LOSS OF LAMBS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23135, 6 September 1938, Page 12

LOSS OF LAMBS

NORTH OTAGO FLOCKS areas near the coast RAIN BENEFITS GRASSLANDS [jjY TELEGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT] CHTtJ STCH.URCH, Monday

Severe lamb losses have occurred on farms in parts of the North Otago district following the heavy rain and wintry weather of tho last few da>s. Although in most parts of the district general lambing will not start unti this week, many farmers nearer the coast aro at present in the thick ot the lambing season. On many of these farms, with the steady, diiving rain and tho cold southerly wind, the newborn lambs havo suffered heavily. On farms with a southerly aspect the losses have been specially severe. The wind driving the rain up tho gullies has been bitterly cold, and tho half-frozen lambs havo been nnable to rise to their feet. On ono farm at Awamoko a farmer lost moro than 100 lambs in two days, while at Enfield on another property 30 lambs were lost in one afternoon. In other districts on tho plains further heavy losses havo been reported. The losses in tho district have not been restricted only to new-born lambs, some several days old having perished from tho cold. The heavy rain, however, had its uses in Otago. Pastoralists who do not expect lambing to be in full swing for a fortnight yet blessed the fall, which will bring away grasslands just at the right time to provide an abundance of feed for the lambs. Until this sudden change of weather it was feared that tho country would not react favourably after the abnormally dry winter, which has been in direct contrast to the weather which has soaked Canterbury and resulted in a succession of minor floods. Agricultural work, such as tillage, lias been impossible tbere, but it is noticeable that farmers havo been able to plough land in Otago, especially land lying toward the sun.