HEALTH OF LIVESTOCK

Taranaki Daily News, 11 September 1934, Page 33 (Supplement)

HEALTH OF LIVESTOCK

TARANAKI EXPERIENCES VETERINARY SURGEON’S ADVICE. THE PROBLEM OF STERILITY. (By J. Hill Motion, B.Sc., M.R.C.V.S., D.V.M., New Plymouth.) Animal health has been my study in Taranaki during the past four years, ' and the time and attention in treating animal diseases and following up losses by post-mortem examination have been arhply repaid by the amount of accumulated knowledge of live-stock troubles which has always been at the disposal of the farming community .at least in North Taranaki. Every district generally speaking presents its own particular troubles and diseases, due to different methods of farming, and management, both of the pasture and the livestock. Thanks to the co-operation of a very large section of the community a considerable amount of data and material have been placed at my disposal and in the light of more recent findings in different parts of the world a great many of the Taranaki problems have unfolded themselves. Space does not permit of a full survey of the many . diseases and troubles experienced during the last four years, but attention will be focussed on the most important and in particular the diseases and conditions of the greatest economic importance. Apart from notifiable diseases dealt with by the Department, the following in order of importance must be discussed, viz., sterility, contagious abortion, mammitis, deficiency diseases, including milkfever, after-calving indigestion, and acidosis. Since each and every one of these diseases present ramifications involving the sciences of soil fertility, plant husbandry, and animal nutrition, it. is impossible to enter into a full discussion of the causation, progress, and manifestation of any particular problem. It will suffice, therefore, to deal merely with the aspects immediately concerning the farmer, in order to indicate where possible, the ways in which he can obviate many of the risks involved and what is more important, rational lines of treatment and management. STERILITY IN DAIRY COWS. Sterility, or returning to the bull, whether permanent or temporary, will always present a problem of the greatest economic importance in Taranaki, so long as seasonal calvings are the geneial practice in the dairy herd. Broadly speaking, August calvings have been and still constitute the rule, and accordingly failure to conceive to date or not at all must be experienced. For this very reason, at least, a return to spring, and autumn calvings, which means winter milking, will have to be considered very seriously. Our field experts ’have shown the farmer how to extend his growing season, and in the same way how. to conserve his pasture for winter feeding, and yet seasonal calvings with the greatest economic losses due to sterility appear to be on the increase. One need only survey the position regarding calvings or better, still the fluctuations in output throughout the year to realise how competing countries are cutting out their losses. The position may be summarised by stating that many cows in the herd keep returning to service and may conceive towards the end of the year or after being carried through the season empty. In the writer’s experience, confirmed over several hundreds of herds annually, 70 per cent, of the sterility would be due to endometritis, inflammation of the womb, following contagious abortion infection, retained after-birth, and washing out or difficult calvings; 20 per cent, due to infectious vaginitis amongst the younger members of the herd, and the remaining five per cent, due to other causes, e.g., deficiencies, inbreeding, etc. Endometritis and vaginitis cases very often occtir side by side in the same; herd, but in others one or other of these conditions may account for the delayed conceptions. ' Endometritis or inflammation of the womb in the greatest number of . cases results from contagious abortion infection followed by other organisms, when retained after-birth may or may not result. Again, a great deal of trouble arises from premature calvings, either infectious, or associated with redwater and turnip sickness, the resulting state being the same, a chronic inflammationof the lining of the womb. DIET MUST BE WATCHED. At the same time may be mentioned, the unwise practice of feeding too much dry hay at time of calving. Certain seasons, account for a great deal of trouble, very changeable cold wet weather during the winter months has a tendency to bring the cows in a few days too soon with, retention of the cleansing resulting.. Infectious vaginitis in many herds accounts for one hundred per cent, of ; the trouble. This is a disease of young stock, which is introduced by an infected heifer or bull, and may spread throughout the whole herd, or at least the younger members during the first round of service. The use of the herd bull on the maiden heifers has accounted. for many disappointments. With regard to treatment or control of sterility, the whole situation may be summed up by suggesting a good and rational breeding plan. It is no use to become worried about sterility towards the end of the year, for very little can be done to speed up things so, late in. the | season. In the first place contagious I abortion must be controlled as outlined later. Next, rational husbandry must be j the rule, a good mixed diet, carefully saved ensilage or hay for winter feed, and above all feeding methods must be very carefully watched, to avoid redwater and turnip sickness, and at calving time a varied and laxative diet to facilitate parturition. In spite of all care

the weather conditions have to be contended with, and plenty of feed, and shelter must-be provided in such exigencies. Calving troubles, namely malpresentations and retained after-births call for skilled intervention, the utmost cleanliness, and judicious irrigations. With regard to scientific measures, the use of vaccines and bacterins has been, gaining favour in other dairying countries, and the success achieved -is most encouraging. Intra-uterine injections and iiTigations with iodine solutions have proved most satisfactory either just after calving or later during the month proceeding service. This again calls for skilled manipulation, when two injections at ten to fourteen days inter-1 val are given; Treatment for infectious vaginitis can be undertaken by the farmer himself, using mild antiseptic. washes, twice weekly for three weeks.! This later procedure has given excellent results in Taranaki, when permanganate of potash and salt, or sulpho-carbolate of zinc, have been used. In order ,to i anticipate trouble from infectious vaginitis, all young cows can be examined during September, and again, if neces-, sary, just prior to service. j September is the best month to con-• trol vaginitis by copious irrigations of | the vagina. Any animals found later j affected with vaginitis should not be ]

allowed to go forward for service, but treated during the three weeks following in order to be ready for service at the next heat period. The use of the herd bull on the heifers must not be permitted, a young bull must, be bred or bought in for this purpose. Maiden bulls only to be used. Washing out of the bull after each service need not be practiced unless the ’infection is discovered too late for treatment. To summarise:— (a) Breed your own stock, tb) Permit no breeding interchange, (c) Keep the in-calf heifers away from the herd till they calve down, (d) Maintain complete breeding records, (e) Adopt rational animal husbandry, feeding and management. (f) Furnish skilled attention for calving troubles, (g) Examine cows during September or month prior to service. (h) Employ scientific measures for treatment, September for vaginitis, July to September for endometritis, (i) Carry over or cull all empty cows after end of December, (j) Don’t use herd bull on heifers, buy a maiden bull. (Other articles by Mr. Hill Motion will be found on page 19.) j