DISEASES IN SHEEP

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume LXIV, Issue 6576, 13 October 1939, Page 4

DISEASES IN SHEEP

LECTURE AT DUVAUCHELLE —o— • - . Information Provided by Agricultural Department

A lecture on sheep diseases was delivered to members of the Banks Peninsula brancn of the N.Z. Farmers Union at Duvauchelle Hall on Tuesday evening by Mr E. L. Siddall, Government Veterinarian, of the Livestock Department. Mi Siddall first stressed the fact that the Department of Agriculture had officers available in the four main centres to deal with every agricultural activity and these officers j were always ready to give farmers advice. A sheep research department had been started and were doing very good work and one of the officers of this department was at present in America consulting with the Home authorities and his investigations should be of great value. The Department also advised on poultry, fruit, bees, and pastures and farmers should approach these officers for advice. Dealing with she'ep diseases M;r Siddall referred to the great importance of marking lambs in clean paddosks and using only sterilised knives and frequently renewed supplies of disinfectant. Pulpy Kidney Dealing with the prevalent "pulpy kidney" disease or sleepy sickness disease Mr Siddall said that it affected the largest Jambs, usually when they started eating grass as well as having the milk. This year the lateness of the grass would minimise the disease. The cause was bacterial. Bruising of Lambs Mi' Siddall pointed out that more lambs were rejected for bruises than anything else. The lambs should be carefully handled when driven off the farms and when getting them into the ti-ucks. For pulpy kidr.ey disease Mr Siddall recommended the following mixture ; — 40 lbs salt, 38 lbs bone flour, 15 lbs air slaked Line, 21bs sulphate of iron and 51bs sulphur. He recommended the following article for perusal by farmers, which appeared in the '"Journal of Agriculture" written by Mr A. D. M. G. Laing, Veterenarian, Hastings, on "Sleepy Sickness'" :— "The more correct name for antepartum paralysis, or sleepy sickness, is pregnancy toxaemia (toxaemia meaning poinsoning). It is also sometimes known as twin lamb disease, from the fact that 95 per cent of cases are found to be carrying two or more lambs. Its incidence is world-wide, and in New Zealand the losses in most seasons are appreciable and, in some years, serious. It appears to be associated with a feed shortage occurring during the latter part of pregnancy. "In order to give a clear picture it is necessary to give a very sketchy description of the extremely complicated process by which the sheep converts pasture into flesh and blood, etc. A balanced proportion of the three main food factors, proteins, fats, and ; carbohydrates, is required. These are all broken down by the digestive juices and action of the liver into simple sub"These simple substances are carried by the blood fluid to the muscles j and there "burnt up" with the oxygen i absorbed from the lungs, the resultj ing heat being the eneigy by which ! the body lives. A number of minerals, | phosphorus, calcium, iodine, etc., are j also essential to life and to the satis- | factory working of the processes outj lined above. It must be emphasised • that the liver plays a very essential | part. i "When food intake is in excess of j bodily requirements the .surplus is j stored as fat. If the daily food is insufficient, then the fat reserves are } called into use. The liver is the organ i by means of which the body reserves of fat are conveited into the simpler substances, in which forms alone they can be made use of to support life. In the pregnant ewe. the position is further complicated by the heavy requirements of tne foetus during the last month of pregnancy, and the several factors result in inefficient functioning of the liver, the formation of injurious substances in it, and the setting up ofi a condition jf toxaemia or poisoning. Symptoms j 'The symptoms occur at 10 to 20 | days before lambing is ciue. The ewe jis dull, off feed, and keeps separate fiom the flock. The earliest noticeable sign is frequently a loss of control over the limbs. When driven, the ewe will trip up or cross her forelegs. Later, she will stand stupidly and be moved only with difficulty. The eyes appeal? glazed and sightless. She may stagger or walk in circles. "As the condition gets worse the ewe lies down, collapsing again after walking a few paces if raised to her feet. She may live for several days in this condition, death occurring in a few days from when the earliest symptoms supervened. Appearance of Organs After Death "The general condition of the organs after death is t,ood. Healthy twin lambs are found in the womb. The

liver, however, is quite abnormal, being enlarged, pale, yellow, very easily broken, and greasy. Some of the internal fat may have a patchy, parboiled appearance. Treatment t "Nothing can be done once the case is far advanced, because the liver has become completely useless. In the eaiiy stages, however, while there is a desire for fcod and the ewe can move, about, dosing with one to two ounces of Epsom salts and ilb of mal- ! asses, repeating the molasses (but not the salts) daily, gives a good j chance of a cure. If the ewe lambs the symptoms will disappear. It iis es- ! sential that ewe? under treatment be put on succulent feed, such as young grass, green barley, etc, | Treatment of Affected Flock "Every effort should be made to supplement the feed. Good quality hay, preferably legume, and succulent jireen; feed, such as young grass, barley, etc., should be made available if possible. In cases in which the flock is in high condition daily exercise appears to be of considerable value, both in itself and as a means of picking out affected ewes in the earliest stages( tripping up when driven) for special treatment. A good plan is to muster the affected mob daily and drive them slowly for half a mile to a mile to good pasture and back again after one or two hours. Prevention 'No deficiency of calcium or other mineral has been diagnosed in this condition. A calcium deficiency does occur in lambing sickness, which is a different disease. Prevention, therefore, is on common-sense lines, having regard to the facts mentioned above— (1) Ewes shouid be in good condition, but not fat at tupping tune. (2) If anj- shortage of feed is anticipated ii is better, as far as is practically possible, that it should occur during the earlier i "tiici ii an the latter part of; pregnane j (note the disproportionate foetal requirements during the last month). (3) The ideal is that ewes should rise slowly in condition from' tupping to lambing, farm management being directed to that end. Such a policy will ensure a minimum of casualties and a maximum milk supply for" the lamb. (4) Where paddocks are not toppressed a lick composed of equal' part of bone meal or bone flour ' and salt should be made available. (5) To enable the above policy to be carried out it is essential that? reserves of winter feed be carried from year to year to offset uneven pasture growth in certain years and seasons."