SHEEP-RAISING.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 75, 27 March 1912, Page 8

SHEEP-RAISING.

TEED YOUR LAMBS AND KILL THE MICROBEL'' (By HIPI KUIA, in the "N.Z. Farmer.") The advlfce to " feed your lambs and kill the microbe " w_s a dominant note of an address by Professor Cave ( \ eterinary expert of the South Eastern Agricultural College at Wye, Kent), the address being delivered before the sixth international Conference of the National Sheepbreeders' Association. At that conference Earl Cadogan was in the chair The company included the best-known British flockmastcrs and representative.'' from -Argentina and Australia, and Mr. A. E. Russell represented New Zealand The lecture itself was on "the most dangerous ailments of lambs," and in tne discussion which followed, the Professor was referred to as a "benefactor to sheepbreeders all over the world."

In New Zealand wa are somewhat fortunate in the small number of diseases to which lambs arc subject when compared with <ho list dealt with by Prot. Cave, namely, navel ills and joint ills, tetanus, tapeworm, husk or. boose (parasitic bronchi lis), gid or sturdy blobwhin or pot-wry), parasitic gastroenteritis. or Lincolnshire disease. This is certainly a formidable list. Blobwhirl, or pothery I never beard of. but braxy and fluke (hydatids in the liver) exact a heavy toll in some parts of the Old Country. In Sew Zealand v,e have onlytape and lung worms; with often attendant scouring to contend again-*.. But those aie quite sufficient, as at a low estimate the annual loss in lambs must he about 71 per cent, besides the debilitated state of such a large number of those <hat do defeat disease and reach the wool shed in the spring,, and which cause a loss of probably half a million of money to the country. That loss by prq,p"r feeding could be averted at a modicum of expense.

Breeders or all description' of animals should make this their maxim, or _rst principle: "From the day of birth until maturity the animal must never get a set hack." Of course, this is somewhat an ideal attainment which can seldom he. accomplished. Still it is possible, as note how studrnaste:s and careful shepherds defeat the microbes.

Before proceeding to give a few hints we had better consider what are the predisposing factors of attack of the diseases to which lambs are liable. The late Chief Veterinarian, Mr. J. A- Gilruth, sets them out thus: — Ist: The pre-cnrc of the parasite in the pasture or water in some stage of its evL'tence. usually the primary or egg stage. Yet, though these parasites may be present both in the water and pasturage, and in the animal economy, It docs not necessarily follow that the sheep will succumb or even be dclcteriouslv affected to any apparent extent by' their presence. This is self-evi-dent to all who have had tbe care of sheep—as example the superior resistin- power of wethers living where heg--eU ore badly affected, also the presence in many cases of specimens of those worms in fat -beep slaughtered for human consumption»„d Stagnant drinking water. 3rd: Wen-mess of the sheep. 4th- Swamv undr-incd land. fith: District with an execssivc Tarnfall, and very wet seasons. ~..„,, 6th-Poor quality of innutritions prZ tu-ocky nature oi good grasses, etc

7»h—Want of care at weaning Bth.-Dcfici-ncy in quantity or quality of milk in the mother ewe.

9th.—Over stocking. When the suggest.on cnmo to write this orticle for the March number of the "Farmer," the idea was to take the matter up from this date, but as many flic the journal for future reference, and in order to make this article complete, I consider it would have been better to start from tho birth of the lamb, or, rather the coupling of ram and ewe But space will not allow this, and therefore 1 will only give two or three truisms. Experience has taught that, when selecting rams for service, no matter for what purpose, strength is the first consideration, as wanting that it cannot be expected that the progeny will prove healthy, and robust, nnd able to fight their life's battles with the microbe. fhe same remarks apply to the mother ewe. This is a point woefully neglected —the classing or culling of the t-wes, not only for conformation and wool, but also for' robustness. During pregnancy, tho ewes require to be kept in good healthy condition without having any set-backs. During the whole period (five months) previous to lambing arrangements should be made to have a sufficiency of grass; so as to ensure milk for the iamb. Given that the lamb hns plen'v of milk and when able to nibble clean grass, it will not be found wanting at weaning. Also, providing when docking or shearing, care is taken that it is not kept in h-nd, knocking about the yards en hour longer than is absolutely necessary, and that it finds its mother imnftdiately it is returned to the paddock.

Now. we come to the most critical time in tho lamb's life, the weaning, wh'ch often spells woe, when a little forethought and care would inonn weal. The lamb's requirement is clean, nutritious feed and water. I will deal first with water which, although the most vital, is the least attended to. Here in New Zealand—in fact after about an equal experience in Australia and New Zealand —I huve come to the conclusion that the percentage of loss in sheep owing to water supply is higher here than in arid Australia. I know few will endorse this, and most will consider I "have a bee ln mc bonnet." But let us consider the matter.

