20/08/2025
FEEDING & CARING FOR LIVESTOCK DURING DROUGHT & HARSH CONDITIONS
We are currently experiencing what has been referred to as a “GREEN DROUGHT”. Low Autumn and winter rainfalls have resulted in a gross reduction in available paddock feed for livestock. Even though there has been some rain in July and August, the conditions are too cold just now for growth of sufficient feed for many livestock to cope without assistance. This will be of greatest impact on young growing animals, pregnant cows and ewes and especially young dams still growing and carrying their first pregnancy.
Livestock generally can cope with reasonable paddock feed, although their requirements for energy food to maintain body condition are increased by growth, pregnancy and by weather conditions, particularly wind and rain.
At McIntyre Vets our team members are currently seeing many animals in very poor condition, often so poor that they do not have the strength to get up and to eat. They cannot be saved in many cases. This is devastating for owners and carers who clearly want to do the best they can to attend to the welfare of the animals in their care. Even experienced farmers are finding it very difficult to maintain their stock in good enough condition, and less experienced owners on hobby farms are often having even more difficulty.
Generally, the current situation is that the food intake is not sufficient to maintain body function, temperature and strength. Often added to this is the burden of parasitism (mostly intestinal worms) that makes the situation of these animals even worse. Pregnancy places an added burden on underfed animals, worsening the consequences and som specific diseases can develop – in sheep malnourished ewes can develop a metabolic condition (called Pregnancy Toxaemia, Twin Lamb Disease or Ketosis) that puts them off food and causes them to give up and lie down until they die. Early treatment can save these ewes and their lambs.
There are many resources available to help in feeding and management to prevent and deal with these issues. Veterinary assistance can be life-saving but is often sought at a stage when it is too late or too expensive to save the individual animal. At the least in these cases, we can recommend ways to avoid further problems for other members of the herd or flock.
Guidelines for feeding can be found on this website “Feeding Livestock” https://www.feedinglivestock.vic.gov.au/
Agriculture Victoria newsletters and resources: https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/support-and-resources/newsletters
The basic principles to keep stock safe in these conditions are:
• Even though paddocks are green, feed quality and energy concentration is likely to be low
• Cold, wet & windy conditions put extra strain on livestock
• Pregnancy, growth and parasitism (worms) add to the nutritional requirements to keep stock healthy
• Sheep can be deceptively thin because of thick wool and underweight can only be detected by feeling below the wool
• Don’t wait until stock are sick before seeking advice and commencing feeding when feed is scarce
• Concentrate feeding (especially grains) requires care and attention to quantities, types and methods, or illness can easily result.
• Seek expert advice from your veterinarian or the Animal Health Officers at Agriculture Victoria early before you start to lose stock
• Refer to the resources quoted above for further specific details.
• In the cases where it is clear that it is too expensive or beyond the capacity of the owners to provide adequate feed for livestock, it is better for all concerned, especially the animals, to sell them on while still in good health and condition.
+It saddens us to see the distress of these animals and their owners, together with the crippling financial losses caused by these issues. We hope these short notes are of help in these difficult conditions.
The Farm Animal Vets at McIntyre Vets
20 August 2025
