DEATH OF SHEEP

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 84, 21 January 1936, Page 2

DEATH OF SHEEP

attributed to dry feed.

SPECIAL DIET ADVOCATED. (Special to the “Guardian.”) CHRISTCHURCH, January 20. The unaccountable death of nearly two hundred sheep during December on a country station has now been discovered to be due to the extremely dry condition of the pastures. Suspicions of poisoning were aroused at first by tlie appearance of the sheep when dead, but after investigations had been made, by Government officials, these were proved unfounded. Death was due to the feeding being too dry, and to an insufficiency of green feed. It could not be digested and had formed into hard lumps in the sheep’s bowels. This is the first known case in New Zealand, and should serve as an educative value to all sheep farmers. Dr. A. B. Pearson, pathologist at the Christchurch Hospital, who also made an examination, stated that he had found similar conditions on sheep stations in Australia. The station concerned is one of about six thousand acres, situated on Rakaia Island, and owned by Ford Bros. The deaths began to occur toward the end of November, and although a large number were affected, the manager (Mr E. B. Ford) considered they were due to tu-tu poisoning, and he attached no great importance to them.

As the .result of a muster on December 21, and while the sheep were in the yard, about 20 more died. The sheep were put back on the same country and several more died. Suspicions of poisoning were then aroused as the sheep were dying at such a rate. The matter was . put in the hands of the police on January 3, who advised an analysis of some of the dead sheep, and Detectives A. M. Harding and C. T. .Burns went out to investigate. By now, 60 sheep had died, and the symptoms pointed to strychnine poisoning. The Superintendent of Police (Mr A. Cameron), as tho result of the inquiries by the detectives, was not satisfied with the poisoning theory and issued instructions for an analysis to he made.

Two sick sheep were brought in by the police and examined by Mr W. D. Blair, M.R.C.V.S., District Superintendent of the Live Stock Division of the Agriculture Department, who stated that, in his opinion, the condition of the sheep was not consistent with poisoning. The sheep were then removed! to the abattoirs and killed, where an examination of the organs was made by Mr Blair, who said that the. death of the sheep was due to the impacted conditions of tho bo it els. The feed which the slieep had eaten had been too dry. It had not been digested and had formed hard, lumps in the bowels of the sheep, thereby causing death".

Two more of the sick sheep were also killed at the station and were examined by Mr E. L. Siddall, jM.R.C.V.S., Government Veterinary ! Surgeon at Christchurch, who discovered the same condition as was found by Mr Blair.

The Government Analyst (Mi' F. J. T. Gregg) made an analysis, but could find no trace of any poison whatever. The sheep have since been removed to greener pastures and a marked improvement in condition has been noticed. Veterinarian’s Views. Mr A. Leslie, ,who is in charge of I the veterinarian department at the Canterbury Agricultural College, Lincoln, and to whom the matter was referred yesterday, said that a condition known as grass staggers was frequently met with at this time of year [when the grass was dry. The symptoms were found in animals, accompanied by severe mineral disturbances in the blood. There were separate conditions predisposing to mineral deficiency, which often came about after the ewes had been giving milk. In his experience at Lincoln College there had been a number of such cases. They could ho picked before the trouble arose and a change should be made to green feed, such as lucerne or clover. A feed of oatsheaff bran and molasses had been found very beneficial, as the trouble was caused by lack of magnesium salts, and the molasses and bran overcome the constipation caused in the sheep. The results of this diet had been found excellent at Lincoln College, and a cur© had been usually effected in ten days. The disease was one of nutrition.