EDUCATING FARMERS

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 234, 1 July 1939, Page 8

EDUCATING FARMERS

Prevention Of Stock

Diseases VETERINARY SCIENCE Importance of educating dairy-farm-ers in the prevention and control of cattle diseases, particularly those of nutritional origin, was stressed by Mr. Allan Leslie, chief veterinary officer to the Federation of Taranaki Co-opera-tive Dairies, addressing the National Dairy Conference: in Wellington. He was presenting a paper by-himself, Mr. B. W. Thomas, and Mr. W. G. Whittleston, on practical measures in preventing nutritional cattle diseases. “Today there is an. increasing tendency toward the education of the farmer in the management and feeding of stock with a view to avoiding disease,” ran the paper. “Formerly knowledge which ought to have ’been available to the farmer was retained by the veterinary because of the commonly expressed fear that veterinary, knowledge in the hands of a layman is dangerous, or robs the veterinary man of some of his income. This attitude tends to encourage the spread of disease. Experience during recent years shows that the more a farmer is educated the more he seeks the services of the veterinary surgeon. Ignorance of what veterinary science has to offer to the stock breeder is one of the main reasons for the lack of support given by New Zealand farmers to veterinary organizations. Fortunately this state of affairs is rapidly passing, and today the progressive farmer is realizing more and more the need for a - veterinary service. “If a veterinary service is to fulfil its purpose it must not only administer treatment but must be prepared to disseminate knowledge about stock feeding and management. In more than 1000 visits made in the winter and spring during two seasons, over half the ailments were due directly or indirectly to improper feeding or management. This observation is important because nutritional disease is one of the four main groups of diseases responsible for herd wastage in the Dominion, which means that a reduction in its incidence would save dairy-farm-ers thousands of pounds. Further, nutrition is closely associated with productivity and breeding. The interrelation of breeding problems, production and disease must be stressed.

Four Main Troubles.

“The four main groups of troubles causing herd wastage are udder troubles, sterility, abortion and nutritional diseases. / “Because New Zealand conditions are in many respects quite different from those obtaining, for example, in England, we would urge the necessity for a vigorous investigational policy in this country. More research.into animal diseases is necessary. There is also a great need for a vigorous application of what is known, and for the extension of veterinary services.accompanied by a policy of educating the stock breeders in all matters related to the control of disease.

“In the agricultural field it is true that the results of research are applied very slowly. Particularly is this true in the nutritional field. So great is the gap between that which is known and that which is practised that / we believe that from a financial point of view the mere application of known facts would pay better than research, despite the tremendous importance of research in this field. The majority of nutritional diseases in this country could be prevented by application of known methods, though, of course, there is the question of whether certain costly methods of treatment would be economic.

“Because grass and grass products are the cheapest and most widely used foodstuffs fo_r live stock in this country, it is evident that nutritional troubles will arise .when the grass supply is short as in the winter and spring. Many troubles, nutritional and otherhave their beginning during the 100-day winter feeding period on most New Zealand farms. “The need for better winter feeding of stock has, been stressed'by the Department of Agriculture and by the Agricultural Colleges ever since stockraising commenced, but we still seem to be a very long way from the reduction in nutritional diseases which is easily possible. The imposing list of dlseajes associated in some way with incorrect feeding .emphasizes' this point most- definitely, and at the same time clearly shows the part the farmer must play in the conservation of feed for periods of scarcity and in the correct feeding of stock.”