13
Cold Winter Climates
Water troughs should be long enough to provide drinking space for 10 of the yard at any one time. Allow
300mm length of trough for every 10 head in the yard. That means that one 3m trough section will water 100
head, provided there is enough volume and pressure of water to keep the trough illed, around 10 Lhead
hour Source: New South Wales Department of Primary Industries - Opportunity lot feeding of beef cattle, 2004.
Glucose consumed in the water will provide a readily absorbed energy supplement to assist with the recovery
of the cattle following travel, and its taste may also encourage cattle to drink from an unfamiliar water
source on arrival. It is recommended to continue glucose for 3 to 5 days following arrival at the quarantine
facility. A daily intake of 50 to 100grams of glucose per head per day is recommended, and can be administered
by mixing glucose powder with water and mixing into water troughs, with reference to the estimated daily
water intake for diferent types of cattle and prevailing air temperature in Table 1.1.
Regular cleaning of the water troughs is a priority for the irst few days after arrival to ensure that cattle remain
well watered.
1.2.5. Management of Health on Arrival
On arrival at the quarantine facility, the cattle need to be drafted according to their health status, with particular
attention being paid to lameness, dehydration, and general ill health. Any cattle that are identiied to be
sufering from these conditions must be separated from the remainder of the herd so that treatments can
be administered and the animals monitored closely for recovery.
Cattle showing visual signs of stress or ill-health must be inspected by a qualiied veterinarian and treated
according to the veterinary diagnosis. These cattle should be isolated from the remainder of the herd so
that they can be supervised and not cause undue stress to the other cattle.
In the case of severe lameness, this condition may be treated with anti-inlammatory drugs under veterinary
supervision, including administration with antibiotics if it is appropriate to do so.
Whilst it is strongly recommended to separate sick and injured animals from the main group, a single animal
should not be left alone in a pen or paddock, particularly if they are unable to interact with others. Such isolation
of an individual can lead to signiicant stress and panic.
1.2.6. Feeding on Arrival
On arrival at the quarantine facility, cattle will have empty stomachs and may have been of-feed for as long as 48
hours. Consequently, it is recommended that all cattle are provided with a dietary induction period of ive days,
whether they are destined for pasture or feedlots, so that good rumen function can be re-established.
An induction diet that has worked successfully for Australian beef cattle exported to countries with cold
winter climates is a 7030 mixture of straw and high quality hay for the induction period. For the irst day, this
combination is 70 straw and 30 hay, by weight, as the cattle will tend to lay and rest whilst they recover from
the journey. In subsequent days, the ratio of straw to hay is adjusted to reach 70 hay and 30 straw by day ive.
In the case that a quarantine agreement is reached that enables the cattle to be placed on pasture rather than fed
14
Beef Breeder MANUAL
in coninement for the entire quarantine period, this ive- day induction procedure should still be implemented as
this period also allows time to monitor the health of the cattle closely prior to being released to pasture. This can
be facilitated by constructing a suitable size temporary pen using conventional fencing materials or electric
fencing.
An adequate supply of hay should be available to allow continued adlibitum feeding for the irst two weeks in
the paddock also.
1.2.7. Winter Feeding
