Agmates Editor Steve Truman Writes:
We are going to have to install a forum. I get people asking me questions each week which I can’t answer, but there will be those of you out there that can. So here goes with 3 just received.
If you can help these 3 Agmate’s with your thoughts or information please leave a reply for them and just note by name who you are replying too.
Need some information or advise? Send us your question by clicking here…….
Question 1.
Don (Cattle Grazier QLD) asks.
Steve,
You may know someone.
There have been changes in Super whereby through self managed funds they can be used on your property etc
I am trying to expand and undertake improvements on my property but the banks are only allowing these provisions to the big end of town & keep telling me it isn’t available.
My accountant tells me it should be able to be used but no lending institution have developed a product.
Do you know anyone?
Question 2.
Jenny. (Horse Breeder Victoria) asks:
Steve,
do you know anyone who could explain what ‘aflatoxins’ are and how they are introduced to feed stuffs? Have Just Seen this on a US Chat site and want to know anbody knows anything.“I just called my feed store, and they confirmed that this was true, Purina has recalled many of their feeds due to the potential aflatoxins as a “precautionary measure”.”
Question 3:
Rosalie from South Australia asks
Dear Steve,
Greetings! I was talking to a young person about the hot topic of “Prescribing” catchment areas. They said “What’s the problem? It’ not going effect you farmers. It hasn’t anywhere else in Australia. You won’t have to pay for your stock water. It will make it better for everyone….”I was speechless. Have any farmers, apart from irrigators, been effected by this legislation? The erosion of property rights meant nothing to this person, and they thought that we dryland farmers were creating a stink about nothing in resisting Prescription. What are your thoughts?
Thank you,
Rosalie
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Tags: Forum
I asked a feed nutritionist who works for Inghams Chickens about these aflatoxins and he explained they develop microtoxins from spore (like mushroom spore) which some gut systems can’t handle. They exist in silage and mouldy hay and if they are at such levels the animal’s gut can’t cope they become toxic. Different animals and birds react differently to these levels.
This Purina company has discovered they have allowed levels to get into their feed components and have been forced to withdraw all their products as a result.
Jen
G’day Jen,
Great work, answering your own question. I had no idea and was keen to know the answer. So there is no problem here in Australia?
No problem here Steve with any horse product….this company is in America…. but there is potential for farmers who have bought in hay or made hay that has been wet or like in our case crop hay done in 8×4x3 bales stored in the paddock under plastic and has managed to get wet. However, we have fed 600 bales so far with no problem!!!…….although it isn’t pleasant inhailing all the mouldy ‘dust’ when you split a badly wet one open. Locally there have been countless stacks burn……ours was insured but didn’t!
By all means you have a blanket permission for anyone to access my email address through you. I look forward to Rosalie’s comments. I am wondering what the “Prescribing” legislation is all about and if it is anything like the demands put upon river frontage owners to fence off areas of the river bank to have them plant trees and lock off water access. There is a lot of this erosion of owners’ rights going on by different Gov. Depts. The bottom line has always been you don’t own anything if someone else wants it!!!! I can assure you in Victoria you don’t own the water that falls on your country…..the Government says it is theirs!
Jen
G’day Jenny,
Thanks for that. Did you follow up the links to web sites that Ken Fraser kindly left you in his comment below?
Dear Jenny,
A good explanation of Aflotoxins can be found at the following web pages:
http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/toxicagents/aflatoxin/aflatoxin.html
http://www.news-medical.net/?keyword=Aflatoxins
encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Aflatoxins
health.act.gov.au
There is a considerable amount of info on this topic on various sites. Just type in Aflotoxins on your browser home page and see what comes up. You might be surprised. Good luck and hope this is helpful in some way.
KF
I have had a good read of these sites Ken..very informative…and a bit scary!!! May explain though why Bill and I have had an awful summer with asthema type symptoms…….laboured breathing, congestion etc. Bill has resorted to wearing a mask it has effected him so much. Obviously the body can handle only so much. The crop hay got 4 inches on it with follow up rain and was 4 weeks before being pressed…black as and very dangerous depite the many rakings….although the cattle eat it all. And I thought the greatest danger was it setting the place on fire!!!! There is no obvious problem with the bails being fed to the cattle although they have had a product called Pestigard which is designed to improve/enhance their immune system. Maybe we should have a couple of shots too!
I suggest others have a read too. We are ever increasingly beset by things we can’t see with the naked eye.
I will be a bit more industrious about picking up those old bones in the paddock the seed drill turned up and burning dead stock in the future etc …….as well as making sure the old mouldy feed gets tipped out of the feed bins before I add more when I feed the horses!!! Those mice in the timber feed bin will be dealt with tomorrow too and a mouse proof drum found!!! Jen
Dear Rosalie,
I wrote a 1000 word response to you, but it was too big for the Agmates website. If you are happy for me to have your e-mail address I will send it direct to you. Please let Steve know if this is OK.
There is no doubt the 5 year prohibition on the taking of water is seriously impacting some farmers in the Adelaide Hills.
The state government assault on landowners is widespread across all Australian Sates and includes the theft of many items relating to land, including carbon, native vegetation ,water. In many instances now, this theft is leaving the landowner with a useless piece of dirt.
This theft is moving into the cities where landowners do not realise that “theft” is occurring. It will take some time for city pepole to realise that if they stand by and let government steal property without recompense on just terms, they risk the same loss as farmers are now experiencing.
Please refer to the following web address’s for further information. http://ww.sosnews.org/
http://www.sosnews.org:80/newsfront/?p=157
John Michelmore
G’day John,
The errors thing is fixed. Your comment is now published above with the links. We’ll wait to hear from Rosalie and thanks for providing her with your info and links. Cheers - Steve
Follow up -
Rosalie contacted me and her email address has been forwarded onto John with Rosalie’s permission. We are happy to put you two South Australian Agmate’s in touch with each other to work on your State issues down there.
Cheers - Steve