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yards, where a good clean-up and more hygienic handling of sheep is necessary if these losses are to be curtailed. Infection of sheep with the blackleg organism is becoming more prevalent. Infectious Entero-toxcemia (Pulpy Kidney).—ln connection with the control of this disease, the District Superintendent, Dunedin, reports : The losses in lambs four to six weeks old have been on a par with previous years, certainly not above average. This season and last season, probably aggravated by the wet conditions, there has been a recurrence at a later age, involving losses of lambs three to five months of age, which have been rather above the average. The vaccination of ewes is extensively carried out. A demonstration on the technique of vaccination was given in the North Otago district to a group of farmers. This arose through a heavy loss of ewes (90 out of 1,000) from blood-poisoning where the instrument, use, and techniquewere obviously at fault. As previously stressed, vaccination of ewes is a very valuable measure in the control of mortality in young lambs from pulpy-kidney disease, but the farmer carrying out this vaccination work should take extreme care in the handling of the vaccine to prevent its contamination, in the sterilizing of syringe and needles before use, and in all procedure connected with the operation, so as to prevent any risk of introducing" infection from outside scources which might reflect discredit on the vaccine itself. Lymphadenitis. —The inspection of carcasses for this disease at freezing-works was mainly confined to palpation methods. Owing to difficulty experienced at works in obtaining suitable labour to do incision of glands, it was impossible at several works to have this requirement complied with. It is hoped that with a return to more normal conditions the work will be undertaken satisfactorily. Pregnancy Toxaemia (Ante-partum Paralysis) in Eives. —The incidence of this disease was very low during the year, mainly due to good pasture conditions prevailing during the pre-lambing period. Where overstocking was in evidence in areas affected by dry conditions and the absence of green feed, some losses were experienced. Again a heavy snowfall in July in Canterbury was responsible for more than usual losses in early lambing ewes. The ewes due to lamb later were not affected to any extent. Parasitic Gastro-enteritis. —Although internal parasites of sheep were prevalent in the autumn and winter of 1945, the dry summer experienced has had a good effect in reducing the parasitic larvae on pasture and the parasitic intake of the young stock grazing in these dry areas. So far hogget losses have not been serious, but a great deal depends upon adequate feed during the winter months. In many sheep districts of the North Island the feed-supply position is not good. Some losses in ewes continued to be reported in parts of Canterbury, particularly ewes in low condition that were suckling lambs. The drain of milk-production on an insufficient diet enables the worms to gain the upper hand and post-mortem examination reveals a heavy infestation of worms. An increasing number of sheep-owners are using phenothiazine as a worm medicine,, and generally very good reports are being received as to its effectiveness. Many ton& are now being used annually in the treatment of young stock of all classes. An investigation was carried out in the South Island into a pecular condition of lambs scouring on their mothers, thus reducing early fat drafts of milk lambs. An inquiry was carried out in the Lumsden and Wanaka districts. The problem wasinquired into from the inorganic deficiency angle, as well as from a parasitic and nutritional angle. As the Lumsden area is interested in grass-seed production, and as similar trouble was also experienced in an area in Canterbury where grass-seed production is pursued, there is some evidence that sheep husbandry has been neglected in favour of seed-production. The nutritional side of the problem is a difficult one to solve, but in view of large paddocks and inadequate grazing control on areas concerned in seed-production there is every reason to suspect the type of feed available as being unsuitable for fat-lamb production. The affected lambs recover on feed and even on grass paddocks later in the season when the feed is more mature. Contagious Ecthyma (Sore Mouth). —A number of outbreaks of this disease continue to be reported, mainly in South Island flocks. Vaccination, where carried out, has.

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