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Thursday 18 September 2025
Possible causes and the management of downer cows
Dr Jeff Cave, Agriculture Victoria Senior Veterinary Officer
As we enter the spring calving season, you may find a downer cow in your herd, there are several potential causes of this.
The correct diagnosis and treatment of the condition could help save your time and money and protect your cow’s welfare.
Physical injuries - Calving paralysis is usually, but not always, associated with heifers and a difficult calving.
During calving, a cow’s nerve, known as the obturator nerve, may be crushed between her pelvis and the calf.
A cow with calving paralysis will appear bright and alert but have no control over one or both hind legs.
The only treatment is time and careful nursing; anti-inflammatory drugs may help if used early.
Calving paralysis needs to be distinguished from injuries such as dislocated hips and back injuries. Such injuries can occur in any aged animal, often after an accident, such as a slip.
A cow with these injuries will also be bright and alert and usually eat and drink normally.
A veterinarian should be called to assess these animals.
Metabolic diseases - Metabolic diseases can be distinguished from physical injuries by the presence of other clinical signs.
Milk fever is often seen in older, high-producing, fatter cows. A cow with milk fever will show fine muscle tremors, staggering and weakness.
Grass tetany is seen during times of stress, such as bad weather, on short grass-dominated pastures. An affected cow will become aggressive, excited, go down and paddle and convulse violently.
Both milk fever and grass tetany should be treated urgently with 4-in-1.
Pregnancy toxaemia or acetonemia is an energy deficiency problem seen in cows whose diet is deficient in energy. Behavioural signs will be seen before the cow goes down. Cases may indicate a dietary deficiency affecting the entire herd.
Toxaemia (blood poisoning) - Mastitis, metritis or any other generalised infection causes toxaemia or blood poisoning.
A cow with toxaemia will appear depressed, with a dry nose and sunken eyes. It is important to check the udders of downer cows for mastitis and the uterus for tears or severe infections.
Care of the downer cow - Prompt treatment with appropriate veterinary drugs and good nursing are the keys to successfully treating a downer cow.
The first step is to determine why the cow is down and treat it accordingly.
Cows should only be nursed if they have a realistic chance of recovery. Otherwise, they should be humanely destroyed.
When nursing a downer cow, move her to a dry, sheltered shed and provide her with comfortable, dry, soft bedding on a non-slip surface. Sit her on her chest, position her correctly, and roll her from side to side at least twice a day. Provide her with feed and water.
Use hip clamps for only a few minutes to help her get on her feet.
For further advice, please contact your local veterinarian, Agriculture Victoria Veterinary or Animal Health Officer, or in NSW, your Local Land Services.
Blowflies buzz off!
With rain and warmer temperatures heading into spring, sheep producers will need to keep flystrike prevention front of mind.
Agriculture Victoria Livestock Extension Officer Brittany Price said producers should plan ahead to implement flystrike prevention and control programs to assist in managing the disease.
FlyBoss is a free website resource that provides producers with specific tools for flystrike control.
Ms Price said these controls include shearing or crutching, breech modification, selective breeding, dag management, and preventative chemical treatment.
Drought support for farmers across the state
- Farm Drought Support Grants of up to $5,000 to support on-farm drought management activities like infrastructure improvements, water carting and pasture re-establishment
- expert technical support through the one-on-one farm advisory service
- local workshops and events to connect with other farmers and discuss drought issues and management strategies
- fee and duty relief package to reduce costs linked to biosecurity and food safety regulations and duties.
Find more information about drought support: www.agriculture.vic.gov.au/drought or call 136 186.
Recording of hay or grain webinar now available
Don’t despair if you missed our hay or grain webinar this week with Agriculture Victoria’s agronomists Dale Grey, Dale Boyd and Darryl Pearl, plus Greg Toomey from Nutrien Ag Solutions.
Listen to the webinar recording here http://bit.ly/464utW0 please use the passcode hayorgrain
Information about available drought supports can be found at www.agriculture.vic.gov.au/drought or by calling 136 186.
Startups secure funding for circular farming solutions
The Victorian Government is helping agricultural startups find smarter, more sustainable ways to farm – making the industry safer, cutting down on waste, and protecting the environment.
Minister for Agriculture Ros Spence recently announced that 2 innovative Victorian AgTech startups – WoolGrow Australia and CForge – have each been awarded $35,000 to help bring their circular agriculture solutions to market, following their impressive performances in the CivVic Labs Circular Agriculture Challenge.
Delivered by LaunchVic, Victoria’s startup agency and supported by Agriculture Victoria, 10 startups took part in a 6-week intensive workshop, receiving $15,000 in equity-free funding, expert mentorship, and tailored guidance to refine their ideas and deliver practical outcomes.
Safe Food Victoria: Help shape the future of food safety
The Victorian Government is cutting red tape and making it easier to get fresh food to Victorian families with a new food safety regulator.
Minister for Agriculture Ros Spence and Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas recently announced the new, stronger regulator, Safe Food Victoria – designed to better protect public health and continue to give communities confidence in the safety of their food.
Victorians are now encouraged to have their say on the role of the new body, with the feedback to help shape its focus and priorities, including how they currently interact with other regulators and councils, and how the new regulator should operate.
Ag Vic Talk season 10
From the kitchen table to the paddock: rethinking farm safety, with Samantha Pritchard
Did you know that up to 1 in 3 workers in the agriculture sector may struggle with reading safety documents?
In this Farming Safe and Well episode, we chat with Samantha Pritchard from People in Paddocks and Sheree Henderson, a broadacre farmer from north west Victoria, about how to make farm inductions more effective and inclusive.
