COMMON DEFECTS FOUND IN SKINS OF FARM ANIMALS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23288, 24 June 1950, Page 8

COMMON DEFECTS FOUND IN SKINS OF FARM ANIMALS

“The most common defects in skins arising from diseases are due to nutritional causes, and these defects most commonly are found in sheep skins," said Mr. F. C. Caughley, of the New Zealand Leather and Shoe Research Association, in an address at the recent sheepfarmers’ annual conference at Napier. He said that defects on the living animal"may, in the first piace, be due to the effects of diseases or to the result of harbouring parasites.

Cockle was a disease well known to the fellmonger, but was almost unheard of by farmers. The fellmonger found its effects as many rounded nodules scattered over the skin. Cockle appeared to develop as the fleece grew, and showed most clearly in the skins of sheep just ready for shearing or just shorn. Some fellmongers also connected an epidemic of cockle with the flush of feed resulting from rain after a dry spell.

Rape blast was a nutritional disorder and was attributed to the excessive amount of harmful quality of rape eaten for fattening off before killing. In a freezing works affected skins were just rubbish to be disposed of and were never offered to buyers. Facial Eczema Weakens Skins

The effects of facial eczema were widespread throughout the sheep’s body and skin's taken from affected animals had been found to be weak in texture, and discoloured. Fortunately, in recent years there had been no really bad epidemics of that trouble which, like cockle and rape blast, was classed as an effect of harmful feed. Damage to skins from parasites in New Zealand, said Mr. Caughley, largely had been of animal type, although, not infrequently, leather turned up with a type of defect that could be ascribed to vegetable parasites, such as fungus or mould.

There had been occasional outbreaks of follicular mange in New Zealand cattle due to a harmful mite. Unsuccessful efforts had been made to detect it on living beasts. Even if found on a beast there was room for a good deal of research for a method of satisfactorily dealing with it. Its treatment in dogs was difficult and tedious and messy, involving sulphur and oil and great persistence. The effects on the skin were found occasional.y on goats, cattle, calves and pigs, but did not appear to have been found on sheep. In a mild form, the mange mites by their activity caused a subsequent collapse of hair follicles and surrounding tissues during the leather-manufacturing process causing small, shallow depressions about the size of a lentil on the grain or once hairy side of the leather. In extreme cases, where the sac infected by the mites Had grown large as a result of their multiplication, or where secondary infections had occurred. the grain might be separated from the corium or main body of the skin by a hole up to half an inch across due to the formation of a chronic pustule which might burst and cause a bole in the grain. Control of Sarcoptic Mange

Sarcoptic manse or scrab on sheep, which also was the more common type of mange found on dogs, was formerly the cause of serious loss to farmers and industrialists, but today, in all civilised countries, the dipping of sheep kept the parasite under control. Ticks were a larger form of parasite which caused damage, affecting the value of leather made from a ticknitten skin. Apparently, the effect of tick or kea bites was only occasionally observed on sheep skins, probably due to the practice of dipping, and also possibly to the way sheep skins react to the bites. On cattle hides, however, the tick bite leaves a fairly permanent mark in the form of a small, smooth, rather circular spot with a central Duncture. When those occurred, as they sometimes did, in something like a hundred or so to the square foot, it could be realised that the grain side could not be finished to give an ornamental effect.

"I have seen a piece of untanned New Zealand hide, said to have come from North Auckland, carrying ticks with their heads still buried in the outer tissue of the skin,” said Mr. Caughley. “The greatest economic loss from the diseases mentioned arises in New Zealand from cockle in sheep skins. Many thousands of skins are down-graded at the freezing works every year because of this defect, and lower prices have to be accepted for them,” he continued. “The other forms of damage are seldom of more than minor importance individually. but collectively are a steady cause of loss to the tanners.” Mr. Caughley said that, at this stage, very little more than at present could be done. Sheep dipping practically eliminated sarcoptic mange. Follicular mange, although it existed, was fortunately not very prevalent and was difficult to detect. For cockle it might be worth while to attempt to obtain figures to establish whether research on the problem of cure would be profitable. Watchful Care Advised “In spite of the present rather inactive attitude towards these defects, however, it is well to know as much as possible as to their nature and occurrence because no one can surely predict that these defects will not develop at times into widespread epidemics, and recognition of the cause is the first step towards dealing with such problems. Consultation with local veterinary officers is always advisable when any disease is observed in a farm animal.” Discussing the mechanical causes of defects inflicted upon the living skin, Mr. Caughley said a large proportion of the loss was avoidable, and, in the long run, was borne by the producer if allowed to go unchecked. Many hides were irreparably spoiled by barbed wire scratches. Rubbing posts could be provided in the centre of a paddock, but if some of the causes of the desire to rub —diseases and pests—were eliminated, the need for nosts would be reduced. Similar losses were caused by buckthorn hedges, scrub and undergrowth and blackberry. Particularly with dairy cows, many hides had been spoiled by horn marks. Hornless boasts appeared to be the answer. Damage through brand marks could be avoided or greatly reduced. Rump branding should be discouraged wherever possible. Some attempt at skill in the depth of penetration of the brand would be worth while from the point of view of the hide. Even tarry fluids used cold could erode skin tissue because of their phenols or creosote content, especially on short-haired or newly-shorn beasts. Shear marks were left by the pressure of the heated combs of the shearing machine on the skins of sheep. They were usually associated with the effects of sunburn, indicating that the animal had been slaughtered very soon after shearing. It \yas a form of damage which could be reduced to very small proportions by postponing slaughter for a reasonable period, at least a fortnight, after shearing. (To be continued.) Annual Sheep Returns. Owing to the list of sheepowners for the district being received approximately two months late from the Government printer, the annual returns of sheep, usually posted on April 27 eacli year, are only now being prepared by the local office of the Department o! Agriculture, and are expected to be posted within the next few days. Aa these returns are required in Wellington by July 14 the co-operation of all i sheepowners in completing and postj ing their return is of utmost importance. It should be rcmcmPered that work has to be completed on tne forms before they leave the Gisborne office for Wellington. Common errors are failure to state the breed of sheep and , the omission of the number and breed of rams..