POOR LAMBING

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19777, 3 November 1938, Page 6

POOR LAMBING

RETURNS FOR WAIROA DROP OF ABOUT 11% (Special to the Herald.) WAIROA, this day. It is estimated that the lambing percentages this season for the district of Wairoa will work out at nearly 11 per cent below the averages for last season, according to returns received by the stock inspector, Mr. G. F. Hudson. All the returns have not yet come to hand owing to late lambing In many instances, but the returns to hand are fully representative of the district and they work out at about 70.5. An indication of the drop cap be seen from the fact that last year the average was 81.3 per cent, in 1936 85 per cent, in 1935 79.5 per cent, and in 1934 79.25 per cent.

The percentages have been exceptionally low in s'ome of the districts, and there are few places where they can be considered at all good. When the complete returns are to hand it is not thought likely that the position will prove to be any better. The excessively wet winter cannot be blamed altogether for the exceptionally poor lambing, but there is nd doubt, however, that the outbreak of facial eczema has contributed to some extent to the poor returns. It is the usual procedure, before putting the ewes to the ram, to put them on to the land where there is a good flush of feed, but because of the fear of facial eczema this practice was, in many cases, not adopted this season. In all probability this may have had some bearing on the results obtained.