Facial eczema fact sheet
Facial eczema can significantly impact on dairy cattle productivity, health and welfare. Although the name suggests a skin disease, in most outbreaks animals show little or no skin lesions, but have suffered liver damage - which can have major economic impact.
Production losses in dairy cattle arise from animal deaths, weight losses or reduced weight gain, reduced milk yield and reproductive performance.
This fact sheet explains how to prevent facial eczema in milking cows using zinc oxide in feed. It also provides a checklist to help ensure your zinc supplementation program is effective and safe.