Dingo baiting did not reduce fetal/calf loss in beef cattle in northern South Australia
Greg Campbell A N , Andrew Coffey B , Heather Miller C D , John L. Read E F , Anthony Brook G , Peter J. S. Fleming H I , Peter Bird J K , Steve Eldridge L and Benjamin L. Allen C M
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A S Kidman & Co Ltd, 183 Archer Street, North Adelaide, SA 5006, Australia.
B Mt Bryan Veterinary Service Pty Ltd, Burra, SA 5417, Australia.
C South Australian Arid Lands Natural Resource Management Board, Port Augusta, SA 5700, Australia.
D PO Box 283, Wilmington, SA 5485, Australia.
E Ecological Horizons Pty Ltd, Kimba, SA 5641, Australia.
F School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
G Cordillo Downs Station, via Port Augusta, SA 5700, Australia.
H Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Forest Road Orange, NSW 2800, Australia.
I School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.
J Biosecurity SA, Primary Industries and Regions SA, Waite Road, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia.
K 5B Kingston Avenue, Seacombe Gardens, SA 5047, Australia.
L Desert Wildlife Services, Alice Springs, NT 0870, Australia.
M Institute for Agriculture and the Environment, Division of Research and Innovation, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Qld 4350, Australia.
N Corresponding author. Email: chewthecud@bigpond.com
Animal Production Science 59(2) 319-330 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN17008
Submitted: 6 January 2017 Accepted: 31 October 2017 Published: 21 February 2018
Abstract
Beef cattle production is the major agricultural pursuit in the arid rangelands of Australia. Dingo predation is often considered a significant threat to production in rangeland beef herds, but there is a need for improved understanding of the effects of dingo baiting on reproductive wastage. We experimentally compared fetal/calf loss on baited and non-baited treatment areas within three northern South Australian beef herds over a 2–4-year period. At re-musters, lactation was used to determine the outcomes of known pregnancies. Potential explanatory factors for fetal/calf loss (dingo baiting, dingo activity, summer heat, cow age, seasonal conditions, activity of dingo prey and selected livestock diseases) were investigated. From 3145 tracked pregnancies, fetal/calf loss averaged 18.6%, with no overall significant effect of baiting. Fetal/calf loss averaged 27.3% for primiparous (first pregnancy) heifers and 16.8% for multiparous (2nd or later calf) cows. On average, dingo-activity indices were 59.3% lower in baited treatments than in controls, although background site differences in habitat, weather and previous dingo control could have contributed to these lower indices. The overall scale and timing of fetal/calf loss was not correlated with dingo activity, time of year, a satellite-derived measure of landscape greenness (normalised difference vegetation index), or activity of alternative dingo prey. Limited blood testing suggested that successful pregnancy outcomes, especially in primiparous heifers, may have been reduced by the livestock diseases pestivirus and leptospirosis. The percentage occurrence of cattle hair in dingo scats was higher when seasonal conditions were poorer and alternative prey less common, but lack of association between fetal/calf loss and normalised difference vegetation index suggests that carrion feeding, rather than calf predation, was the more likely cause. Nevertheless, during the fair to excellent prevailing seasons, there were direct observations of calf predation. It is likely that ground baiting, as applied, was ineffective in protecting calves, or that site effects, variable cow age and disease confounded our results.
Additional keywords: livestock production, predator control, rangelands.
References
Allen BL (2010) Skin and bone: observations of dingo scavenging during a chronic food shortage. Australian Mammalogy 32, 207–208.| Skin and bone: observations of dingo scavenging during a chronic food shortage.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Allen BL (2012) The effect of lethal control on the conservation values of Canis lupus dingo. In ‘Wolves: biology, conservation, and management’. (Eds AP Maia, HF Crussi) pp. 79–108. (Nova Publishers: New York, NY)
Allen LR (2013) ‘The impact of wild dog predation and wild dog control on beef cattle: large-scale manipulative experiments examining the impact of and response to lethal control.’ (LAP Lambert Academic Publishing: Saarbrucken, Germany)
Allen L (2014) Wild dog control impacts on calf wastage in extensive beef cattle enterprises. Animal Production Science 54, 214–220.
