MASSEY AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 7192, 26 June 1933, Page 5

MASSEY AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE

(University of New Zealand.)

Monthly Bulletin

MANAGEMENT OF GRASS-FED EAVES DURING PREGNANCY (By R. DOSSOR.) There is no doubt that careful management and judicious feeding of breeding ewes during the periods of tupping, pregnancy, and more especially during the final three months and lambing, play nu all important part in determining the losses of ewes and the lambing results, on which no small portion of the profit from the flock de-

pends. Although tho principles underlying the recommendations put forward in this articlo havo been proved to be sound in practice, it is fully realised that they cannot be fully applied on all types of country, more especially on tho larger hill country sheep stations where more intensive methods of shepherding are not practical. It is only suggested that they should be adopted where feasible. Tho management of breeding ewes during pregnancy can be divided into two main sections: — (a) Length of tupping period. (b) General management and feed ing. (a) Length of Tupping Period. —The practice of allowing the rams to run with ewes from tupping time to lambing or shearing time cannot be approved fromthe point of view of results. They should only be left out for six, or, at the longest, nine weeks, according to the type of country. On hill country where mustering is difficult and expensive, they are sometimes left out with the ewes until crutehing time, but this is of little advantage and has many serious disadvantages, some of which arc given below: — (1) The lambing season is unduly lengthened. (2) The number of late and undesirable lambs is increased. (3) As the rams represent a considerable amount of capital on the farm, it is advisable to look after them as well as possible. Separate management and better feeding of rams after service will reduce losses and procure better results in the following season. (4) Rams are liable to disturb the ewes at lambing time. Provided that the cwe3 ore well managed during tupping, any ewe which has not conceived by the third service is not likely to breed and is probable not worth bothering about.

(b) General Management and Feeding,—(i) Management: All operations on" ewes that entail handling and yarding should bo carried out during the early stages of pregnancy, in order to avoid the serious injury that may result from knocking them about when heavy in lamb. The more important operations to be carried out during pregnancy ' are:r-(a) Footrotting, (b) crutehing, and c) drafting for lambing. (a) Footrotting: To ensuro the best results the ewes should bo thoroughly treated for footrot before they become too heavy in lamb, since it is dangerous to handle them later and much indirect loss will be caused through the ewes being in a poor condition before and after lambing. The feet should be trimmed and cleaned, and the sheep should be run through a footrot trough containing a 5 per cent, solution of • -, opper sulphato (Mb copper sulphate to 1 gallon water). When feasible, the hand treatment and separation of bad cases from the flock is recommended. The following preparation will make a suitable and efficient dressing: 1 part powdered copper sulphate. 1 part lard. 1 part Stockholm tar. t (b) Crutehing: AVith all longwool breeding ewes crutehing before lambing is advisable, as it ensures cleanliness during the spring months. To reduce the risk of injury to the ewe and unborn lamb, crutehing should take place not less than six weeks prior to the commencement of lambing. It is contended by many breeders that on wet, heavy country the removal of some of the belly wool will help to keep the animals clean and dry and thus prevent, to a certain extent chills and stomach troubles. On the other hand, the belly wool represents a natural covering to tho stomach, and it ,jg probably undesirable to remove very much of it unless the conditions are so wet that its presence does more harm than good. It ha 3 also been found to be an. advantage to the laml* if a small amount of wool is removed from tho flanks of ewes with extra longwool, as it enables the young lamb to find the ewe’s udder.

(c) .Drafting ewes for lambing: If the farm is not too largo, the country 100 steep or the flock of excessive size, lambing results can be considerably improved and the work at lambing lime facilitated if tho ewes are drafted into flocks according to their time of lambing. Drafting of this nature can be carried out by a good shepherd with steady dogs during the later stages of pregnancy without the ewes being knocked about. Although it will be impossible to pick out all the early lambing ewes in this manner, a shepherd should be able to select a majority of them a fortnight or three weeks prior to the commencement of lambing. With 2-tooth ewes, however, it is really necessary to mark tho rams if this practice is to be adopted, as they do not show up like older ewes. The advantages of drafting the flock in this manner can easily be 3een: (i.) The early lambing ewes can be placed on tho best and warmest pastures. (ii.) The shepherd is able to concentrate on ewes about to lamb. (iii.) Lambs of approximately the tame age are. kept together, thereby facilitating docking, castration and general management. (iv.) Ewes of mixed ages will be together, which will lessen the trouble usually given by young ewes at lambing time. The practice of drafting the ewes into ago flocks for lambing is not recommended for the above reason, unless it is the practice to lamb the two-

tooth ewes somo time after the older cwos.

Tho general supervision and exorcise of the breeding flock during pregnancy is frequently neglected. Rotational grazing for tho purpose of exercise and change of pasture, daily inspection, is the ideal. These practices will not only reduce losses due to sheep being “cast,” but enable a closo watch to bo kept on tho general health and condition of the flock. Diseases and ailments can be detected as soon as they appear, and early treatment and the necessary precautions against infection applied. This is of particular importance in cases where sleeping sickness, bearing trouble and footrot arc common, and where individual treatment is practical.

