HEAVY SHEEP LOSSES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22210, 10 September 1935, Page 5

HEAVY SHEEP LOSSES

STRANGE DISEASE FLOCKS IN QUEENSLAND Serious sheep losses have occurred in south-western Queensland as a result of a Strang.; disease which the graziers believe to be a form of pneumonia, said Mr. W. E. Jones, Dalgety's wool expert, in Brisbane recently.

Mr. Jones said that the losses had occurred on several properties. The disease appeared to be highly infectious and spread rapidly. Stations separated by as much as 200 miles had shared losses. In one instance, near Charleville, there had been 5000 deaths in a flock of 12,000. Heavy mortality occurred on another property near Tambo. The problem was serious enough, ho suggested, to warrant the immediate attention of the Government veterinary experts. By a coincidence there had been three deaths of human beings from pneumonia in Charleville, Mr. Jones added, in the last few days. These were Mr. D. Cameron, owner of Landridge, St. George, Mrs. 11. Baker, wife of the owner of Tongy station, in the Charleville district, and Mr. T. Roach, of Charleville.

! The condition of the country, said Mr. Jones, was disappointing. There I was a light showing of herbage, but grass had not shown at all. From Tambo to Cunnamulla only light rain had fallen since last October. In many places the graziers were cutting mulga for the sheep, and feeding with artificial fodders as well. Losses had been confined to old ewes and to lambs, and wero not nearly so heavy as they had been in the northern districts. But the drought had not been broken by any means in this area, and unless rain fell soon there would be serious water shortages. Shearing was in progress on some of the stations, and he found the wool to bo mostly light in condition, finer in quality than usual, and carrying less vegetable fault. Sheep this year would undoubtedly cut less weight of wool per head. Some of it was pooi.-ly grown owing to the drought, and tender in staple. The light rain, ranging from 20 to 50 points, which had fallen from Charleville to the New South Wales border lately, would not do hiuch good apart from preventing the herbage from drying off. Frequent frosts wero preventing new growth of grass and herbage.