Officer Grain Store

21/10/2024

How cute is this little chick! (Photo from one of our local customers)

19/08/2024

****BUSINESS AS USUAL!!****

Although technically a competitor, it was still sad to hear that Windmill Produce will be closing the doors after 15 years of service to the horsey people of the area.

We have had a few enquires from people who are confused and think that we are also closing, so I am posting this to let everyone know that it's business as usual at Officer Grain Store! We are still very busy looking after all of our lovely customers and plan to continue long into the future.

Please drop in and see us for the best range and prices or if you need some advice on anything horsey, farm or pet.

29/07/2024

****FEEDING FOR WEIGHT GAIN****

I just thought I'd share these before and after photos from a customer of ours - it might be helpful for anyone looking to put some weight on their horses over winter.

We have just started stocking a feed called Fibrebeet, which is basically the lucerne version of Speediebeet (made by the same people). It's on sale at the front of the shop so some customers have decided to give it a whirl.

The horses below were fed 1kg of Fibrebeet in addition to their normal feed with nothing else changed.

I'm really impressed with the improvement in condition, especially at this time of year when it's only getting colder. What do you think?

These horses are all 6-12 months off the track apart from the chestnut who is a QH. Thanks Annaliese for sharing these with us!

Feel free to share your own before and after photos below and tell us what your favourite feed is for weight gain. We love a good before and after.

PS blowing our own trumpet here but we stock Fibrebeet at $20-$30 per bag cheaper than the surrounding stores - so if you would like to try some you know where to come 😆😆.

24/06/2024

Smokey enjoying the sunset ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤 next to the heater of course!

02/06/2024

It's on again this first week of June! If you would like to test your horse (or goat, alpaca etc) for worms just bring a matchbox sized sample of poo in a ziplock bag and the cash so that we can pass the lot on to Wormcheck who will send you the report!

20/02/2024

Hi all we are looking for an extra team member to help out on the weekends. If you know of anyone who would like to join us please forward this post!

13/01/2024

Ashford Park is an amazing place! Top notch facilities and people for anyone looking for a five star home for their horse.

07/11/2023

We are so proud to have fuelled the Melbourne Cup winner, Without A Fight!

What a great horse - it’s been 20 plus years since a horse won both the Caulfield and Melbourne cups. Huge congrats to the Freedman team! What an exciting run to come from the middle of the field and burst to the lead!

We are also proud to have fed 5th placegetter Daquiansweet Junior who also ran so well showing the experts they were all wrong!

Congratulations to all its a big achievement. 💪💪

06/11/2023

Thank you to Martin from Iron Horse Equine Nutrition for a quick snapshot of the newest supplements on the market!

15/07/2023

We will post more as we find out. If you are concerned you can take your horse’s temperature one or twice daily.

04/07/2023

Monthly FEC drop off is this week at Officer Grain Store ! 💩💩

08/06/2023

We are doing the FEC drop offs again today and tomorrow (Friday 9th June) till 4.30pm

If you would like to test your horse please bring a matchbox sized sample and $10 cash per sample and we will pass it on to the Wormcheck Lab on your behalf. Results are emailed on the weekend :)

05/05/2023

If this is you - we would love to hear from you!

27/04/2023

Although worm counts are a really good way to know how your horses are travelling, they can’t detect some worms. You still need to work late autumn once it’s cold and spring as it gets warm. Interesting reading below!

*** WORMING PART 3 - REDWORM ***

I first posted this in 2019, but after reading a LOT of worrying comments recently about how people don’t worm their horses at all, as they do worm egg counts, I thought it was time to do a little encysted redworm refresher!

1. Redworm can kill your horse.

2. Encysted small redworm are NOT DETECTABLE in worm egg counts.

3. The larvae of small redworm, “encyst” or burrow into the gut wall. These can cause fatal consequences when they re-emerge.

4. Redworm appear as tiny pieces of thread in your horse’s droppings. They are very short and thin, and can be hard to see. They are white if they haven’t yet fed, and red if they have fed.

