Welcome to our Facial Eczema Risk Spore Count Bulletin for 2026 – this article will be updated each week, so please revisit to see what the spore count is in your area.
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Counts for week ending 10 April 2026
| Feilding | Awapuni | Tararua | Taumarunui | Levin | |
| No. of sites monitored: | 14 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 10 |
| Average Spore Count | 55,000 | 205,000 | 55,000 | 60,000 | 40,000 |
| Highest Spore Count: | 215,000 | 205,000 | 95,000 | 150,000 | 100,000 |
| Lowest Spore Count: | 0 | – | 0 | 5,000 | 0 |
| Facial Eczema Risk Rating (Based on average spore count) | HIGH | HIGH | HIGH | HIGH | HIGH |
The average for all areas remains HIGH again this week.
Weather conditions and paddock aspect dictate spore production and warm overnight temperatures are keeping spore production going on a lot of farms. Clinical cases have been seen in both cattle and sheep, so animals with inadequate zinc levels are at risk of developing clinical signs and may have already been experiencing subclinical production losses.
Facial Eczema – All you need to know
- Symptoms and signs to look out for
- FAQ’s
- How your vet can help you to manage facial eczema on your farm
Where we monitor
Resources
Spore counts can vary greatly between properties and even between paddocks. We encourage farmers to bring in grass samples to get a more accurate idea of the facial eczema risk on their own property. Spore counting is $37 (incl GST) per sample, dropping to $30 for multiple samples.
For instructions on how to cut grass for spore counting, please see HERE
What is a toxic spore level? It is best not to use absolute levels, as stock grazing pasture with spore counts as low as 20,000-40,000 can sustain liver damage. More important considerations are rate of spore count rise, prevailing weather conditions, and grazing intensity at the time. Toxin effects on the liver are cumulative. Play it safe – start prevention as soon as spores are detected.
Contact us if you would like more information on bringing in your own samples for testing.