FACIAL ECZEMA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23648, 4 November 1938, Page 12

FACIAL ECZEMA

THE WINTER EPIDEMIC EFFECTS STILL BEING FELT LOWER LAMBING PERCENTAGES (Special to Dailv Times) AUCKLAND, Nov. 3. The latent effects of the outbreak of facial eczema which raged throughout -he province earliei n the year are still being felt by sheep farmers. Lower lambing percen tages ana the likelihood ol a somewhat inferior wool Hip are at least to some extent traceable to the epidemic, and although no new cases are known to the authorities deaths are still occurring -mong she which were previously affected. Contrary to the fears of many farmers the quality of the lambs born to ewes which were expos i tc the epidemic has been surprisingly good, although the lambing season has proved later and longer than usual. Up to the present relatively few lambs ha i been drafted in the Waikato and many farmers will be required to carry hea/v stocks of lambs well into the summer Doubts are expressed in some quarters as to how they will fare later in l he season.

Nc fresh cases oi facial eczema have been reported tc. the Depart ment of Agriculture at Auckland, an officer stating "hat any animals which were now dying were those which had been affected by the disease in varying degree when the epidemic was at its height. After seemingly making a recovery many ewes had lost ground in the hard winter and had failed to survive. “ Although there are no new cases of eczema, the trouble is still very apparent in sheep which were affected during the outbreak.” a Hamiltor stock authority said. "Lambs, however, appear to be thriving although the season in the Waikato was later and less successful than the previous vear. even many affected ewes having borne excellent lambs, but deaths are still occurring amongst the ewes themselves In some cases the trouble was not noticeable previously in the sheep.”