Cattle In Queensland Research Articles

Effectiveness of a fixed-dose combination injectable (0.2 mg/kg doramectin + 6.0 mg/kg levamisole hydrochloride) against Rhipicephalus microplus and sucking lice infesting cattle

Unmanaged tick and sucking lice infestations negatively impact the health and production potential of cattle. Described herein are two non-interference dose confirmation studies evaluating the efficacy of a single administration of a new fixed-dose combination injectable (FDCI) endectocide consisting of 0.2 mg/kg doramectin + 6.0 mg/kg levamisole hydrochloride, against either laboratory-induced Rhipicephalus microplus infestations in Australia or naturally acquired sucking lice (Linognathus vituli) infestations in the US. This FDCI is available as Dectomax V® in Australia and New Zealand and as Valcor® in the United States. To evaluate therapeutic efficacy against R. microplus, 12 calves were each exposed to 10 infestations of ∼5000 larvae per infestation between Days −24 and −2. Calves were either treated on Day 0 with the FDCI or left untreated (control). Additional R. microplus infestations of ∼5000 larvae were conducted on Day 2 and then three times weekly to also evaluate persistent efficacy of the FDCI. Tick collections were conducted daily from Day −3. Group mean live tick counts, egg production, and egg viability were analyzed for significant differences between the two groups. To determine efficacy of the FDCI against lice, 24 cattle with active sucking lice infestations based on Day −7 counts were allocated to two groups and treated on Day 0 with either saline (control) or the FDCI. Lice counts were conducted weekly from Day 14 through 42 and again on Day 56. Mean group lice counts on each count day were compared between treatment groups. In the R. microplus study presented here, cattle in Queensland, Australia treated with the FDCI (Dectomax V®) showed > 90 % reduction in tick counts based on arithmetic means within 48 h of treatment when compared to untreated cattle, and counts were > 95 % reduced from post-treatment Day 5 through Day 30. In the sucking lice study conducted in the US, the FDCI (Valcor®) displayed 100 % efficacy against sucking lice infestations (L. vituli) from first count day (Day 14 post-treatment) through Day 35 and then 99.9 % efficacy through Day 56 post-treatment. No treatment-related adverse events were reported for cattle in either study. Using R. microplus and sucking lice as representative ectoparasites, these studies demonstrate the ectoparasite activity of doramectin is retained in the new FDCI.

The black b-double

The black b-double Tom Coverdale (bio) It leaves so soon, that thrill of the hitchyou had when you set out, in the dayswherever you ended up was good.He never comes back, that jubilant rideyou sang along with all the way to Jacksonvilleor Quito, whose favourite songs were also yours.It comes, sure as arthritic knees, that hikeall day without a lift, walking forwards,walking backwards, crooning to the roadkillto bewilder the aches in your deltoidsand your supplicant thumb. How heavyyour pack then, as vehicles snarl and whipon by with shrugs, blanks, smirks, grimaces,thunder stared from lofty cabs, all sighingoff into wist, how heavy with things you zippedaway in pockets whose zips no longer unzip.They never mend, those synapses, they swingin the wind like the sorry halves of brokensuspension bridges, as you plod and failto remember your handful of words in Hindi,those sentences in Borges, or street namesin some city. After noon, it all compounds,the chronic ennui, the pains, fatigue, the creepof obliviscence. The wind screams like a drillsergeant, irate at your unfitness, till you can'traise a thought, save an arm, to save yourself.No sound then but the wind, gone hoarse,and the trudging of your breathacross an Atacama of the mind.It comes, in time, the rumbleof the ride we know is coming:quivering as it passes throughthe vertical lake back there.Its chrome and glass absorb the glare.It dopplers down through the gears now,preparing to stop for you. Its grille is cakedwith gore. It tows too many trailers.And the driver—the driver pullulates,like the mirage, with swallowed faces. [End Page 259] Tom Coverdale Tom Coverdale's childhood was divided between the Northern Territory and Queensland cattle country and South Australia sheep country, and for much of it, there was no television, just books. Since marrying a Polish woman, he has lived a life divided between Melbourne and Warsaw. His poetry and stories have appeared in Australian literary journals including Antipodes, Southerly, Overland, Cordite, and Quadrant and anthologies including Black Inc's The Best Australian Poems and Les Murray's selection of Australian poetry in Another English: Anglophone Poems from Around the World. Copyright © 2022 Wayne State University Press

