• App developed at Charles Sturt picks up cases of bloat in cattle in southern NSW

Six cases of bloat in cattle in southern NSW have been reported on Charles Sturt University’s new Bloat Alert app in the past week.

Charles Sturt Professor in the School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences Bruce Allworth, from Charles Sturt’s Fred Morley Centre and Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, said producers in southern NSW and northern Victoria should remain vigilant.

“Notifications have started to occur on the app, and producers should be aware bloat is occurring in their area,” he said.

“Producers with the app will already have been notified, but we expect the next six weeks will be the main bloat risk this year.

“All cases have occurred on either Lucerne or subclover-based pastures.”

There are currently 132 users on the Bloat Alert app and six cases of bloat have been reported in southern NSW over the past week. There were three cases where producers lost cattle and three cases where bloat was noticed but no deaths.

Professor Allworth also noted cases have been reported in north western NSW and South Australia.

He urges all producers with iPhones to download the free Bloat Alert app to be instantly notified when a case occurs near them.

Producers should be monitoring their cattle, particularly on clover dominant pastures and when grazing Lucerne, and use preventive measures, such as blocks, loose licks and/or access to hay.

Download the Bloat Alert app from the App Store or get more information on twitter @AlertBloat.