A CASE OF FAULTY CALF-MANAGEMENT.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XVIII, Issue 5, 20 May 1919, Page 296

A CASE OF FAULTY CALF-MANAGEMENT.

A good example of trouble among calves owing to failure to realize and carry out simple factors in good management came under notice last month. A settler in a North Island district wrote for advice regarding mortality among his weaner calves, certain symptoms, such as a dry cough, in the affected animals being described. ■ The calves in general were stated to be in excellent condition,” and running in a hillside paddock with “ good feed and good pure water springs.” - As the trouble appeared to be due to some cause which could be ascertained only on the spot the district Stock Inspector was directed to visit the farm and look into the matter. His report speaks for itself, as follows :—

. “ The owner is a dairy-farmer who raises thirty or forty calves each year. The calves are raised on whey. At weaning-time he has been in the habit of turning the calves out into the particular 30-acre paddock where the mortality has occurred. Asked why another paddock had not been used, the reply was made that they did not want to spread ‘ the diseased The mortality, consists of three calves last year and three so far this year. I made a careful examination of the paddock, in which I found about twenty calves running. The land is rough and the pasture coarse and innutritious, consisting mainly of .native grasses, utuwai, fern, and cocksfoot. The water-supply, which is not good, consists of two small sluggish streams in the bottom of boggy gullies, whilst the favourite drinking-place appeared to be a shallow pool of still water, in which the calves puddled and dunged. No recent deaths had taken place, so I could make no post-mortem examination. I made a careful inspection, however, of the calves in the paddock, and whilst the majority were in fair order there were three or four looking very dull and listless, with staring coats, pot-bellied, and visible mucous membranes pale. When disturbed each had a frequent short husky cough. I concluded that the condition was due to parasitic bronchitis, and have accordingly advised the owner how to treat the affected animals, and to move the stock to a fresh paddock where there is a pure water-supply and a more nutritious pasture.”