Dietary overlap between cattle and chital in the Queensland dry tropics

Chital deer (Axis axis) are an ungulate species introduced to northern Queensland, Australia, in an environment where land is managed for large scale cattle production. Rainfall and pasture growth are markedly seasonal and cattle experience a nutritional shortfall each year before monsoon rain. The presence of chital is perceived by land managers to reduce dry-season grass availability and this study sought to estimate the potential effect of free-living chital on regional cattle production. Diet overlap was greatest during the wet season when both ungulates principally consumed grass, and least during the dry season when chital diet comprised only ~50% grass. Using local estimates for energy values of wet and dry season grass, and the maintenance energy requirements of chital and cattle, we estimated the relative dry-matter seasonal grass intakes of both ungulates. The grass consumed annually by 100 chital could support an additional 25 cattle during the wet season and an additional 14 cattle during the dry season.

Forecasting the extreme rainfall, low temperatures, and strong winds associated with the northern Queensland floods of February 2019

From late January to early February 2019, a quasi-stationary monsoon depression situated over northeast Australia caused devastating floods, killing an estimated 625,000 head of cattle in northwest Queensland, and inundating over 3 000 homes in the coastal city of Townsville. The monsoon depression lasted ~10 days, driving daily rainfall accumulations exceeding 200 mm/day, maximum temperatures 8–10 °C below normal, and wind gusts above 70 km/h. In this study, the atmospheric conditions during the event and its predictability on the weekly to subseasonal range are investigated. Results show that during the event, the tropical convective signal of the Madden-Julian Oscillation was over the western Pacific, and likely contributed to the heavy rainfall, however the El Niño-Southern Oscillation was not in the usual phase for increased rainfall over Queensland. Over the northern Tasman Sea, an anticyclone helped maintain a positive phase of the Southern Annular Mode and promote onshore easterly flow. Somewhat consistent with these climate drivers, the monthly rainfall outlook for February issued by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology on 31 January provided no indication of the event, yet forecasts, not available to the public, of weekly-averaged conditions by the Bureau's dynamical subseasonal-to-seasonal (S2S) prediction system were more successful. For the week of 31 January to 6 February the prediction system forecast a more than doubling of the probability of extreme (highest quintile) weekly rainfall a week prior to the event, along with increased probabilities of extremely low (lowest quintile) maximum temperatures and extreme (highest quintile) wind speeds. Ensemble-mean weekly rainfall amounts, however, were considerably underestimated by the prediction system, even in forecasts initialised at the start of the peak flooding week, consistent with other state-of-the-art dynamical S2S prediction systems. Despite this, one of the individual ensemble members of the Bureau's prediction system did manage to forecast close to 85% of the magnitude of the rainfall across the most heavily impacted region of northwest Queensland a week before the event. Predicting this exceptional event beyond two weeks appears beyond our current capability despite the dynamical system forecasts showing good skill in forecasting the broad-scale atmospheric conditions north of Australia a week prior.

PM 9/20 (1) Parthenium hysterophorus

PM 9/20 (1) <i>Parthenium hysterophorus</i>

Treatment of Q fever in Beef Cattle in Queensland, Australia: Historical Context, Present Scenario and Future Perspectives

Treatment of Q fever in Beef Cattle in Queensland, Australia: Historical Context, Present Scenario and Future Perspectives

Treatment of Q fever in beef cattle in Queensland, Australia: historical context, present scenario and future perspectives

The intracellular bacterium Coxiella burnetii is a dual pathogen of domestic ruminants and humans. Outbreaks of infection in cattle may have public health implications for the resident population of regional and rural Queensland, home to the Australian beef industry. The ensuing disease, so-called Q fever, causes abortion in livestock, and, if transmitted to humans by inhalation of aerosols, either a mild yet debilitating acute flu-like illness or, rarely, chronic life-threating respiratory complications. The recent recognition of high seroprevalence rates in putatively low-risk communities has compounded a growing concern over inadequate implementation of effective disease control measures. Concurrently, in order to meet increasing present and future consumer demands for high- quality beef, cattle farmers are seekingoptimized reproductive performance and rapid weight gain. In vitro fertilization of elite animals is considered to represent the best option to introduce such highly desirable genetic traits into commercial cattle herds. In so doing, resistance to C. burnetii infection may similarly be engineered in cattle by the advancement of genome editing technology.

Evaluating dispersion modeling options to estimate methane emissions from grazing beef cattle.