Samantha and Sheree share tips on:
dyslexia-friendly safety tools
kitchen-table style inductions
toolbox meetings that actually work.
Listen now to discover practical strategies for making farm inductions more effective and inclusive.
RIC Loans
RIC variable interest rate for farm business loans is on hold at 5.18% effective 1 August 2025 until 1 February 2026.
Farmers in tough financial times due to situations outside their control from drought, flood or other natural disasters may be eligible to apply for a RIC loan.
RIC’s AgriStarter Loan is also available for new farm businesses or succession planning to keep family farms in the family.
Farmers can restructure up to 50% of their existing debt to improve cash flow to gain some financial breathing space.
What's On
Details about these events and more can be found our website.
Leneva – Herbaceous weed control workshop
20 September from 10 am to 1 pm, Leneva Hall, 3081 Beechworth-Wodonga Road.
Herbaceous weeds are more than just a nuisance; they pose serious threats to our landscapes. These invasive plants can take over pastures, outcompete native species, shelter pest
animals, and reduce the productivity of both farmland and natural areas.
Join us to learn how to identify priority species and apply proven control techniques as part of a broader, collaborative approach to weed management across the region.
What you’ll learn:
how herbaceous weeds impact biodiversity, agriculture, and waterways
how to identify common and priority weeds in our region, including:
- Paterson’s curse
- St Barnaby’s thistle
- Wild watsonia
- Chilean needle grass
- African lovegrass
- St John's wort.
- best practice control methods: manual, mechanical, chemical, and biological
- importance of safe and effective herbicide use
- ideas for the most effective control strategies on your property
- local case studies and success stories
- hands-on guidance in identifying herbaceous weeds in the field.
Spring webinar series: Silage success
Wednesday, 24 September from 12:30 to 1:30 pm
Frank Mickan is a celebrated expert in fodder and pasture conservation, sharing valuable tips and techniques for producing top-quality silage that boosts farm productivity.
Other spring webinar series events coming soon
Hay done right – Wednesday 1 October, 12:30 to 1:30 pm
Frank Mickan is back to share his expert tips on hay production and how to make your hay even better.
Bounce back pastures – Wednesday 8 October, 12:30 to 1:30 pm
Join Andrew Speirs, senior agronomy consultant, Meridian Agriculture as he shares insights into the impact of drought and if pastures will bounce back, how individual species have coped and practical recovery strategies for post-drought success.
Numurkah, Tatura and Cohuna – Water workshop series
Unsure what water prices will do this year? What drives the water market? What can you do to manage water risk?
The water workshops aim to provide irrigating farmers in the northern Victoria region with an overview of what influences the water market, what the current situation is and how farms can ensure long-term sustainability.
- 22 September, 10 am to 2 pm – Numurkah Community Learning Centre, 99 Melville Street, Numurkah
- 23 September, 10 am to 2 pm – Agriculture Victoria Tatura Smart Farm, 255 Ferguson Road, Tatura
- 24 September, 10 am to 2 pm – Cohuna, Cohuna Bowls Club, Tennis Road, Recreation Reserve, Cohuna.
Participants will gain skills in:
- interpreting seasonal water outlooks
- evaluating entitlement versus allocation trade-offs
- applying risk management tools
- decision-making around water purchasing
- strategic use of carryover
- aligning water strategy with farm system needs.
Ultimately, producers will be better equipped to plan, respond and adapt their water use in the face of drought and market uncertainty.
Webinar – Protection from farm theft
AgVic is hosting a timely webinar on how AgTech and strong biosecurity protocols can protect your farm assets.
Presenters include AgVic Grains Industry Officer Darryl Pearl, co-founder of AgCloud Grant Sutton, and a representative from Victoria Police Farm Crime Liaison Group.
The webinar will cover:
farm theft trends, Victoria Police
physical security solutions, Grant Sutton
biosecurity and safety, Darryl Pearl
question and answer session.
Whether you're looking to make informed decisions or future-proof your farm operations, this session offers practical insights and tools to support your journey in protecting what matters.
When: Tuesday, 7 October, from 12 – 1 pm
For more information contact Darryl Pearl on 0417 432 711 or at Darryl.Pearl@agriculture.vic.gov.au
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information on how to join the webinar.
The session will be recorded for those who register but are unable to attend.
Yarrawonga – Farm office and Xero efficiencies workshop
Delivered by Carmen Quade from AgriFocused, a small rural-based training and
business specialising in the Agribusiness industry.
Sebel Yarrawonga, Wednesday 22 October from 9 am - 3 pm
In these workshops we look at strategies, tools and tips to speed up the office work
and specifically address how best to use Xero in a farm business.
The Xero component of the workshop will be hands-on, with participants
encouraged to bring a laptop and try out the suggestions in their own set of books
or in the demo mode.
Limited spots, only 20 participants per workshop. Babies welcome, course hours within school drop off and pick up.
Cost - Riverine Plains members: $100, non Riverine Plains members: $150
(plus GST and platform fees), includes course fee, morning tea, lunch, tea and coffee.
For more information or to register to go Farm Office and Xero Efficiencies Workshop Yarrawonga
Contacting Agriculture Victoria
Call 136 186 from anywhere in Australia for the cost of a local call (except for mobiles and public telephones).
If you are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment, contact us through the National Relay Service at 133 677 or visit the National Relay Service.
All contact points can be found at: agriculture.vic.gov.au/about-us/contact-us
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