Cure for staggers

Press, 28 March 1979, Page 25

Cure for staggers

It is nonsense to say there is no practical method of controlling ryegrass staggers, according to Mr V. C. Harnett, who farms near the Ashburton Airport. Mr Harnett said yesterday it was well known in Mid-Canterbury that grazing sheep on lucerne would cure the condition.

This contention was confirmed by a senior farm advisory officer in Ashburton (Mr P. R. Hockey) who said that long — not rank — grass was probably a better

alternative since lucern fed at this time of the year affected lambing percentages later in the year. Mr Harnett referred to recent reports in newspapers. and on television, which gave the impression that there was “no practical method of control” for staggers affecting sheep in Wairarapa.

There might not be much lucerne available in that area, said Mr Harnett, but it was a grave mistake to say the same thing about the rest of the country, when a very

practical method of control did exist. Mr Harnett said he always expected an outbreak of staggers after a wet summer, and this had been the case this season. He had recently noted signs of staggers in a mob of 200 sheep on his property.

He had tried to drive them over to a nearbypaddock of lucerne stubble. Only half of them were capable of reaching it at first, although the rest eventually make their way across.

“They looked as though they had been in a war,” he said.

But after two or three weeks on the lucerne the sheep were fully recovered, with no losses. Mr Harnett said he knew there was some ef-

feet on lambing percentages. "But a ewe with no lambs is better than a dead sheep ” he said.

“My main worry is that some young fellow, new to farming, might read these reports, or see them on television, and not realise that there was something that could be done about it.” Mr Hockey said Mr Harnett’s comments were perfectly true. Grazing sheep on lucerne or long grass would cure ryegrass staggers.

“But it might be that the staggers here is different from that in Wairarapa," he said. “We think it is caused here by a bug grow ing on the dead litter in the pasture. We do not know for sure but that is our best guess.”