Enteric methane (CH) emission from cattle is a source of greenhouse gas and is an energy loss that contributes to production inefficiency for cattle. Direct measurements of enteric CH emissions are useful to quantify the magnitude and variation and to evaluate mitigation of this important greenhouse gas source. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the impact of stocking density of cattle and source configuration (i.e., point source vs. area source and elevation of area source) on CH emissions from grazing beef cattle in Queensland, Australia. This was accomplished using nonintrusive atmospheric measurements and a gas dispersion model. The average measured CH emission for the point and area source was between 240 and 250 g animal d over the entire study. There was no difference ( > 0.05) in emission when using an elevated area source (0.5 m) or a ground area source (0 m). For the point-source configuration, there was a difference in CH emission due to stocking density; likewise, some differences existed for the area-source emissions. This study demonstrates the flexibility of the area-source configuration of the dispersion model to estimate CH emissions even at a low stocking density.

Antimicrobial susceptibility of Histophilus somni isolated from clinically affected cattle in Australia

This study investigated antimicrobial resistance traits, clonal relationships and epidemiology of Histophilus somni isolated from clinically affected cattle in Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. Isolates (n = 53) were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing against six antimicrobial agents (ceftiofur, enrofloxacin, florfenicol, tetracycline, tilmicosin and tulathromycin) using disc diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays. Clonal relationships were assessed using repetitive sequence PCR and descriptive epidemiological analysis was performed. The H. somni isolates appeared to be geographically clonal, with 27/53 (47%) isolates grouping in one cluster from one Australian state. On the basis of disc diffusion, 34/53 (64%) isolates were susceptible to all antimicrobial agents tested; there was intermediate susceptibility to tulathromycin in 12 isolates, tilmicosin in seven isolates and resistance to tilmicosin in one isolate. Using MIC, all but one isolate was susceptible to all antimicrobial agents tested; the non-susceptible isolate was resistant to tetracycline, but this MIC result could not be compared to disc diffusion, since there are no interpretative guidelines for disc diffusion for H. somni against tetracycline. In this study, there was little evidence of antimicrobial resistance in H. somni isolates from Australian cattle. Disc diffusion susceptibility testing results were comparable to MIC results for most antimicrobial agents tested; however, results for isolates with intermediate susceptibility or resistance to tilmicosin and tulathromycin on disc diffusion should be interpreted with caution in the absence of MIC results.

Is there genetic diversity in the 'leucaena bug' Synergistes jonesii which may reflect ability to degrade leucaena toxins?

Leucaena leucocephala, a nutritionally rich forage tree legume, contains a non-protein amino acid, mimosine, which is degraded by ruminal bacteria to toxic metabolites 3,4-DHP and 2,3-DHP, resulting in goitre-like symptoms in animals, severely restricting weight gain. Raymond Jones, in the early 1980s, discovered the ‘leucaena bug’ in the rumen of goats in Hawaii that degraded these toxic DHP metabolites into non-toxic compounds (Jones and Lowry 1984), which was named Synergistes jonesii (Allison et al. 1992). Subsequently, a rumen inoculum containing S. jonesii was used as an ‘oral drench’ for cattle, kept in continuous culture (Klieve et al. 2002) and supplied to farmers to dose cattle foraging on leucaena. Studies on Queensland herds that received this oral drench showed that up to 50% of 44 herds grazing on leucaena had apparent subclinical toxicity based on high 3,4-DHP and 2,3-DHP excretion in urine (Dalzell et al. 2012). In another study by Graham et al. (2013), a 16S rDNA nested PCR showed that rumen digesta from 6 of 8 farms tested had a variant DNA profile from S. jonesii ATCC 78.1 strain, which suggested a different strain of the bacterium. It was postulated that the continually cultured oral inoculum may have undergone genetic modification and/or animals could harbor other DHP-degrading bacteria or S. jonesii strains with differential DHP-degrading potential (C. McSweeney et al. unpublished). The present study looks at changes in the 16S rDNA gene at the molecular level, that may suggest divergence from the type strain S. jonesii ATCC 78.1 in Queensland cattle as well as in cattle

The efficacy of in vitro Synergistes jonesii inoculum in preventing DHP toxicity in steers fed leucaena-grass diets

