Our Facial Eczema monitoring programme begins the week of the 12th January 2026.
Our first email bulletin will be sent on Friday, 16 January 2026.
If you would like to receive our Facial Eczema email bulletin, please complete the form below.
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.
| Feilding | Awapuni | Tararua | Taumarunui | Levin | |
| No. of sites monitored: | 15 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 10 |
| Average Spore Count | |||||
| Highest Spore Count: | |||||
| Lowest Spore Count: | |||||
| Facial Eczema Risk Rating |
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.