PIMELEA isn’t going away any time soon and for Dean and Sophie Carroll, Wombil Downs, Dirranbandi trying to prevent it has become a permanent part of their operation.
The couple run 600 to 650 breeders on their 6474 hectare property which they purchased four years ago.
Since taking over ownership they have been affected by Pimelea every year on their red soil buffel country.
In a bid to keep cattle losses low, they move their animals to agistment during the peak Pimelea outbreaks.
While they have been affected by Pimelea to a small degree compared to some producers, their cattle movement program it’s a costly exercise.
“Last year we spent $25,000 on agistment, $15,000 on hay and supplements plus $20,000 in known animals losses and then there are all the indirect costs of losses in production,” Ms Carroll said.
“We work really hard to try to manage the pastures… (and) we spend a lot of time checking paddocks and checking cattle and we move cattle quite a lot during the Pimelea months.”
Despite their best efforts, this year is one of their worst for Pimelea poisoning.
“We have been having a tough time in the last couple of weeks,” she said.
“We lost a bull and a couple of maiden heifers. We have more sick than we have had in previous years.
“We have green buffel but they still seem to be getting sick which it’s different to what we had last year. Last year once we got rain we were right.”
Lucy Kinbacher
Raised on a cattle property at Biggenden, Lucy Kinbacher has spent 10 years working across metropolitan, regional and rural publications in both Queensland and NSW. Lucy has been the editor of the Queensland Country Life and North Queensland Register since 2021.
Raised on a cattle property at Biggenden, Lucy Kinbacher has spent 10 years working across metropolitan, regional and rural publications in both Queensland and NSW. Lucy has been the editor of the Queensland Country Life and North Queensland Register since 2021.