Leucaena leucocephala (leucaena) is a valuable forage tree legume for tropical animal production, which contains the toxin mimosine. The breakdown products of mimosine in ruminants (3,4-DHP and 2,3-DHP) can adversely affect their health and limit weight gains (Jones and Hegarty 1984). The rumen bacterium Synergistes jonesii, introduced into Australia in 1983, was shown to completely and rapidly degrade these toxins to safe levels (Jones and Megarrity 1986). Since 1996, an inoculum has been produced in vitro and made commercially available to Australian graziers (Klieve et al. 2002). Accordingly, the issue of leucaena toxicity in Australia was thought to be resolved. However, extensive testing in 2004 found that up to 50% of Queensland cattle herds consuming leucaena were excreting high levels of urinary DHP, suggesting subclinical toxicity remained an issue for graziers (Dalzell et al. 2012). Some of these herds had previously been inoculated with in vitro S. jonesii, suggesting the inoculum may not be able to either persist within a herd, or remain effective in degrading DHP. The aim of this study was to assess the capability of the in vitro S. jonesii inoculum to efficiently break down DHP in a controlled feeding trial environment.

Prevalence of mimosine and DHP toxicity in cattle grazing Leucaena leucocephala pastures in Queensland, Australia

A postal survey of the level of awareness of leucaena toxicity and an on-farm study of the toxicity status of Queensland cattle herds grazing leucaena were conducted to investigate the prevalence of mimosine and dihydroxypyridine (DHP) toxicity in Queensland. In total, 195 of 356 graziers surveyed responded to the postal survey. Sixty-three percent had inoculated their cattle with in vitro Synergistes jonesii inoculum (produced in an anaerobic fermenter) and 30% of these had inoculated more than once. The remainder used inappropriate procedures. Many graziers (43%) had occasionally observed toxicity symptoms of hair loss and poor animal growth rates. In the on-farm study, the toxicity status of 385 animals in 44 individually managed herds on 36 properties was determined by urine analysis of mimosine and DHP concentrations. No animals were experiencing mimosine toxicity, based on low concentrations of this compound found in the urine. Using the criterion that average herd urine concentrations of DHP &gt;100 μg/mL was indicative of subclinical toxicity, 48% of herds were exposed to subclinical toxicity due to dominant 3,4-DHP (21%) or dominant 2,3-DHP (27%) toxicity; many of these herds had been inoculated with S. jonesii and were thought to be protected. The finding that 27% of herds were excreting high concentrations of 2,3-DHP was unexpected. Statistical analysis of herd-management data revealed that the method used by graziers to inoculate their herds was significantly (P &lt; 0.05) but weakly linked to herd protection status. It was concluded that subclinical 3,4-DHP and 2,3-DHP toxicity remains a problem in Queensland and is likely to be limiting animal production in a significant number of cattle grazing leucaena-grass pastures.

Serological evidence of Coxiella burnetii infection in beef cattle in Queensland

Queensland has the highest incidence of Q fever in Australia. The aim of this study was to undertake a cross-sectional seroprevalence survey of Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q fever, in beef cattle in Queensland. Serum samples were tested by ELISA for both phase II and phase I antigens of the organism using an Australian isolate. Blood samples were collected at an abattoir that processes beef cattle originating from northern and north-western Queensland, in addition to blood samples taken from beef cattle across Queensland as part of a second survey. Seropositivity was 16.8% (95% confidence interval 16.7-16.8%). Evidence of C. burnetii infection in beef cattle has public health implications for occupational exposure of primary producers and veterinarians and for the proximity of beef cattle properties to residential areas in regional Queensland. This study is the first known investigation of C. burnetii seroprevalence in beef cattle in Queensland and the first known use of an Australian C. burnetii isolate for screening using both phase II and phase I antigens.

In this issue – July 2011

Disease control during the colonial period in Australia · Neurological diseases of ruminant livestock in Australia · Coxiella burnetii in beef cattle in Queensland · Desmotomy for flexural deformity in Thoroughbreds · Acute myeloid leukaemia in a Thoroughbred foal · Growth variants of Avibacterium paragallinarum · Volvulus in a dugong

Survival of the rumen bacterium Synergistes jonesii in a herd of Droughtmaster cattle in north Queensland

