A survey concerning cattle tick control in Queensland. 2. Managerial aspects which indirectly affect tick control.

This paper reports those findings concerning property management from the 1977-78 survey of tick control in Queensland, which could effect efficient tick control and also presents a profile of the cattle industry in the tick infested areas at the time of the survey. The average property size was 400 hectares and the average number of cattle on the properties was 726.4. Larger properties tended to have crossbred Zebu cattle. The average number of paddocks per property was 7.2. The most popular stabilised crossbred Zebu breed was Santa Gertrudis but the most common type of cattle was crossbred Zebu, which was on 30% of properties. There were negligible numbers of crossbreed Zebu cattle on dairy properties. Control of other external parasites may result in additional dippings in areas where they occur. Although fence maintenance appears to be carried out regularly it is clear that the effectivness of tick control measures, such as pasture spelling and dipping which depend on clean musters, could be affected by the occurrence of fire, floods and other natural disasters on half the properties in the tick infested areas. There is no evidence from results in the survey that attention to other farming activities (mainly cropping) prevents producers from paying sufficient attention to tick control. In fact cropping often provides the opportunity for producers to rotate cattle around pastures. Producers appear to consider the cost of tick control is a burden and they expect assistance from the Government to reduce these costs. They do not appear to have considered how they can reduce the costs themselves.

A survey concerning cattle tick control in Queensland. 3. Chemical control.

Survey results concerning chemical control of the cattle tick (Boophilus microplus) in Queensland are reported in detail, and differences due to region, breed and type of enterprise are discussed. The results show that chemical control was more intensive in Zebu and Zebu crossbred cattle than could be justified economically and that a minority of producers with European cattle carried out strategic dipping. Owners of plunge dips did not make regular use of testing facilities, available from the Department of Primary Industries or the chemical companies.

A survey concerning cattle tick control in Queensland. 4. Use of resistant cattle and pasture spelling.

The results of a survey on tick control carried out in 1977-78 indicate that tick resistant cattle have been introduced for their heat and drought tolerance and their ability to grow more rapidly than European cattle, especially in the extensive grazing country of Northern and Central Queensland. In South-eastern Queensland acceptance of tick resistant cattle has been slower because producers believe they are more difficult to manage than European cattle. A need for more publicity to be given to the different handling methods required by these animals was shown. Some producers cull their less resistant crossbred Zebu cattle and others could be encouraged to do so. Pasture spelling appears to be quite common especially in the Costal North; it is being carried out for pasture management rather than as a tick control measure. Producers in Central and South-eastern Queensland, who do not spell pastures, feel that it reduces the carrying capacity.