CRUELTY TO SHEEP.

Otago Witness, Issue 3100, 13 August 1913, Page 14

CRUELTY TO SHEEP.

The following advertisement appeared in a local paper: “As a result of the damage amongst sheep in the Waipoii district, Messrs W. Dowdall and Withers Brothers are prepared to pay £SO to any person who can secure a conviction against anyone, shooting sheep on their properties *at Waipori.” Th pea-rifle is accountable for a considerable amount o loss on the farm. Many valuable horses and cattle have been wantonly destroyed, mainly by thoughtless youths out for a day’s holiday. Some restriction in reference to its nee is necessary. time ago the North Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Association took action m the matter and sought the co-operation of kindred societies, but made the mistake of attaching a general demand lor a gun licence to “ the legislation asked lor in regard to the pea rifle. There is no connection whatever between the tvo Effective measures might be taken about the pea-ride without interfering with thc rights of sportsmen. No sportsmen shoot stock wantonly. It is the irresponsible youth, not the sportsman, who discharge his rifle at anything and everything ne conies across, quite regardless ofthe ciuei injury or destruction which follows his rash "act. To the sheepman it is paininl to witness the rough treatment frequently accorded to the timid sheep ni handlui it. Perhaps it is more thoughtlueness than anything else, but a good deal ot it is deliberate. The neglect to castiate lambs at the proper age in the hope that thev may fatten a week 01 quicker without risk than they would otherwise have done is a prominent defect in management, but condoned to some extent on account of the number of secon class Jambs frozen. Buyers do not like them, however, and give less pei Jb Hi them. If for anv reason they do not go off their mother's fat, they fail to thrno in the fall of the year, and lose weight and condition. It is difficult to understand why an operation so easily and safely performed when done at the right age should be neglected with any iamb in the flock. In the autumn one has only to sec the general restlessness of a flock containing a few of them-—which goes on unceasingly—to see the folly cine tj of such neglect. But that is not all there is the attendant risk of getting tne best ewes and some of the vigorous lambs fertilised by an indifferent and precocious lamb. It is important that the operation be performed young. It is then hardly felt by the lambs, who recover rapidly. It may not be pleasant work, but, like vaccination at the present time, it has to he done to escape greater troubles. Another evidence of poor shepherding is leaving long tails on the lambs tor tear that they will lose too much blood, and fail to recover or get a set-back for come time. There is too much made of the point. A little blood-letting relieves a fevered condition; but newly-docked or castrated lambs should not be plumped down like hot potatoes on a dusty or filthy yard, for obvious reasons. The contamination of a large open wound with disease germs is the refinement ot cruelty, and failing to make a wound aseptic is just about as bad. Perhaps a temporary yard m a clean grass field would overcome some difficulties. In the conveyance of sheep by train there is an unnecessary amount of preventable cruelty. If the trucks are not overloaded, which is the fault of the consignor, tney <ire wet underfoot, and the stock cannot “maintain its footing. The result is that on arrival at the end ot their journey, bruised and blackened carcases are pulled out from the trucks occasionally when they are unloaded, and their gruesome remains, with the wool half tramped off them, send a shudder through any observer. At other times the iiorters or drovers in their hurry to unload the upper decks tumble the sheep out pell-mell on to the elevator. It would appear that their one object in life was to get the train unloaded as quickly as possible and get rid of their freight. The condition of the sheep is unite a secondary matter. The bruises acquired in tumbling over each other do not escape tne notice of the butchers on the block, but not apparent under a fleece of wool. borne responsible official should supervise the loading and unloading of heavy stock trains, and also the unloading at the saleyards. At shearing time many of the flocks are grabbed by their wool and dragged about in a most inhuman sort of If the torture inflicted by catching a sheep by the wool could bo realised, doubtless many would find a better way of handling “the sheep. The examination of a carcase of a newly-killed sheep recently treated in that way reveals an inflamed and congested area, due to the rupturing of the tiny blood vessels. A sheep handled properly is neither injured nor frightened. In ihe diseases of sheep there are many examples of careless neglect, such as permitting ticks and lice, footrot, udder troubles, etc., which cause the sheep much unnecessary pain. Not one of these may be permitted without seriously affecting the comfort and health of the stock and the pockets of the owner.