Facial Eczema In N. Wairoa Area

Northern Advocate, 16 March 1948, Page 2

Facial Eczema In N. Wairoa Area

A minor outbreak of facia!, eczema has occurred among a flock of sheep at Rehutai. said the inspector of stock at Dargaville (Mr G. T. McNally.) yesterday.

n Hc said the present type of weather, which brings on quick normal growth of grass, is liable to increase the disease.

The danger of the spread of facial eczema as a result of the soaking rains and mild temperatures in many districts of the North Island is emphasised in a statement issued by the Denartment of Agriculture. The department says that the soaking rains and mild temperatures during the last three days must make the danger of outbreaks very acute. This applied particularly to the Waikato district, where considei’able liver damage and some clinical cases followed the early Februarv rains. WIDELY DISTRIBUTED An examination of lamb livers at the Horotiu works during the last week showed that some livers were affected in 73 per cent of the lines killed. These were from very widely distributed districts. An inspection of the pastures in the Waikato showed that all easy country must be considered dangerous. Cases were noticed even on pastures dominant in paspalum or danthonia. All farmers in an area which has experienced the rains should now take immediate precautions, says the department. Probably the only country which can be considered at all safe is hard, hill country carrying native pastures. On all other country the sheep should immediately be crowded into small areas at ihe rate of not. less than 100 sheep to-the acre. Where crops such as rape, turnips, swedes, cbou moellier, maize or lucerne are available, the sheep should be crowded into paddocks close to the crops so that they can be given sonic grazing daily on them without having to walk across the dangerous paddocks CATTLE CAN GET IT Sheep should on no account be allowed out of these paddocks, except for grazing on ihese crops. Even short periods of grazing on paddocks or roads where young, green pasture is growing may prove extremely dangerous. Where crops are not available, hay should be fed to sheep in the paddocks in which they are crowded.

Killable lambs and all ewes showing lesions should be forwarded to the works with the least possible delay. Although dairy cattle are much less susceptible than sheep, the further rains in the Waikato areas may produce trouble. Dairy farmers should therefore put their cattle on the rough-; est pasture available and feed them as much hay and silage as possible. These precautions, says the department, should be continued until further statements by it have indicated that the pastures are considered safe.