DISEASES OF SHEEP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2924, 30 March 1910, Page 6

DISEASES OF SHEEP.

As the number of the flocks of the Dominion increases, so also will the diseases to which sheep are liable. Even at the present time sheep-farmers and others have -considerable trouble in combating parasitic diseases in sheep, and the veterinary branch of the Department of Agriculture is always kept busy investigating and combating diseases to which our flock? are liable. A leading professor of the Harper Adams College, A.nerica, m the course of a recent lecture on diseases of sheep said he was sorry to have to say that parasites in sheep were oft the increase in America, and only recently he had been discussing the question with certain large sheep-breeders in his country and they mentioned that they had seen a report from South Africa which clearly indicated that if certain measures were, not taken to check the advance of parasitism amongst sheep, many of the African farms would have to be reformed in some shape or another if the lands were expected to carry sheep. The professor went on to say that, as practical farmers, they recognised that science had come to their aid in giving icjertain information in regard to these minute forms of life to which he referred, and which years ago they knew practically nothing about. It therefore behoved the owners of sheep, if the sheep were restricted to certain lands, to be as conversant with the life history of parasites as of any other department of their farming industry. If not, he foresaw great difficulties in the way of continuing their work in many cases. A paper was also read not long since before the American Sheen-breeders' Association in which it was said that it is probably well within the mark to state that twothirds of the disease and mortality in the flocks are of parasitic origin, and that despite the vast strides made in sanitary science and the large acquaintance with the life history and habits of ovine parasites, diseases of this class are much more J common than three or four decades ago, brought about in numerous instances by I overstocking nth sheep, which is greatly

to be deprecated. Overstocking (says the Professor of Adams College) was the secret of this trouble. Farms were carrying sheep for years and years, and the animals which lived on that land deposited thero the forms of life which were taken into the bodies of other sheep which followed after them. Permanent pasture land was the hot-bed or source from which those forms of life were obtained. Parasites had to live either upon the external part of the body of an animal or upon the internal parts, and those forms of life were to be found in what were termed the " hollow " cavities of the body. The fact that they were to be found anywhere where there was an entrance from the external parts showed then very clearly they must have an independent existence outside the body of an animal prior to being taken into the body of the living animal. He was anxious to put before them certain means with which they could combat those forms of life. Those parasites originated from an egg which, although it might be invisible to the naked eye was revealed with the aid of a microscope. With regard to the harm which they did to the sheep, those present knew that the diseases of sheep were practically limited to a very few, and it was to be regretted that in many cases when a sheep died the farmer took no steps to ascertain the cause of death, but considered that when the animal was dead it was finished with. The time had come, however, when they must learn by the animals which had succumbed to certain disorders what had been the cause of death. They should not allow the matter to pass over, but should find out for themselves the cause, so that they might be in a position to guard against these things in the future. He knew the kind of half-measures often taken by farmers, but in the future they must look at every shilling in connection, with farming, and it did not do to take anything for granted. He would deal with one or two of the diseases to which he had. referred, confining himself to tho.se which affected the inside. First, he would take the :ommon tapeworm, and, in passing, would remind them that the lamb was not born with parasites, but the trouble came from the peculiar way in which it- took its food. They often found that when the ewes had lambed they were turned' out with lambs on to the old pasture land. As soon as the little lamb began to nibble about, he took into his body some of those, eggs which were deposited on the blades of grass, etc.. by sheep which had been there previously.- If they allowed those eggs to he scattered about by sheep, no wonder their young animal* suffered. All lambs should be drenched before they were weaned, hut they should get the .right kind of medicine, and not allow it to be swallowed too hurriedly. Common turpentine with milk or linseed oil was the finest thing possible for the u»e to which he had referred, but thev should be careful in the way they should use it. If they saw the lamb falling over after the drench they would know it was the reaction of the turpentine on the nervous system. They Should graduate theii medicine accordinor to the constitution of .their animate. With recrard tc the tise of arsenic for tapeworm, he must tell them without bias that he had had excellent results from the use of arsenic for that purpose, but it must be used with great discretion. Tobacco had also been used with sheep in the expelling of those worms. Another very common parasite waa the Mood-suckmg parasite, which lived on the inside of the bowel, producing scouring and disorders of the digestive system. It was most •important that they should not disseminate the disease by moving infected animals from one place to another. If they "did so- they ran the risk of getting the whole farm infected.