Welcome to our Facial Eczema Spore Count Bulletin for 2025 – this article will be updated each week, so please revisit to see what the spore count is in your area.
Shannon | Ihakara | Foxton | Moutoa | Waitarere | Levin | Ohau | Manakau | Otaki | Te Horo |
5,000 | 0 | 15,000 | 5,000 | 35,000 | 5,000 | 15,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Please Note: a ‘0’ count indicates that there were no spores found in the sample. If a sample isn’t taken that week, this is indicated by a dash or ‘no sample’.
What is a toxic spore level? It is best not to use absolute levels, as stock grazing pasture with spore counts as low as 20,000-40,000 can sustain liver damage. More important considerations are rate of spore count rise, prevailing weather conditions, and grazing intensity at the time. Toxin effects on the liver are cumulative. Play it safe – start prevention as soon as spores are detected.
The spore counts have risen for Waitarere, Shannon and Foxton this week. For the following sites, the counts are still low – Ihakara, Levin, Shannon, Manakau, Otaki and Te Horo. The dry weather has made soil conditions less ideal for spores, however with the rain here things will change. There is time to prepare for these locations. .
Please refer to the recommendations below for your method of prevention. We will continue to update you weekly with recommendations based on spore counts. Every property is different. We recommend spore counting your own property if you are worried. Talk to the tech team if you have any questions about how to collect the sample. Spore counting is $35 (incl GST) per sample, dropping to $28 for multiple samples. For instructions on how to cut grass see HERE
Click here for further advice on facial eczema prevention.
If you have any questions pop into the clinic or give us a call on 06 368 2891 (Extension 1 for the farm team)