News & Advice
Animal Welfare Considerations
Fluorosis
All products that are manufactured from phosphate rock contain fluoride; which can lead to fluoride poisoning if too much fertiliser is ingested.
Livestock (particularly pregnant animals, lactating animals, and animals under stress) should avoid grazing pasture for at least 21 days, or until 25mm of rain has fallen after fertiliser application. This will minimise the risk of stock death occurring.
Potassium and hypomagnesaemia
The application of potassium to pasture should be avoided from late winter through early spring, especially around lambing and calving time.
High soil potassium levels reduce magnesium absorption by plants which can contribute to hypomagnesaemia (low blood magnesium concentration) in pregnant and lactating stock. High potassium levels in herbage will also decrease the ability of your stock to absorb dietary Magnesium.
Lime and hypocalcaemia
The application of lime in autumn and winter should be avoided when the blocks are being grazed by animals in the last 3 months of pregnancy.
Lime can affect the calcium-regulating hormone system, contributing to hypocalcaemia (imbalance in the control of blood calcium levels) in lactating stock.
