STAGGERS IN STOCK

Waikato Times, Volume 118, Issue 19637, 25 July 1935, Page 14

STAGGERS IN STOCK

PASPALUM AND RYEGRASS

POSITION IN WAIKATO

Methods of combating disease

Farmers in the Waikato have had Considerable trouble this year by various forms of the 'disease known as grass staggers. Appearing in the autumn for the first time in the Dominion a disease which has been given the name of paspalum' staggers gave grave concern to settlers in various

districts of the Waikato. Dr. C S. M. Hopkirk, of the veterinary laboratory, Wallaceville, who investigated the position when the trouble was at its height, particularly in. North Auckland, reports comprehensively upon the disease in the Journal of Agriculture. The term “staggers” is much .used by New Zea-

land farmers to describe a variety of

diseases in horses, sheep and cattle, stated t)r. Hopkirk.’ It should be remembered, however, that a staggering gall?’is,a symptopi of many diseases

conditions. Discrimination is shown by the farmer "when the term is applied to grass staggers of dairy cows, ryegrass land paspalum staggers of stock, and to ■. a lesser extent in stomach , staggers of horses. Such conditions as; bloat and milk fever of ' dairy cows, anti-partum paralysis and circling disease of sheep, arthritis in

lambs, .all produce some inco-ordina-tion of movement'or staggering gait in an affected animal, as does tuberculosis of the brain; but not in such a ■way as to warrant the term “staggers.”

Paspalum Staggers.

Paspalum staggers is • very similar to ryegrass staggers, stated Dr. Hopkirk.- In New Zealand the condition is rare, but it is common.in South Africa and parts of the United States of America, where .the pasplum is infested f with a species of ergot. In an examination of the paspalum pasture in the Waikato and North Auckland ergot was found in large amounts, but the plants were also badly infested with another fungus—a species of Fusarium, which American research workers say affects paspalum flowering ing heads only when the spores of ergot are present. - Paspalum staggers mainly affects cattle, but may be seen in horses and occasionally in sheep. One owner said: “My cows are all drunk; what can I do with them?” That remark is a. satisfactory summing-up of the appearance of the trouble. Cattle have a swaying gait, find difficulty in walking, tremble ,excessively, and have staring eyes. Breathing is laboured, and some animals salivate freely. Rarely they fall, in which case the legs are frequently stretched out behind them. They have difficulty in rising. At - the time of the investigation, continued Dr. Hopkirk, the paspalum had been eaten down, but was quite green, and had come away with great rapidity following warm rain. Seed heads had grown to maturity in from two to three weeks. The leaves of • the plants appeared free from blight. Cattle were eating the heads and one owner had 30 cows affected on the first morning, 50 . the second, and 78 the third, and had great difficulty in getting them to the shed for milking. The supply of milk was not badly affected, for if left, quiet the animals chewed the ■ cud and behaved norm'Y ally, but moved around stiffly. They were, however, very easily frightened. ' In about five days from the time of first seeing the nervous symptoms -the animals appeared almost normal, though if -driven they got very excitable,' as evidenced by a mob of fat bullocks driven to the *meatworks a fortnight after the attack.

Method of Treatment.

The best method of treatment, stated Dr. Hopkirk, was to remove the stock from paspalum~lf possible. If not, thev should be put in the barest paddock"and fed hay so that t^y 'viU eat less of the grass, ihey quickly recovered. Symptoms were more alarming than dangerous J'Olhms was to be seen in post-moitem exan V nation of the cattle affected many were closely examined in the meatThe ergot of paspaium Is a brown berry-like excrescence of 2 mm. ° .:4mm. in 'diameter, *,ttaohed to l e 'seed heads, " often in considerably .numbers. As with ryegrass ergot the fungus falls to the ground, and when opportunity occurs forms spores. The paspaium seed head is not kept In check by stock to the same extent as that of ryegrass, and Iherefoie stock could the more easily eat quantities of the growing ergot, btoca. however, do not eat paspaium seed heads unless they are hungry, following droving, or unless the pasture tends to get somewhat short, that he paspaium ergot in the brown sclerotia stage is capable of producing staggers was tested out in Mississippi, ■ United States of America, and in South ■ Africa; Sib of seed heads will cause ■ acute staggers. Further, ~-i ea-oot -bodies fed to guineapigs daily feu J week kills the guineapigs while oO rergot bodies fed on one. day causes ..nervous symptoms. t