Pithomyces chartarum spore counts in rumen contents and faeces of sheep exposed to autumn pasture at three different grazing pressures.

Three groups, each of 18 lambs were grazed during autumn in paddocks which had been divided longitudinally by temporary fencing to give twofold differences in grazing intensity between the groups. During the period when spore numbers were elevated the high grazing pressure (HGP) group lost some body weight (-34 g/day). The low grazing pressure (LGP) group gained +90 g/day and the intermediate grazing pressure (IGP) group gained weight slightly (+14 g/day).

Uniformity of response of identical twin cattle to sporidesmin intoxication.

Sixteen pairs of identical twin dairy calves were reared together and at one year of age subjected to a test of uniformity of response to sporidesmin intoxication. The response was measured by scoring livers for toxic injury and by measuring serum gamma-glutamyltransferase at weekly intervals after dosing. Within pair variance in serum gamma-glutamyltransferase was greatest at two and six weeks after sporidesmin dosing when enzyme levels were rising and falling.