Having little personal knowledge of the South Island with regard to this subject, the conclusions here set forth have been arrived at after a lengthy experience in the North. Although blessed by having numerous rivers and permanent running streams, yt-i the bulk of sheep have to depend or. stagnant water, which in a dry spell becomes cesspools or breeding ponds for parasites. Air. Gilruth says with regard to stagnant water: "It is a well-known fact that all the lower forms of plants and animals 'thrive under such conditions, which is their natural habitat. In addition, weakly animals g-enerally, congregate about shallow pools or swampy spots, and eject mature parasites from the lungs or bowels; which are thus in 'the best position to gain fresh entrance into anothet lamb." Moral: Get rid of the stagnant water, thereby getting rid of the parasites. This is one phase of the usual water supply. Look at the reverse, which is equally as inimical to the welfare of the lamb. During a dry spell, owing to the niggard provision effected to secure a sufficiency to meet such periodical conditions, a large percentage of sheep are absolutely deprived , of water when most necessary. With

the result they rapidly lose condition and become debilitated, and a ready prey to disease. At the least they are unable to regain their normal condition before winter sets in and a I

best there 13 aJmost certain to be a break or weakness in the fibfe of the wool. Water is a necessity, but it must be pure and clean. Where streams or wells are not available, and one has to fall back on dams or water-holes, fence such from free access, and pump the water into troughs.

Now with regard to feed for the weaned lamb; where the plough is in use, or can be used it is an easy matter to arrange a variety in the form of young grass, stubble, rape, and later on turnips -o that under sucb conditions it is the owner's fault if lambs do not prosper. Vet, sad to say, every season heavy loss of hoggets is reported in the agri-ci-turul diatricts. But in the hill "ountry, in the older settled districts, where" the pastures are beginning to fail, and likewise foul, it is becoming a serious question as to how best to provide for the lamb. In the neswly--.ettled country, where a patch of bush is felled every season, things are right, there being nothing better than a new burn. The only way to amend matters in old bush-lands that can be considered practical is to adopt seme Ey.tem of rotation of grazing, that is, grazing paddocks alternately with cattle and sheep, it !ieing well-known that lambs will always do well in a coy.--paddock.

"something can always be done in most places by way of a few acres of hay. or feeding with oati, the value of which 1 will now endeavour to explain. It is an accepted fact Coat a green summer means a heavy death-rate in hoggets. This c__ be ascribed to the fact that a dry summer is hostile to microbes, whereas they revel in soft, mushy grass. Besides, such gxas.s, even if free from germs of disease, is wanting in nutriment and laxative, and scouring takes place which soon enfeebles the oldest and strongest. Now the object is to counteract this tendency of the soft grass by feeding dry-food. In this district, 15 or 20 years ago, when lambs were only worth half they are ♦o-day, ehaJT-boxee, hay-racks, and salt boxes were to be seen on every hand. Now they are only noticeable by their rarity. The plea put forward for this reversal is '"labour," but tilt sooner farmers return to dry feed tie better for their pockets, it being only a simple sum ia arithmetic to tm& that feeding hoggets on oats and chaff ts a profitable proposition. In practice. I Lave found C o_. of oats a day or equal food value in chaff, stay scouring if given in time. Don't wait till they get daggy. Start with dry feed whenever t'te condition of the grass gives reason to fear that it will prove too laxative. I would recommend tes-hing the la_r,bs to come to the boxes early in the autumn, no matter what the season. If the dry food is not provided until the disease has got a good hold the lambs are apt to die in the learning. Besides, prevention is always easier and better than cure. Oucc the iambs have acquired the taste the feeding nt-ed not be continued, but a chiff-box, or hay-rack, kept full will be found a good investment in the lamb paddocks.

I have said nothing about the efficacy of medicines because, after a more lengthy experience than most, years ago ! came to the suae conclusion as set forth by Professor Cave in England, J. A. Gilruth, and leading veterinary authorities, that the truest and most rational method, both of prevention and *ur. of parasitic troubles, is the provision of a generous diet wh'.ch includes a proportion of nutritious dry food. But it has to be remembered that sheep require to be protected from parasites that attack the outside of the skin —which dry food will not do. As a rule, however, ticks and lice are more in evidence on the loan than the fat, so that dipping at least once is a necessity. But with lambs, twice dipping will be found a, good investment—first off the shears, and again late in autumn. This will ensure cleanliness up to shearing.