| Wild dog control impacts on calf wastage in extensive beef cattle enterprises.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Allen LR (2015) Demographic and functional responses of wild dogs to poison baiting. Ecological Management & Restoration 16, 58–66.
| Demographic and functional responses of wild dogs to poison baiting.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Allen LR, Engeman RM (2015) Evaluating and validating abundance monitoring methods in the absence of populations of known size: review and application to a passive tracking index. Environmental Science and Pollution Research International 22, 2907–2915.
| Evaluating and validating abundance monitoring methods in the absence of populations of known size: review and application to a passive tracking index.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Allen LR, Fleming PJS (2004) Review of canid management in Australia for the protection of livestock and wildlife – potential application to coyote management. Sheep & Goat Research Journal 19, 97–104.
Allen LR, Gonzalez A (1998) Baiting reduces dingo numbers, changes age structures yet often increases calf losses. In ‘The 11th Australian vertebrate pest conference’, Bunbury, WA, pp. 421–428. Agriculture Western Australia, Perth, WA.
Allen BL, Leung LK-P (2012) Assessing predation risk to threatened fauna from their prevalence in predator scats: dingoes and rodents in arid Australia. PLoS One 7, e36426
| Assessing predation risk to threatened fauna from their prevalence in predator scats: dingoes and rodents in arid Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC38XntlWgsrg%3D&md5=ea004458dba7bf949a0174eb477fdd21CAS |
Allen BL, Leung K-P (2014) The (non)effects of lethal population control on the diet of Australian dingoes. PLoS One 9, e108251
| The (non)effects of lethal population control on the diet of Australian dingoes.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Allen LR, Sparkes EC (2001) The effect of dingo control on sheep and beef cattle in Queensland. Journal of Applied Ecology 38, 76–87.
| The effect of dingo control on sheep and beef cattle in Queensland.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Allen L, Engeman R, Krupa H (1996) Evaluation of three relative abundance indices for assessing dingo populations. Wildlife Research 23, 197–206.
| Evaluation of three relative abundance indices for assessing dingo populations.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Allen BL, Allen LR, Engeman RM, Leung LK-P (2013) Intraguild relationships between sympatric predators exposed to lethal control: predator manipulation experiments. Frontiers in Zoology 10, 39
| Intraguild relationships between sympatric predators exposed to lethal control: predator manipulation experiments.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Allen BL, Engeman RM, Leung LK-P (2014) The short-term effects of a routine poisoning campaign on the movement behaviour and detectability of a social top-predator. Environmental Science and Pollution Research International 21, 2178–2190.
| The short-term effects of a routine poisoning campaign on the movement behaviour and detectability of a social top-predator.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Allen BL, Allen LR, Leung K-P (2015) Interactions between two naturalised invasive predators in Australia: are feral cats suppressed by dingoes? Biological Invasions 17, 761–776.
| Interactions between two naturalised invasive predators in Australia: are feral cats suppressed by dingoes?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) (2008) ‘Review findings for sodium monofluoroacetate: the reconsideration of registrations of products containing sodium monofluoroacetate and approvals of their associated labels. Environmental assessment.’ (Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority: Canberra, ACT)
Biosecurity SA (2011) ‘Policy on management of dingo populations in South Australia.’ (Government of South Australia: Adelaide, SA)
Brandle R (1998) ‘A biological survey of the stony deserts, South Australia, 1994–1997.’ (Biological Survey and Research Section, Heritage and Biodiversity Division, Department of Environment, Heritage and Aboriginal Affairs & National Parks Foundation of South Australia Inc.: Adelaide)
Breslow NE, Clayton DG (1993) Approximate inference in generalized linear mixed models. Journal of the American Statistical Association 88, 9–25.
Brook L, Kutt AS (2011) The diet of the dingo (Canis lupus dingo) in north-eastern Australia and a comment on conservation implications. The Rangeland Journal 33, 79–85.
| The diet of the dingo (Canis lupus dingo) in north-eastern Australia and a comment on conservation implications.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Brown A, Towne S, Jephcott S (2002) Identification of possible causes of foetal or calf loss on the Barkly Tableland. Final report for Producer Initiated Research and Development Project NT03, Meat & Livestock Australia, Sydney.
