PROJECTS

I am proud to showcase some of my recent projects

 

Pneumonia in sheep in Australia

Abattoir Survey of Pneumonia Pathogens in Australian Sheep | Animal Health Australia

The objective of this project was to provide information on the prevalence of the common sheep respiratory pathogens circulating in sheep flocks in southern Australia.

The project was a non-blinded, cross-sectional, observational study with sample collection at sheep abattoirs in Australia. Twenty-four abattoir visits were completed between October 2020 and December 2021.

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing for three bacterial pathogens involved in pneumonia in sheep (Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae, Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida) and two respiratory viruses (ovine Parainfluenza Virus 3 and ovine Respiratory Syncytial virus) was completed on samples collected from 1095 sets of lungs representing 253 abattoir lots.

The project revealed widespread infection with Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae in Australian sheep, with 64.4% of abattoir lots testing positive for the bacterium. Abattoir lots positive for Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae originated in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.

Small numbers of abattoir lots tested positive for ovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (2.4%) and ovine Parainfluenza Virus 3 (2.0%).

Read the report.


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Emergency Animal Disease Training | Australian Meat Processor Corporation Limited

In 2016 the Australian Meat Processor Corporation identified the need for a training program to ensure red meat processing personnel understand their roles and responsibilities in an Emergency Animal Disease event. We were engaged to develop an Emergency Animal Disease training program for the red meat processing sector, deliver regional training days to red meat industry personnel and implement the training package in an electronic format that can be accessed by those who cannot attend the training days or who need to refresh their understanding.

The training program was delivered as a workshop during the National Meat Industry Training Advisory Council Limited (MINTRAC) Network Meetings January - June 2017. Very positive feedback was received from workshop participants, with more than 95% of participants saying the workshop met its aim of raising awareness of how a plant might participate in an Emergency Animal Disease response. In addition, 99% of participants said the information learned would be useful when they returned to work.

The e-learning modules are available on the Australian Meat Processor Corporation website.


An Investigation of the Potential Link Between Arthritis and Tail Length in Sheep | Meat & Livestock Australia

Bacterial arthritis in lambs is usually secondary to a bacterial infection at a site distant from the joint involved, for example bacterial infection of tail docking wounds. Australian research conducted during the 1940s to 1970s revealed that tails docked longer healed faster than tails docked short. An awareness of this previous research led us to develop the hypothesis that docking lambs' tails short leads to infected tailing wounds that take longer to heal, with subsequent spread of bacteria through the blood to the joints and bacterial joint infections. In 2014 we received funding from Meat & Livestock Australia to investigate our hypothesis.

An association between tail length and bacterial arthritis in lambs was identified, with shorter tails (one or two coccygeal vertebrae) being a higher risk factor for arthritis than longer tails (three or more coccygeal vertebrae). Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae was re-confirmed as the bacterium most commonly isolated from arthritic joints collected from lamb carcasses.

The project also revealed correlations between arthritis and grass seed infestation and between arthritis and pleurisy/pneumonia in sheep.

Read our published paper on the project findings in Small Ruminant Research. You can also read a short summary of the research findings in the May/June 2017 issue of the Meat & Livestock Australia Feedback magazine.


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Is the Animal Fit to Process Guides for Australian Red Meat Processors | Australian Meat Processor Corporation Limited

The aim of this project was the develop “Is the Animal Fit to Process” guides for Australian Red Meat abattoirs, based on the highly successful “Is the Animal Fit to Load?” guide published by Meat & Livestock Australia.

Three guides were developed, one for cattle, one for goats/sheep and one for calves.

During their development, the guides underwent broad industry and government consultation, revealing strong stakeholder interest and commitment to animal welfare at Australian red meat processing plants.

The guides will provide a benchmark as the processing industry continually improves animal welfare at Australian abattoirs. The guides will also help industry improve stockperson awareness, capability and training to maintain and improve the welfare of animals consigned for processing.


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Pilot Study to Investigate the Primary Causative Agents of Pneumonia in Australian Sheep

Pneumonia in sheep is a complex disease involving the interaction of pathogen, host and environmental factors. The National Sheep Health Monitoring Program data indicates that up to 50 per cent of Australian sheep flocks have endemic pneumonia.

The objectives of the pilot study were to investigate causative agents of pneumonia in Australian abattoir sheep and provide preliminary information on the ovine respiratory pathogens circulating in sheep flocks in south-eastern Australia.

The pilot study included three abattoirs, including one in South Australia and two in New South Wales. Samples were collected between July 2018 and May 2019.

More than 200 lung samples, including 80 matched tissue and swab samples, and 100 serum samples were collected during five abattoir visits. Lungs with typical signs of bronchopneumonia (cranio-ventral consolidation with or without pleural involvement) were targeted for sample collection. Of the samples collected, 171 samples were tested for Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae by culture and/or PCR, with 113 (66%) yielding a positive result.


Tail length in Australian Sheep | Australian Wool Innovation

The docking of lambs’ tails is a long-standing practice used to reduce the life-long susceptibility of sheep to breech fly strike.  This review addressed the impact of tail length on susceptibility to breech fly strike of unmulesed Australian Merino sheep.

The review was a desktop review of the published literature.

Docking the tails of unmulesed Merino sheep either medium-long or long gave better protection against breech fly strike than docking to give a medium length or short tail.

