FACIAL ECZEMA.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXXII, Issue 4731, 21 December 1938, Page 3

FACIAL ECZEMA.

IN SHEEP AND CATTLE. PREVENTION BY FARM MANAGEMENT. Although the weather will determine whether or not facial eczema occurs in the autumn of 1939, the Facial Eczema Management Committee considers that sheep farmers in particular should now take definite steps to safeguard their flocks against the possibility of an outbreak. The committee stJmmarises a general plan of prevention as follows: (1) As facial eczema is apparently caused by a quick flush of gi'ass in warm and humid weather following a period of drought, stock should be kept off rapidly growing grass in the autumn for several weeks.

(2) In order to ensure that this practice can be followed, farmers should build up reserves of hay and silage and maintain a portion of their faz-m in mature grass, which can be gx’azed when a flush growth is taking place on hard grazed paddocks.

Seasonal Advice.

Mature feed should be provided to maintain sheep if a dangerous autumn flush of grass occurs; to provide this mature feed action must be taken now. The Committee advise that sheep farmers should close up from a quarter to a third of their farms in December. The areas closed should consist of at least four fields so that the fields may be closed and utilised in rotatioix. The fii’st field should be closed early in December and the remainder at ten day intervals during the month. For preference the Decembei 1 closed fields should contain a fair proportion of cocksfoot and should be situated on land least likely to flush rapidly in the autumn (i.e. moist flat land or peat land, or if rolling country is shut up, choose land that lies away from the sun). The shutting up of fields in which paspalum is dominant should be postponed until the middle of January.

Utilisation of Mature Grass

The suggested closing of several fields at intervals during December has been made to facilitate utilisation. If good growing weather is experienced after December, the earlier closed fields may become too rank and may require grazing with cattle and then shutting up again, or, if these fields are not again closed, others should be selected to take their place. If conditions suitable for the development of eczema occur the fields must be grazed in the autumn so that only mature feed is eaten; experience this year showed that after eating down the mature feed the fresh growth may be dangerous to sheep. Sheep must therefore graze the fields of mature feed in rotation, being moved to the next one before fresh growth appears.

Holding Paddock*.

It may occur that fields of mature grass have to be carefully rationed to last the flock until the flush autumn feed is mature. The sheep may have to be fed partially on mature grass and partially on hay and silage. To facilitate rationing a special holding paddock may be necessary where the sheep can be held for hay feeding. This field could with advantage be one consisting mainly of paspalum or one situated on moist flat land or peat where no dangerous flush of grass is likely to occur. Ample shade is very desirable in this holding paddock. In choosing paddocks for shutting up this factor must be kept in mind so that they are convenient to the holding paddock.

Supplementary Feed

The development of the practice of holding mature feed during drought periods will necessitate the provision of hay and silage on sheep farms: Supplementary feed will have to be provided so that mature feed can be saved. On most farms the supplementary feeding of cattle in drought periods would allow of the spelling of sufficient grassland for the use of sheep when a dangerous flush of grass occurs. The need for the provision of supplementary feed is stressed by the Facial Eczema Management Committee in their bulletin on the prevention of the disease by

farm management methods, and this aspect of control by management was brought under the notice of farmers early in the season.

Summary,

The Facial Eczema Management Committee’s seasonal advice to sheep farmers may be briefly summarised as follows: —

(1) Close up from a quarter to a third of the farm in December. (2) The area shut up should consist of at least four fields to facilitate utilisation.

(3) The first field should be closed in early December and the remainder at ten-day intervals during the month.

(4) The areas chosen for shutting up consist of pastures least likely to quickly flush up in the autumn, i.e., pastures containing a good proportion of cocksfoot and situated on moist land or land laying away from the sun.

(5) The shutting up of paspalum fields should be delayed until the middle of January.

(6) If good growing weather is experienced and a mature field gets too rank, it should be grazed off with cattle and the field closed again to take its place.

(7) Holding paddocks should be selected for supplementary feeding of sheep when a dangerous flush of grass occurs and the mature gi'ass is being rationed out. These fields should consist of pasture land not likely to rapidly flush; paspalum pastures or pastures on moist land or peat. The fields should contain ample shade. Following the recent outbreak of facial eczema in sheep and cattle, the Department of Agriculture issued a bulletin on farm management methods designed to prevent the disease. The advice contained in the bulletin was prepared by the Facial Eczema Management Committee which has been set up to direct the investigations into the disease in the Waikato. Farmers who have not read the bulletin are recommended to obtain a copy from the Department of Agriculture.