Brunner H, Coman BJ (1974) ‘The identification of mammalian hair.’ (Inkata Press: Melbourne, Vic.)
Burns BM, Fordyce G, Holroyd RG (2010) Factors that impact on the capacity of beef cattle females to conceive, maintain a pregnancy and wean a calf in northern Australia: a review. Animal Reproduction Science 122, 1–22.
| Factors that impact on the capacity of beef cattle females to conceive, maintain a pregnancy and wean a calf in northern Australia: a review.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BC3cfotFWnsA%3D%3D&md5=41e616592794177a236ec8d382633f5eCAS |
Butler D (2009) ‘asreml: asreml fits to the linear mixed model.’ R package version 3.0-1. Available at www.vsni.co.uk [Verified December 2016]
Corbett LK (2001) ‘The dingo in Australia and Asia.’ 2nd edn. (J.B. Books: Marleston, SA)
Donaldson LE (1962) Some observations on the fertility of beef cattle in north Queensland. Australian Veterinary Journal 38, 447–454.
| Some observations on the fertility of beef cattle in north Queensland.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Durham PJK, Paine GD (1997) Serological survey for antibodies to infectious agents in beef cattle in northern South Australia. Australian Veterinary Journal 75, 139–140.
| Serological survey for antibodies to infectious agents in beef cattle in northern South Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DyaK2s3hvFKqsg%3D%3D&md5=a75b75de63734ebb9bfc652abc145483CAS |
Eldridge SR, Bryan R (1995). Dingo questionnaire survey June–November 1995: unpublished report to Parks and Wildlife Commission, Darwin, NT.
Eldridge SR, Shakeshaft BJ, Nano TJ (2002) The impact of wild dog control on cattle, native and introduced herbivores and introduced predators in central Australia. Final administrative report to the Bureau of Rural Sciences. (Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory: Alice Springs)
Eldridge SR, Bird PL, Brook A, Campbell G, Miller HA, Read JL, Allen BL (2016) The effect of wild dog control on cattle production and biodiversity in the South Australian arid zone: final report. South Australian Arid Lands Natural Resources Management Board, Port Augusta, SA.
Fensham RJ, Fairfax RJ (2008) Water-remoteness for grazing relief in Australian arid lands. Biological Conservation 141, 1447–1460.
| Water-remoteness for grazing relief in Australian arid lands.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Fleming PJS, Allen BL, Ballard G, Allen LR (2012) ‘Wild dog ecology, impacts and management in northern Australian cattle enterprises: a review with recommendations for R., D. & E. investments.’ (Meat & Livestock Australia: Sydney)
Fleming PJS, Allen BL, Allen LR, Ballard G, Bengsen AJ, Gentle MN, McLeod LJ, Meek PD, Saunders GR (2014) Management of wild canids in Australia: free-ranging dogs and red foxes. In ‘Carnivores of Australia: past, present and future’. (Eds AS Glen, CR Dickman) pp. 105–149. (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne)
Fordyce G, McGowan MR, McCosker K, Burns BM (2014) Reproductive wastage in extensively-managed beef cattle. In ‘Proceedings of the 28th world buiatrics congress’, 27 July to 1 August 2014, Cairns, Qld.
Frank ASK, Dickman CR, Wardle GM (2012) Habitat use and behaviour of cattle in a heterogeneous desert environment in central Australia. The Rangeland Journal 34, 319–328.
| Habitat use and behaviour of cattle in a heterogeneous desert environment in central Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Gillen JS, Reid JRW (1990) Progress report. The Della Land System Faunal Monitoring Programme for Santos Ltd (unpublished). Consultant’s report to Santos Ltd, Adelaide, SA.
Glen AS, Gentle MN, Dickman CR (2007) Non-target impacts of poison baiting for predator control in Australia. Mammal Review 37, 191–205.
| Non-target impacts of poison baiting for predator control in Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hewitt L (2009) ‘Major economic costs associated with wild dogs in the Queensland grazing industry.’ Blueprint for the bush, Agforce: Brisbane, Qld.
