Reproductive and leptospiral studies on beef cattle in central Queensland

The effect of rainfall on reproductive performance in beef cattle and the effects of rainfall and soil type on the prevalence of leptospirosis in beef cattle in inland central Queensland are described. Low annual rainfall produced a significant (P less than 0.05) decrease in calf branding rates. Leptospirosis (due to serovar hardjo) was serologically more prevalent after rain and on farms with high water holding capacity soils but there was no significant difference in branding rates between cattle on high or low water holding capacity soils. As a secondary mid-year rainfall peak is a feature of the area, leptospirosis due to serovar hardjo will tend to spread when most of the breeding herd is in the last trimester of pregnancy. The prevalence of leptospirosis due to serovar pomona is significantly lower in the region.