Droughtmaster steers from the CSIRO Research Station at Lansdown, 50 km south of Townsville, Queensland, were assessed at slaughter for indications of leucaena toxicity and the presence of the 3,4 dihydroxypyridine (DHP)-degrading bacterium Synergistes jonesii. This bacterium had been introduced to the herd 25 years earlier. Absence of clinical signs of ulceration of the oesophagus, absence of DHP in the urine, the presence of normal thyroid glands and the ability of rumen fluid to degrade high levels of mimosine from leucaena shoot tips in vitro all confirmed that these steers had an active bacterial culture capable of degrading mimosine and its degradation products 3,4 and 2,3 DHP. Steers had been away from the Research Station and away from leucaena pastures for long periods but had clearly not lost the bacteria or if they had, they had regained them on return to leucaena pastures on Lansdown. It is postulated that the bacteria may spread via the faeces in cattle yards and remain in the rumen for long periods, even at low levels, in the absence of leucaena in the diet. Reasons other than the effectiveness of the bacterium should be explored to explain the failure of cattle in some Queensland herds to fully degrade 3,4 and 2,3 DHP.

Diversity of methanogens in ruminants in Queensland

Methane emissions from ruminant livestock represent a loss of carbon during feed conversion, which has implications for both animal productivity and the environment because this gas is considered to be one of the more potent forms of greenhouses gases contributing to global warming. Many strategies to reduce emissions are targeting the methanogens that inhabit the rumen, but such an approach can only be successful if it targets all the major groups of ruminant methanogens. Therefore, a thorough knowledge of the diversity of these microbes in different breeds of cattle and sheep, as well as in response to different diets, is required. A study was undertaken using the molecular techniques denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, DNA cloning and DNA sequence analysis to define the extent of diversity among methanogens in ruminants, particularly Bos indicus cross cattle, on differing forages in Queensland. It was found that the diversity of methanogens in forage-fed cattle in Queensland was greater than in grain-fed cattle but there was little variability in methanogen community composition between cattle fed different forages. The species that dominate the rumen microbial communities of B. indicus cross cattle are from the genus Methanobrevibacter, although rumen-fluid inoculated digestors fed Leucaena leucocephala leaf were populated with Methanosphaera-like strains, with the Methanobrevibacter-like strains displaced. If ruminant methane emissions are to be reduced, then antimethanogen bioactives that target both broad groups of ruminant methanogens are most likely to be needed, and as a part of an integrated suite of approaches that redirect rumen fermentation towards other more useful end products.

A seroepidemiological study of bovine pestivirus in Queensland beef and dairy herds conducted in 1994/95

To describe the distribution and prevalence of cattle herds with detectable antibody to bovine pestivirus in Queensland in 1994/95. The study used 7,838 serum samples collected from 250 herds in Queensland, as part of a structured animal health surveillance program conducted in 1994 and 1995. Samples were collected from female cattle bred on the property. In each herd, 10 to 20 heifers less than two years of age and 10 to 15 older cows were sampled giving a 95% probability of detecting one or more seropositive animals if the seroprevalence was approximately 10% or greater. Sera were analysed for antibodies to bovine pestivirus using a virus neutralisation test. Total cattle numbers in sampled herds varied from 62 to 24,600 head, while total area of properties sampled varied from 50 to 395,400 hectares. Eleven percent of herds contained no seropositive animals among those sampled, and in 38% of herds, all sampled cattle aged one to two years of age were seronegative. There was a trend for larger herds to have one or more animals seropositive for bovine pestivirus (chi-squared for Linear trend = 3.656, p = 0.056). Herds with more than 500 head of cattle were significantly more likely than herds with less than 500 head to contain one or more seropositive animals in any age group (prevalence ratio = 1.12; 95% confidence interval 1.01 - 1.23; p = 0.026). Age specific seroprevalence increased from around 10% in heifers, to between 75% and 85% in cows aged 10 years. The average annual incidence risk for bovine pestivirus infection varied from 0.12 to 0.24 seroconversions per cattle year at risk, and did not vary with age. The overall crude seroprevalence adjusted for herd size was 45%. There was a wide range of seroprevalence recorded for each level of stocking intensity. This survey provides valuable baseline data on bovine pestivirus infection in Queensland cattle herds.