Hodder R, Low W (1978) Grazing distribution of free-ranging cattle at three sites in the Alice Springs district, central Australia. Australian Rangeland Journal 1, 95–105.
| Grazing distribution of free-ranging cattle at three sites in the Alice Springs district, central Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Holroyd RG (1987) Foetal and calf wastage in Bos indicus cross beef genotypes. Australian Veterinary Journal 64, 133–137.
| Foetal and calf wastage in Bos indicus cross beef genotypes.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DyaL2szis1SgsQ%3D%3D&md5=f1e3d691771b966b7b3a62801538ad53CAS |
Hood GM (2010) ‘PopTools version 3.2.5.’ Available at http://www.poptools.org [Verified December 2016]
King JS, Slapeta J, Jenkins DJ, Al-Qassab SE, Ellis JT, Windsor PA (2010) Australian dingoes are definitive hosts of Neospora caninum. International Journal for Parasitology 40, 945–950.
| Australian dingoes are definitive hosts of Neospora caninum.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Kirkland PD, MacKintosh SG (2006) ‘Ruminant pestivirus infections.’ Australian and New Zealand Standard Diagnostic Procedures. Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, Camden, NSW. Available at www.agriculture.gov.au/SiteCollectionDocuments/animal/.../ANZSDP-Pestiviruses.pdf [Verified December 2016]
Kutsche F, Lay B (2003) ‘Field guide to the plants of outback South Australia.’ (Department of Water, Land & Biodiversity Conservation, Government of South Australia: Adelaide)
Lamond DR (1969) Sources of variation in reproductive performance in selected herds of beef cattle in north-eastern Australia. Australian Veterinary Journal 45, 50–58.
| Sources of variation in reproductive performance in selected herds of beef cattle in north-eastern Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DyaF1M7lsFWisw%3D%3D&md5=6e97041b45a24bc598ff0f63434cad0dCAS |
Letnic M, Koch F (2010) Are dingoes a trophic regulator in arid Australia? A comparison of mammal communities on either side of the dingo fence. Austral Ecology 35, 167–175.
| Are dingoes a trophic regulator in arid Australia? A comparison of mammal communities on either side of the dingo fence.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Livestock SA (2014) Importance of Livestock to South Australia. Livestock South Australia. Available at https://livestocksa.org.au/livestock-in-sa/#beef [Verified December 2016]
Marsack P, Campbell G (1990) Feeding behaviour and diet of dingoes in the Nullarbor region, Western Australia. Australian Wildlife Research 17, 349–357.
| Feeding behaviour and diet of dingoes in the Nullarbor region, Western Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
McGowan MR, McCosker K, Fordyce G, Smith D, O’Rourke PK, Perkins N, Barnes T, Marquet L, Morton J, Newsome T, Menzies D, Byrnes BM, Jephcott S (2014). North Australian beef fertility project: cash cow final report, Project B.NBP.0382. Meat and Livestock Australia, Sydney, NSW. Available at https://www.mla.com.au/research-and-development/search-rd-reports/final-report-details/Productivity-On-Farm/Northern-Australian-beef-fertility-project-CashCow/370 [Verified January 2018]
Newsome AE, Catling PC, Corbett LK (1983) The feeding ecology of the dingo II. Dietary and numerical relationships with fluctuating prey populations in south-eastern Australia. Australian Journal of Ecology 8, 345–366.
| The feeding ecology of the dingo II. Dietary and numerical relationships with fluctuating prey populations in south-eastern Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Newsome AE, Catling PC, Cooke BD, Smyth R (2001) Two ecological universes separated by the dingo barrier fence in semi-arid Australia: interactions between landscapes, herbivory and carnivory, with and without dingoes. The Rangeland Journal 23, 71–98.