Whenever possible, sick or ailing ewes should bo removed from the main flock, not only to assist tho management of the animals but also as a precaution against the spread of disease. A small topdressed hospital paddock will be found extremely useful for such sheep. At all times careful handling of pregnant owes is essential; nervousness, exhaustion, dog bites, hard driving, careless mustering and crushing through gateways arc all frequent causes of trouble and losses bcfoic and after lambing. Carcases, skins and decaying flesh are sources of foul ground, bloodpoisoning, provide breeding places for blow-flies, and are an attraction to stray dogs. Material of this nature should be buried or burnt at the curliest opportunity. Quite frequently blood-poisoning is spread and losses caused through Inti, of care on the part of the shepherd. After handling dead or sick animals he should always disinfect his hands before attending to other sheep. (2) Feeding.—To ensure the best results the breeding flock should be kept as nearly as posiblc in the same coi. ditiou throughout, the year. Changes in condition, more especially as. between early autumn and late winter, arc the causes of most of the more common troubles affecting cwos in lamb. The ideal condition can be termed “fit”; not too fat nor too thin; not sluggish and lazy, but fresh and full of vigour. To obtain this condition the feeding and exercise of the animal is of first importance at all times. Probably tho most important period of the year from this point of view is the late summer and autumn. At this time the natural tendency for all sheep is to store up surplus fat, both internally and externally, as the feed is-move concentrated and the weather kinder than at any other season of tho year. To avoid this tendency, which is responsible for many diseases affecting pregnant ewes, it is advisable to keep the breeding flock on fairly scantv feed during this period if it can bo managed. If this practice is carried out, fresh feed will be available for “flushing” the ewes prior to tupping, the ewes will "flush” more readily and a certain amount of feed will have been conserved for the winter months. This practice may be difficult to follow during seasons of exceptional growth, as it is necessary to keep the pastures moro or les under control, but by concentrating the ewes on the poorer pastures and keeping the better pastures under control with the glowing stock, it will be possible to prevent the ewes from storing .up fat during normal seasons, which is directly responsible for diseases such as. bearing trouble, ante-partum parralysis, and sleeping sickness. As the time of parturition approaches, the owes require increasing quantities of nutritious feed, and it will bo found of great benefit if it is possible to put the ewes on fresh feed just prior to lambing, as this will promote a good flow of milk and keep their digestive system in good working order. Pregnant ewes require a plentiful supply of good fresh water, and free access to rock salt or mineral licks will be to their advantage.

(3) Prevention of Diseases Common Among Pregnant Ewes. —The most common diseases found among jnegnant ewes are: (a) Sleeping sickness, (b) bearing trouble, (c) ante-partum paralysis, and (d) abortion. (a)" Sleeping sickness: Sleeping sickness makes its appearance more especially in wet and very hard seasons and more frequently on rich, heavy land. For this disease there is no satisfactory cure except a change of feed, especially a laxative diet such as swedes or chott mocllier, which is usually not availablo or the trouble would not have occurred. Success was obtained, however, on the college farm during the very wet winter of 1031, when sleeping-sickness was prevalent, by moving the ewes to a fresh paddock each day; these frequent changes prevented the paddock from becoming dirty and puddled by the sheep, and provided a reasonably fresh bite daily. At the first, signs of the disease it is advisable to move the sheep on to the freshest feed available.

(b) Bearing trouble or protrusion, of the vagina: Bearing trouble usually makes its appearance after a good autumn, when the sheep arc in fat condition. If, however, the ewes are kept in a normal condition, and the layingon of superfluous fat in the autumn is prevented, there is seldom any risk from this disease. As the treatment for this disease is well known t,o all, the details of treatment will not be given in this article, but cleanliness and the release of the urine are the first essentials to ensure successful treatment. Ewes affected with bearing trouble should be culled after the lambs have been weaned.

(c) Ante-partum paralysis: As the symptoms of this disease are very similar to those of sleeping-sickness, the two are frequently confused. The distinctive difference is that sheep attacked with sleeping-sickness havo a very fetid breath, while those attacked by ante-partum paralysis are normal in this respect. This disease most frequently attacks excessively fat ewes with twin lambs. In this case autumn management is of first importance, but exercise during pregnancy will considerably reduce the risk of attack. Tho most satisfactory treatment of affected sheep is to cause abortion, which in most cases can be done by the use of Epsom salt 3 and molasses. (d) Abortion: With sheep abortion is generally caused by careless and rough handling. In all cases the foetus

should be buried or destroyed, and i( possible the affected cwo segregated from the flock. Conclusion. —Insufficient and inefficient care of the flock is responsible for many of the losses and low lambing percentages obtained among grass-fed breeding ewes. It i 3 suggested that there are cases where more labour could be profitably employed, even at present values, as many deaths among ewes and lambs can definitely be traced to lack of reasonable shepherding. There is a distinct tendency in these hard times to give a shepherd too many sheep to look after. There is obviously a point; where this becomes a losing proposition, and it would pay to put on more help. Circumstances alter cases, and the number of sheep which one man can look after cannot be laid down dogmatically; the matter is one which each farmer must decide for himself in the light of his conditions, the present rate of wages and the values of sheep and wool. However, if an account is kept of losses and a pregnant evre is valued at £1 and a lamb at ss, it will be found in a number of cases that more attention at lambing time would have proved a sound investment.