Prevalence, severity, and heritability of Stephanofilaria lesions on cattle in central and southern Queensland, Australia

Observations of cattle in central and southern Queensland are collated to define the prevalence and area of Stephanofilaria lesions associated with infestations of the buffalo fly, Haematobia irritans exigua. The observations were made on herds that were being used for other purposes. In a survey of ~1500 animals at Belmont in central Queensland in 1982, 98% of cows and 70% of calves had lesions. Most lesions were on the neck and dewlap and 10% were raw and weeping at the time of sampling. The total area of lesions per animal was strongly related to cattle breed and age. Old Bos taurus animals had the greatest area of lesions, whereas young Bos indicus had the least. Heritability estimates were low, averaging 0.01 for calves and 0.18 for cows. A smaller survey of cows and steers at Craighoyle in central Queensland in 1986 showed a higher numbers of lesions and positive correlations between the total lesion area and animal size. The lesion area increased with tick survival, suggesting that tick-resistant animals are also resistant to Stephanofilaria infection. Steers had smaller areas of lesions than cows, as found previously with cattle ticks. Long-term monitoring observations in central and southern Queensland between 1981 and 1986 showed that the total area of lesions was seasonal with a peak in late summer, consistent with the seasonal incidence of buffalo fly. Animals segregated into Low and High lesion herds maintained their differences over time. The lesions penetrated the dermis of the cattle hides and rendered the affected area unusable, but few lesions occurred on valuable parts of the hide so such economic effects are likely to be insignificant. One animal nearly died of a haemorrhage from a lesion on the dewlap and had to be treated. The results can inform policy on buffalo fly control, and biosecurity preparations in relation to the potential establishment of the Old World screw-worm fly, Chrysomyia bezziana, in Australia, which will be facilitated by the lesions. The results emphasise the significant animal welfare and biosecurity risks posed by the lesions in northern Australia.

Prevalence of antibodies of Leptospira serovars in beef cattle in central Queensland.

To obtain up-to-date data on the prevalence of antibodies to Leptospira serovars in central Queensland beef herds preliminary to assessing their role in bovine subfertility and the role of cattle as a zoonotic reservoir. Sera from 2857 female cattle in 68 central Queensland beef herds were tested for antibodies to 14 Leptospira serovars using the microscopic agglutination test. Vaccination use and age of cattle were collected to enable the calculation of crude and age-stratified seroprevalences. The most commonly detected antibodies were to serovars hardjo (15.8% crude seroprevalence), tarassovi (13.9%), pomona (4.0%) and szwajizak (2.2%). Vaccinates were omitted from the hardjo and pomona seroprevalence data. The seroprevalence for hardjo and pomona tended to increase with age of the animals. These results are broadly similar to those of previous serological surveys. The data suggest that serovars other than hardjo, pomona and tarassovi, are unlikely to have a significant role in bovine subfertility and that cattle are unlikely to be a source of human infection with them in central Queensland.

The effect of dingo control on sheep and beef cattle in Queensland

Summary Predation by dingoes Canis lupus dingo is regarded as a widespread problem by Australian livestock producers. This study examined five decades of historical data to evaluate the use and effect of dingo control on the distribution of sheep and beef cattle in Queensland. In Queensland, dingo bounties were significantly more numerous in years with high sheep numbers but significantly less numerous in years with high beef cattle numbers. These relationships probably reflected the social and economic attitudes of the two producer groups to dingoes. The relatively high impact that dingoes are perceived to have on sheep compared with beef cattle, the control techniques used by the two producer groups, and the intensity at which these techniques are applied, were the underlying causes. Subsequent to the introduction of baiting using 1080 (sodium fluoracetate), there was an immediate decline in the use of strychnine, the number of dingo bounties presented for payment, and the number of dingo trappers employed by local governments in Queensland. However, these changes were confounded by a simultaneous decline in sheep numbers and dingo control effort. Barrier fences and poisoned ‘buffers’ were compared for their ability to protect sheep from dingo predation. With few exceptions, sheep numbers declined or increased marginally within 50 km inside a dingo barrier fence or within a boundary between sheep and beef cattle production outside the dingo barrier fence. This contrasted to areas &gt; 50 km from the dingo barrier fence or sheep/cattle boundary. Both poisoned buffers and barrier fences could be equally effective at preventing sheep losses. However, buffers are best suited to open arid areas where large‐scale co‐ordinated baiting programmes are more feasible and where prey scarcity leads to increased bait consumption. We predict that sheep production outside the dingo barrier fence in Queensland will contract from the north and east. There is a case for re‐establishing a barrier fence in this area to prevent such contraction. Co‐ordinated predator management, such as barrier fencing or aerial baiting, can protect sheep at a regional level. However, unless the financial burden of pest control is shared through a centralized scheme, sheep producers living along the boundary are likely to leave the industry or substitute cattle for sheep and the sheep‐production area will contract. This paper cautions the use of bounties as a measure of relative abundance and illustrates how people’s perception of a pest and the type of livestock they produce can affect their level of control effort and the control methods they use.