ARTHRITIS IN LAMBS

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22518, 28 September 1938, Page 17

ARTHRITIS IN LAMBS

“Corriedale” writes as follows: Mr G. K. L. Knott’s statement and advice on this trouble, appearing in “The Press” on September 21, is very good, and by far the best advice on marking lambs that I have read. There have been several statements published in other papers lately on docking lambs by self-styled experts which was only guesswork, and in some respects quite wrong. Mr Knott states that the bloodless instrument or hot iron for tailing, may assist in the prevention of arthritis, but did not give the reason why. Prevention of bleeding will prevent arthritis simply because the lamb is not weak from loss of blood. Even if they do get the germ, it affects them very little. 1 have proved this over a number of years. The hot iron is bad for attracting flies, as the tail festers for weeks, but it. is better for arthritis than the knife. One other point of advice that Mr Knott could have mentioned was to be very careful not to mark or tail any lame lamb. .They should be_put out of the yard, as they

head off and will become raw-boned and leggy in the process. Finally, the hens. The value of average crossbred birds is little below, and often equal to, that of pure heavies (Sussex breed excepted). Buyers may pour scorn on crossbred hens, but lor all that, dead or alive, the crossbred hen is a sound commercial proposition.