| Two ecological universes separated by the dingo barrier fence in semi-arid Australia: interactions between landscapes, herbivory and carnivory, with and without dingoes.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Newsome TM, Stephens D, Ballard G-A, Dickman CR, Fleming PJS (2013) Genetic profile of dingoes (Canis lupus dingo) and free-roaming domestic dogs (C. l. familiaris) in the Tanami Desert. Australian Wildlife Research 40, 196–206.
| Genetic profile of dingoes (Canis lupus dingo) and free-roaming domestic dogs (C. l. familiaris) in the Tanami Desert.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Newsome TM, Ballard G-A, Crowther MS, Fleming PJS, Dickman CR (2014) Dietary niche overlap of free-roaming dingoes and domestic dogs: the role of human-provided food. Journal of Mammalogy 95, 392–403.
| Dietary niche overlap of free-roaming dingoes and domestic dogs: the role of human-provided food.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Playfair RM, Robinson AC (1997) ‘A biological survey of the North Olary Plains, South Australia 1995–1997.’ (Biological Survey and Research, Natural Resource Group, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of South Australia: Adelaide)
Pople AR, Grigg GC, Cairns SC, Beard LA, Alexander P (2000) Trends in the numbers of red kangaroos and emus on either side of the South Australian dingo fence: evidence for predator regulation? Wildlife Research 27, 269–276.
| Trends in the numbers of red kangaroos and emus on either side of the South Australian dingo fence: evidence for predator regulation?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Pringle HJR, Landsberg J (2004) Predicting the distribution of livestock grazing pressure in rangelands. Austral Ecology 29, 31–39.
| Predicting the distribution of livestock grazing pressure in rangelands.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Prowse TAA, Johnson CN, Cassey P, Bradshaw CJA, Brook BW (2014) Ecological and economic benefits to cattle rangelands of restoring an apex predator. Journal of Applied Ecology
| Ecological and economic benefits to cattle rangelands of restoring an apex predator.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
R Core Team (2013) ‘A language and environment for statistical computing.’ (R Foundation for Statistical Computing: Vienna) Available at http://www.R-project.org/ [Verified December 2016]
Rankine G, Donaldson LE (1968) Animal behaviour and calf mortalities in a north Queensland breeding herd. Proceedings of the Australian Society of Animal Production 7, 138–143.
Shulman B, Wagner BD, Grunwald GK, Engeman RM (2016) Evaluation of estimation quality of a general paradigm for indexing animal abundance when observations are counts. Ecological Informatics 32, 194–201.
| Evaluation of estimation quality of a general paradigm for indexing animal abundance when observations are counts.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Smith ID, Alexander G (1966) Perinatal mortality in shorthorn cattle in northern Queensland. Proceedings of the Australian Society of Animal Production 6, 63–65.
Smith CR, Ketterer PJ, McGowan MR, Corney BG (1994) A review of laboratory techniques and their use in the diagnosis of Leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo infection in cattle. Australian Veterinary Journal 71, 290–294.
| A review of laboratory techniques and their use in the diagnosis of Leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo infection in cattle.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DyaK2M7hvVanug%3D%3D&md5=f4dd6b6884912cf250f78c96d36ae8f9CAS |
Stephens D, Wilton AN, Fleming PJS, Berry O (2015) Death by sex in an Australian icon: a continent-wide survey reveals extensive hybridization between dingoes and domestic dogs. Molecular Ecology 24, 5643–5656.
| Death by sex in an Australian icon: a continent-wide survey reveals extensive hybridization between dingoes and domestic dogs.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC2MXhvVyitbbN&md5=63b96611143112b1ebfe8510ae28911fCAS |
Thomson PC (1986) The effectiveness of aerial baiting for the control of dingoes Canis familiaris dingo in north-western Australia. Australian Wildlife Research 13, 165–176.
Thomson PC (1992) The behavioural ecology of dingoes in north-western Australia. III. Hunting and feeding behaviour, and diet. Wildlife Research 19, 531–541.
| The behavioural ecology of dingoes in north-western Australia. III. Hunting and feeding behaviour, and diet.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Yelland L (2001) ‘Holding the line: a history of the South Australian Dog Fence Board, 1947 to 2000.’ (Primary Industries and Resources South Australia: Adelaide)