5. A horse can appear completely normal and healthy whilst carrying a large redworm burden. However, weight loss and diarrhoea may be early indicators; don’t ignore these signs.

6. Most wormers DO NOT target encysted redworm. Only TWO do: Fenbendazole and Moxidectin.

7. Lots of combination wormers contain IVERMectin. This WILL NOT have any effect on encysted redworm. The only wormer that contains MOXIDectin, is EQUEST. The Pramox (blue) version will treat tapeworm at the same time. Don’t use Pramox if you have treated separately for tapeworm, or used a saliva or blood test for tapeworm. Use the normal Equest (green) if this is the case.

8. Redworm are eaten by the horse during grazing. The larvae start to burrow into the gut wall as temperatures drop. Treating for encysted redworm whilst temperatures are warm, is not the optimal time, as the larvae may well not have started to encyst. Treating after a few hard frosts, also reduces the level of reinfection from larvae already on the fields.

9. The larvae stay in the gut wall during the winter, and are then triggered to emerge from the gut wall as the temperatures warm up in the Spring. If the horse has not been treated for redworm during this redworm “hibernation” stage, he/she is at risk of developing CYATHOSTOMINOSIS.

10. Cyathostominosis has a mortality (death) rate of up to 50%. It presents as colitis; profuse diarrhoea and colic. Contact your vet immediately if you see these symptoms in your horse at any time of year, but it is more likely to be due to redworm if this occurs in the Spring.

11. Ensure you have treated for encysted redworm before temperatures start to increase as Spring arrives, incase of a large encysted redworm burden that may suddenly emerge.

12. There is a very new blood test for all stages of redworm, including encysted. I have not yet used this, but worth discussing with your vet. I would not be recommending this route for high risk redworm horses ie horses in herds with no poo picking, or rescue cases.

13. 5 day Panacur Guard (Fenbendazole) is the only other wormer that can treat the encysted stage of redworm. There was widespread resistance to this wormer, and a huge move towards everyone using Moxidectin for encysted redworm. It is my wormer of choice for very sick or poor horses, due to its milder action over 5 days. However, there is some evidence that it may cause more damage to the gut than Moxidectin, so more research is definitely required!

14. Poo picking daily is perfect pasture management, but does not mean that your horse is worm free! You still need to egg count/blood test for all worms and/or worm.

15. Herbal wormers do not work.

16. Worm egg counts do not detect encysted redworms (or tapeworm/bots/pinworm). I realise I am repeating myself, but this is something that lots of people still do not realise.

17. Do not UNDERDOSE when worming, as this will aid resistance. If in doubt, add 50kg to the weigh tape weight of your horse. Wormers are very safe with regards to toxic doses.

This is not an exhaustive review of redworm, and I may add to the list if I think of anything else, but I hope this is of some use! Worming regimes and what worm egg counts detect, seems to cause lots of confusion amongst horse owners, and even yard owners.

Blood tests currently used for tapeworm, and just being introduced for redworm, measure antibody levels to the worm. The saliva test also measures antibodies. The concern here would be false positives. This means the test coming back as positive when your horse has been clear of the worm in question for months. Antibody levels remain high for months following successful treatment for the worm being tested for. However, a negative obviously means the horse has been clear for a good few months. Still a lot of research to go I think!

EDIT: obviously the blood test for encysted redworm is not new now, but I still haven’t used it, as we know how inaccurate ELISAs can be, and redworm can, and will, kill.

Happy reading!

Feel free to share, as this is really something that all horse owners should know!

And it’s a good time to worm for encysted redworm, around about NOW!

24/04/2023

One day old Merino lamb looking for someone to adopt him! Born in the cattle truck on the way to the abattoir he was rescued by a kind truck driver.

He’s had his colostrum and is nice and healthy.

Please get in touch with us if you can give him a good home with other sheep or goats! Easiest to call 5943 2478

09/04/2023

HAPPY EASTER from Smoky and the team. We hope you enjoy your time off with family and friends - see you on Tuesday!

26/01/2023

I wish my kitchen was this tidy..

05/12/2022