Quarantine Facilities Water on Arrival

12 Beef Breeder MANUAL

1.2.3. Quarantine Facilities

The requirements for quarantine facilities for cattle on arrival in country vary depending on local authorities. In many cases, the importer will be required to establish a quarantine facility on their property under the guidance and approval of the local veterinary authority. The quarantine facility will normally be one or more pens that are able to contain the cattle under daily supervision for the duration of the quarantine period. In some circumstances, allowance may be made by local authorities to quarantine the cattle in paddocks. In both instances, the quarantine facilities must; • Be able to contain the cattle securely • Provide adequate space for the cattle • Prevent contact between the imported cattle and local animals • Provide a clean and reliable supply of good quality water • Provide shelter against adverse weather conditions • Allow the animals to be fed and monitored daily • Have facilities that enable individual animals to be handled safely and treated for illness or injury as required • Have isolation pensareas that can accommodate individuals that need to be separated from the herd and treated diferently • Be accessible to farm staf and Government Authorities at all times • Control access to the site by authorised persons only • Implement adequate site entry and exit biosecurity measures. Where the quarantine facility needs to be constructed on the property and it is required to be a coninement feeding facility, consideration should be given to making the facility a long-term asset for subsequent use to support the ongoing management of the herd, such as for coninement feeding of the herd during winter, or backgrounding and feedlot inishing. Speciic planning and construction considerations for conined feeding yards are provided in the TECHNICAL NOTE - Planning Coninement Facilities.

1.2.4. Water on Arrival

To accommodate for the efects of dehydration during the journey, cattle must be provided with an unrestricted supply of good quality water. In addition glucose can be added to the water to aid in rapid recovery of animals on arrival. The water requirements of cattle varies with the age and physiological status of the animals, air temperature, and the type of forage consumed. For practical management, the following table provides estimations of the daily water requirements for a range of cattle Table 1.1. These quantities may be used to plan the water needs for imported cattle in the period immediately following their arrival. Water intake Lday for a range of air temperatures Type of Cattle 5 o C 15 o C 25 o C 35 o C Calves 2 to 6 months of age 23 30 45 67 Weaners 7 to 11 months of age 26 34 50 74 Yearlings 12 months of age 34 39 56 85 Pregnant Heifers and Dry Cows 24 27 38 59 Lactating Cows 45 52 69 95 Bulls 34 39 56 85 Table 1.1. Estimated water requirements of beef cattle. Source: Adapted from National Research Council 2000. 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