ECZEMA IN LIVESTOCK

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 April 1938, Page 5

ECZEMA IN LIVESTOCK

AUC K L AND SLAUC.IT T E R INGS. [PER PRESS ASSOCIATION. I AUCKLAND. April 27. Approximately 27.,000 sheep and lambs affected with facial eczema have been killed, and condemned for human consumption al Auckland’s three freezing works at Westfield since the beginning of March, when the disease began to make its presence noticeable among stock. One company alone - has handled 16,000. The numbers at. first represented about .”>0 per cent of the killings, but in the last two weeks they have increased to 60 per cent. No cattle or pigs suffering from eczema have been killed by any of the companies. Road, transport waggons have taken load after load of sheep in varying stages of infection l from scattered districts towards Westfield in the last two months. The numbers reached a peak last. week, and many loads still poured into the works to-day. Valuable stock and' inferior sheep alike have suffered and farmers .in the worst affected districts have had to send largo portions' of their flocks away to bp destroyed, the task being impossible for them to undertake I hemselves. At present onp of the companies is doing nothing else in- its works but killing infected stock for the convenience of clients, who have been forwarding high-grade mutton throughout the season. So far, about 7000 sheep and lambs, have been killed. in this way. The company had c.losxd its works after the export, season. when under demand it had to resume operations and re-engage butchers who had been paid' off. At first the butchers caused a hitch by demanding double rates 1 of pay. but when it. was made clear to them that they would contract no disease from the sheep they accepted work at ordinary rates.

None of the meat can lie used for food. The disease causes it to discolour. giving it a jaundiced l appearance. The carcases are boiled down to produce tallow, which is also of a yellow colour and inferior to that, of lion-affected sheep, and the blood and bone are used for fertiliser products. The wool and skinsi are of questionable value. At most, farmers receive up to about 4/- a head for eczemaaffected stock, and out of this 1 return transport chfirges amounting io I'u head have to be paid.

CANTER BUR Y DISCUSSION. CHRISTCHURCH. April 27. The outbreak of facial eczema among sheep in the North Island was discussed by the North Canterbury Provincial Executive of the New ealand Farmers' Union to-dayf\The Fxrt iiiive was told that some farmers considered that until it was discovered how (he disease spread, rhe bringing r.f sheep from the North Island to Hie South Island should be prohibited. The course of action decided, on was to inquire from the Stock Department. and the Canterbury Agricultural College whether there was a danger of the disease becoming as widespread in the South Island' as it was in the North Island. Mr J. 11. Skinner said that the farmers at tho Addington Saleyards had been talking about the outbreak in the North Island, and some had suggested that until the means by which the eczema spread had. been discovered. sheep from the North Island should be prohibited from coming to the South Island. The President (Mr 1. L. M. Coop): “I understand that the disease is not contagious but that sheep get it through feeding on young grass; after having dry food. There doesn't seem much chance of any sheep being shipped from the North Island just now. “There haven’t, been, any cases reported in Canterbury this year so far as 1 1 know,” added Mr Skinner. The Executive expressed' its sympathy. with the North Island farmers in their heavy losses of stock.

SAFETY OF MILK. AUCKLAND, April 28. A statement that city dwellers need not be afraid that the supply of milk would be infected because of the outbreak of facial eczema in dairy herds was made by the Department of Agriculture officials this morning. It is explained that eczema is not a contagious disease, but dietetic, and could not be passed to humans. Another point was that as soon as the cow became infected, it ceased to give milk. It was also stated that dairy inspectors are constantly covering the areas affected, and watching tho herdA