PGG Wrightson Wool representative today: Doug McKay
Peter McCusker Rob Lynskey
Chris Munro
Ph: 027 432 6910
Ph: 027 432 4926
Ph: 027 436 2603
Freephone 0800 946 000
Ph: 027 591 8454
Helping grow the country
WOOL BUYERS Providing direct wool links from farm to Ace offal cookers for dog and pig food, also available as grain cookers for horses
user with a low cost marketing pipeline
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19 Galaxy Place, Welcome Bay, Tauranga P 07 544 7284 F 07 544 7280 M 027 294 6190 E mike@aceproducts.co.nz W www.aceproducts.co.nz
TO DISCUSS YOUR REQUIREMENTS, ON FARM - IN YOUR SHED: Rakaia River North - Don Kars 0274 500 769 Rakaia River South - Gavin Crump 0274 316 555 Email: wool@hdfarmdirect.co.nz Website: www.hdfarmdirect.co.nz