FARM NOTES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 143450, 10 March 1911, Page 4

FARM NOTES.

LUNG WORM IN SHEEP. A correspondent signing himself “Hutiwai” asks for a remeay for lung worm in sheep, which is said to ’ho rather troublesome in the Okau district. The local officer ot the .department of Agriculture, to whom we referred tho request, furnishes the following information by Professor Gilrulh, which we hope will prove useful to tlie settlers : Strongyhis Filaria, or Common Lungworm.—this undoubtedly is the cause of serious disturbance to tho annual economy, ns is evidenced by the exhausting and frequent fits or coughing the animal encounters on exertion when the parasite exists in tho bronchial tubes. Nob only do they set up what is known as verminous bronchitis by tho irritation resulting from their presence, hut they also, by occluding tho bronchial;, cause .collapse of the air-vesicles behind, and this a great part of the lung is prevented from exercising its function, being deprived of air the animal, fis a result, dying of suffocation. On post-mortem examination collapsed portions arc seen as ilarkhluo coloured patches on the outer surface. Largo numbers of young sheep are slightly affected with Luiigworin, especially in the North Island, but it is only when the parasites become numerous that the animal experiences inconvenience. The chief causes of the disease are : (1) The presence of the parasite in the pasture or water ; (2) stagnant drinking water; (3) weakness of tho sheep; (4) swampy undrained lands; (5) excessive rainfall and very wet seasons; (6) poor quality of soil, innutritions grasses, tussocky nature of good grasses, etc.; (7) want of care in weaning; (8) deficiency in quantity or quality of milk in tho mother ewe; (9) overstocking.

TREATMENT. To summarise tho conditions most favourable to serious parasitic invasion, these are', first, climatic; second, configuration and condition of ground; third (and most important of all), diet. Climatic conditions must he borne with, and if detrimental to the wellbeing of the sheep an attempt must be made to render tlie animals able to resist their unfavourable influences by a suitable and nutritious diet.

Tho conditions of the ground on which the sheep are running is primarily a matter of soil and configuration; and, secondarily (as. regards drainage, etc.), a question in which the pocket and the enterprise of the owner or lessee arc the ruling factors. It will suffice to say that, compatible with a sufficiency of nourishing food, the drier the ground the belter for the health of the .sheep. Hence, seeing trio physical and climatic conditions prevalent in this colony, tho whole Alpha and Omega of treatment of internal parasitic disease in sheep lies in a proper dietary. Medicinal treatment is of little value, besides being inconvenient, when, ns is usually the case, a large proportion of a flock are affected. The great-aim of sheep-owners should he to prevent the onset of disease, and this can best ho done by keeping the sheep in good heart and fettle during tho winter months. In cases where sheep are living in winter under unfavourable conditions a small quantity of dry nourishing food, given daily, will go far towards warding off the ill effects of parasitic invasion. The necessity for this cannot be too strongly impressed upon fanners living in wot districts. The benefits accruing from nutritions diet are well known in oases where sheep, weak, ailing, and emaciated, rapidly improve and completely recover as soon ns the spring sets in, and the young nourishing grass becomes .plentiful. Nature herself here furnishes a valuable object lesson. Where parasitic trouble is well established in a flock the best method of treatment is simple, vet, if properly carried out, is remarkably- efficacious. The sheep should bo placed upon the driest paddock available, and given one or two good feeds daily, of dry nourishing food. Oats aro of special value, and and about Coz of crushed oats-per cheep per day, combined with good sound hay or chaff will soon bring about a .rapid improvement. A useful adjunct is rpck-salt placed in the feeding troughs, or the sprinkling of a salt solution over the dry fftod. This diet is equally applicable- to sheep affected with either the lung or the stomach worms, and, properly given, will soon bring about a noticeable improvement in; tho health and condition of the animal. The successful results of thin treatment help to confirm the opinion that the truest and most rational method, both of prevention and cure of these parasitic troubles, is ’the provision of a gen : erous diet which includes a proportion of nutritious dry food. In other words provided a sheep is in good health and condition, and consequently in the possession of sufficient resistant power, tho entrance of any of tin' heforementurtied parasites into the. system, would cause little or no inconvenience. If, on the other hand, the sheep, through insufficiency of proper food or other causes, has become weakened mid debilitated, the parasites, once they have affectc(l an entrance, are enabled to increase and multiply to an inordinate extent, and their unfortunate involuntary host maintains them at tho expense of its own consequently rapidly decreasing vitality, and, unless its system is again built up by proper dieting, quickly succumbs.