[Cattle calcinosis in the Lower Austria Alpine foothills area]

It is reported on cases of calcinosis during winter 1979/80 occurring on 42 farms and leading to 34 forced slaughters and on the control of this disease in a localized region of the Alpine foot-hills. Instruction of the farmers, ploughing up of the meadows with following new sowing of grass without golden oat (Trisetum flavescens) allowed to push back calcinosis in high situated especially endangered farms. The different calcinogenic activity of golden oat in the different stages of growing, pushing back the golden oat by repeated utilisation of the pastures and keeping the cattle in the stable were successful methods. Additionally it was possible to influence the quantity of golden oat in pastures and meadows by methods influencing the growing such as climate, altitude, quality and quantity of fertilizer, age of the meadows. The importance of the Alpine pastures for prevention of calcinosis in cattle is pointed out.