ParaBoss for cattle parasites
With an estimated annual cost of $350M, cattle ticks, buffalo fly and internal parasites are listed as priority animal health issues facing beef producers in Australia. Although a great deal of published and online information is available about these parasites, it is spread across a number of sources making the process of information gathering time consuming, and sometimes the technical language used can be confusing.
ParaBoss is a free access, online website that offers sheep producers a practical, procedural and proven resource to facilitate an integrated pest management approach on farm.
This project aims to bring the available cattle parasite management resources together under the ParaBoss umbrella and will offer three key benefits:
- Australia is losing its expertise in veterinary parasitology and extension capability so consolidating existing information as an online resource will help to record what is known to prevent future loss.
- Integrating existing knowledge into a centralised national parasite resource targeted to producer needs will simplify access and increase accessibility to industry.
- Providing technical decision guides and advice to producers, via a proven, easy access, live web-based interface, will deliver quality information to beef producers that they can use to effectively control parasites and improve cattle welfare in a cost effective manner.
The project will align parasite management resources for grassfed beef producers into an existing successful framework used by sheepmeat producers. ParaBoss for cattle parasites will bring together Australia’s available cattle parasite management resources into one centralised national database.
While still offering regionalised management strategies the site will consolidate and extend existing extension capabilities for the cattle industry. The benefit to industry will be an online, readily available, comprehensive database of information and tools for the management and control of cattle parasites. Best practice management for cattle exposed to mixed parasite infections requires a wide knowledge base. ParaBoss for cattle parasites will consolidate that knowledge into a user friendly interface that, if followed, will ultimately reduce the economic impact of parasites, improve animal welfare and support the development of farm risk management strategies.
When: 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2018
Where: Ecosciences Precinct, Dutton Park
Contact: Jess Morgan E: Jessica.Morgan@daf.qld.gov.au
Collaborators: University of Queensland, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, University of New England