WORMS IN CALVES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 April 1944, Page 31

WORMS IN CALVES

DRENCHING AS PREVENTIVE INFESTATION FROM SAPPY FEED (By Telegraph—“Times-Age” Special.) PALMERSTON NORTH, April 6. Prevention is better than cure, especially when farmers seek to fight the battalions of worms which this year are likely to make commando raids on calves (states a bulletin prepared by Massey Agricultural College). As soon as the autumn rush of feed starts, farmers should carry out the drenching of calves every three weeks with a bluestone-nicotine mixture, or phenothiazine. This will prove a good defence against the invasion of large stomach worms and small threadworms,, whose attacks have been held back by dry weather in the summer. As a. further means of prevention, the calves should be changed on to clean pasture on which calves have not been grazed much before. If worms are already evident, the animals should be put on to the best feed available, with a complete change of pasture. If they are scouring badly through the activities of the small threadworm, their condition can be built up again with a little hay and concentrates such as meal, bran and pollard.

Recent rains make heavy attacks by these worms likely. The dry weather

held back the mounting mass of infection, which needed only moisture, shade and sappy feed to allow it to bring about a mass hatching of the eggs laid by the worms throughout the summer, and lying dormant in the pastures during the dry- spell. The larvae deposited with cattle droppings are carried skywards on the fastgrowing grass, and, when picked up easily by the feeding calves, start again their laying of eggs. When these have had their period of dark-room development they emrge into the light of day, to be picked up from the grass again after a ten-days’ growth.