Docking the tails of unmulesed sheep at the second joint or shorter resulted in an inferior result, with these animals experiencing two to three times the rate of breech fly strike as sheep with the tails docked long or medium-long.

Short and medium length tails took longer to heal than medium-long or long tails and were more likely to be infected. Healing was also prolonged in older lambs, with higher rates of infection.

Read more about tail docking on the News page of our website.




A Producer's Guide to Sheep Husbandry Practices | Meat & Livestock Australia

Animal welfare and management on farm can affect the long-term success of farming enterprises and the sheep industry. This guide, which was developed following extensive consultation with a wide range of groups, individual, welfare organisations, industry bodies and people with expertise in sheep husbandry, describes best-practice techniques for several husbandry practices used when managing sheep.

The Guide to Sheep Husbandry Practices includes chapters on:

  • Mustering, yarding and handling

  • Identifying sheep

  • Mouthing sheep

  • Collecting faecal samples for worm egg counts

  • Drenching and administering capsules, pellets and boluses

  • Dipping, jetting and treating with backline products

  • Giving injections

  • Horn trimming

  • Inspecting and paring feet

  • Castrating

  • Tail docking

Download a copy of the guide.

Review of Johne's Disease Research in Australia | Meat & Livestock Australia

In 2015 Meat & Livestock Australia decided it would be advantageous to analyze its past and current Johne's Disease research investments to determine whether additional research investment was justifiable and, if so, which research should receive priority investment. Dr Lloyd was invited to lead the team Meat & Livestock Australia assembled to conduct the review.

Dr Lloyd and the review team were asked to conduct an ex-post review of Meat & Livestock Australia's Johne's Disease research investments between 1998 and 2015, using a terms of reference provided by Meat & Livestock Australia, which included drawing conclusions as to the:

  1. Significant Johne's Disease knowledge gaps when the research started.

  2. Scientific significance of Meat & Livestock Australia-funded research discoveries to date.

  3. Degree of adoption/implementation of completed R&D deliverables; their impact on practices (both in laboratories and on-farm).

  4. Time to market of proposed R&D deliverables from current projects.

  5. Significant remaining Johne's Disease knowledge gaps, their researchability (likelihood of achievement) and potential industry impact.

The findings from the review were incorporated into future Meat & Livestock Australia investments in ovine Johne's Disease research.

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Strategic Beef & Sheep Research & Development Workshop | Meat & Livestock Australia

The aim of this workshop was to identify strategic basic science investment opportunities based on the issues and deliverables identified in the National Beef Production research, development and extension strategy.

The focus of the workshop was to identify potential science and technology investments areas that were:

  • Strategic, basic and/or applied science

  • High risk balanced by potentially higher reward

  • Long term

The workshop did not focus on any one scientific discipline or technology, but rather all possible approaches to issues were canvassed.

Dr Lloyd participated in the workshop and then prepared a consolidated report to guide future research investments.




Parasiticides for use in Goats | Meat & Livestock Australia

Compared to cattle and sheep, Australian farmers have fewer registered veterinary chemicals available to control parasites in goats. Goat producers were concerned that only a limited number of these products had effective dose rates or withholding period and export slaughter intervals established.

Using desktop research, this project revealed that all of the thirty-eight parasiticide products registered for goats at the time of the review had a withholding period established and included on the product label. Withholding periods are mandatory and must be included on the label of every registered product in Australia.

At the time of the review, only one product had an export slaughter interval established and this was the only new active to be registered for use in goats in the 10 years since the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority became responsible for establishing export slaughter intervals.

Review of the peer-reviewed scientific literature revealed that with one exception, the label dose rate for goats was the same as that demonstrated as being effective in published efficacy studies.

Contact us for a copy of the report.

Analysis of the Potential to Manipulate the Rumen of Northern Beef Cattle to Improve Performance | Meat & Livestock Australia

The objective of this project, which I completed with SBScibus, was to identify options to manipulate the rumen function of beef cattle in northern Australia to improve productivity.

The project provided evidence that progress in improving live weight gains of cattle in northern Australia had been limited since the 1960s. Currently used interventions at the time of the project (2011) included minerals, ionophores, non-protein nitrogen, protein meals and Leucaena. Technologies thought to provide promise included bacteriocins, antimicrobial proteins, fungi, exogenous enzymes and protozoal control.

The project confirmed that cattle on high fiber, low protein pastures exceed nutritional standards for feed intake and efficiency of microbial production, providing strong evidence for the potential to increase efficiency. A ranking tool to evaluate the economic effects of existing or new strategies was developed.

E. coli O157 Vaccination Scoping Report | Australian Meat Processor Corporation and Meat & Livestock Australia

The aim of this scoping study was to review the available scientific information on the two E. coli 0157:H7 vaccines approved for use in cattle in the USA and determine the likely effectiveness of these in Australian cattle, registration requirements and the likelihood of vaccine uptake in Australia. The roles industry could take associated with the availability of these vaccines within Australia were also examined.

The project was a desktop review of the scientific literature using CAB, Medline and Pubmed. Internet searches were conducted to source information on the two North American vaccine manufacturers. Searches were also made of the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority website to determine likely registration requirements for the two vaccines within Australia.


Need help with an Animal Industries Research Project?

I would love to help you with your next livestock health or welfare project.

With over 37 years as a veterinarian and 30 years experience providing research-based services to the animal farming industries, I bring veterinary scientific expertise, broad farm animal experience, creative thinking and passion for the health and welfare of animals to all of my work.