Foot-Rot Losses

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 57, 9 March 1937, Page 10

Foot-Rot Losses

An East Coast sheep owner is £2t poorer by not carrying out the diroc tions in applying a foot rot bath to 2t rams Three rams died because tl ej licked the arsenica l prepare. ; on, auc the rest are cripp’ed and ere expc-cJei to be useless. This mishap occurred last we«»k, arc the flock-owner concerned is tilling hi< friends so that they will take carj tc follow the make.:,* directions whe.: uj-.'Bg proprietary preparations. Hao •*"'* done so in thl*» ease, there woulc have been no dn.yer to tho stock. Although this sert of thing docs not happen very often, cases have beci quoted in the Gisborne district wber« losses have occurred in somewhat tL« same manner, % and a number of farm era in the district have found that it pays to read the directions very care' fuly before using auv preparation more particularly when a poisonouj substance is contained in the mixture. The farmer whose 20 rams suffered used a well-known brand of foot rol bath. The mixture was such that it should have been diluted to'about onetenth of its prepared strength, but the farmer used it without dilution, with the results as already stated. The rams cost him 9g:is. to lOgns. apiece, and if all are useless the loss will be at least £2OO. Foot scald has not been so severe in the district lately, because of the dry weather experienced during the month, and the position has improved compared with what it was a year ago. Also, fewer lame sheep are seen on the roads,