Riverine Plains Blog

Key Points  

• Biosecurity should be an everyday farm practice  
• Simple, low-cost measures can prevent pests and disease from establishing on your farm 
• If you spot anything unusual, know how to report and contain it. 

While the current Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak in Indonesia has focussed our attention on emerging biosecurity issues, biosecurityshould really be an everyday farm management practice.  

Key points 

• Introduce stock slowly to grazing cereal and canola/brassica crops  
• Feed test to know the quality of your crop 
• Avoid nutrient imbalances when grazing young crops by providing a mineral/salt lick and roughage 
• Know the signs of nutrient-related animal health disorders. 

While some farmers have already started grazing winter forage crops, some later-sown crops will only be ready for grazing now. Cereals are ready to be grazed when they have developed secondary roots and are well anchored, usually around the 3-leaf stage.  

Riverine Plains recently hosted a Plan for your Lamb drought preparation webinar for livestock producers as part of a project supported by the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR), through funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.