NOTE ON THE CARE OF WEANER AND YEARLING HEIFERS.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 54, Issue 1, 20 January 1937, Page 32

NOTE ON THE CARE OF WEANER AND YEARLING HEIFERS.

D. Marshall,

Veterinarian, Department of Agriculture, Hamilton.

Considerable mortality occurred in this class of stock during the winter of 1936, and much, of the loss was directly or indirectly due to internal parasites, chiefly stomach-worm, though lung-worm was troublesome in some instances. In South Auckland the summer was wet, and this favoured the survival of a large percentage of the parasites during the period passed in the larval stages, outside the host. Further, the sloppy pasture-growth during a wet season itself predisposes .to a loose state of the bowels, and seems to be less suitable for young animals than the feed available in a drier, season. There is an intricate relationship between the type of food and the presence of parasites in producing the characteristic- unthriftiness, debility,, anaemia, and scouring usually (and in most cases rightly) put down to worms.. It is not always easy to know just how much of the trouble is due to type of feed in itself and how much to the presence of parasites. ■. In some instances a single treatment with a reliable .worm-drench checks mortality and is followed by improvement in the remainder. At other times repeated drenching seems of little benefit unless aided by better feeding. The Rowett Institute has shown that with, young sheep some supplementary feeding greatly reduces the number of parasites that becomes established in the sheep. In Australia Clunies Ross has shown much the same thing, and states that, in combating some of the small worms resistant to drenching, most benefit comes from improving the feed. With young cattle, observant feeders in this country have remarked on the importance of improving, the feeding of worm-infested heifers by crushed oats, bran, and linseed-meal, .and even by putting the young animals back on a ration of milk. Routine drenching of young sheep is accepted as a necessity on many sheep-farms. . The same conditions apply in young cattle. Parasitic disease is one of the penalties to be paid for permanent pastures and heavy stocking, and must be guarded against. Drenching of young stock once mortality has commenced is sometimes disappointing in its results. Among the several reasons for this are — (a) Treatment is not begun until all animals are already in an anaemic state and have lost condition ; (&) insufficient attention is paid to supplementing the action of the drench by some improvement in feeding (complete elimination of worms, even if it were possible, would still leave the animal in an anaemic, weakly state calling for nursing and tonics) ; (c) animals are returned to the same pastures and reinfection is constantly taking place. The symptoms of parasitic gastritis are unthriftiness, harsh coat, and a skinny appearance, weakness, anaemia indicated by pallor of lining of eyelids, &c., and nearly always some degree of scouring. Somewhat similar symptoms t are seen in “ bush-sick ” cattle, but scouring is not a feature.

Indications at present point to the coining summer being favourable to the development of parasitic disease, and in view of the increase in value of dairy yearlings additional care is justified to bring them

through their first and most critical winter. If there is a choice between 1 dry, sunny - ■ faces and damp flats the - former- should -be chosen 'as a grazing-area for yearlings. Heavily top-dressed pastures are' not ideal, but a newly-sown paddock, being clean, should be suitable, if the feed is not too laxative. . Ample range is always desirable, but on smaller dairy-farms may not be available. . . . , Where suitable grazing-areas are not available, and particularly where parasitic gastritis 'has been in evidence in the past, drenching -should be commenced not- later than the ist of March, and repeated at least once a month. In this way 'parasites are kept in check, and it is easier to maintain condition on such animals than to try to replace it in ones enfeebled and anaemic through parasites. ' . A suitable worm-remedy "is the bluestone and nicotine used for sheep. If this is mixed at the rate of 2 Oz. bluestone and 2 oz. of 40-per-cent. nicotine sulphate to' I gallon of water, six-to-eight-months calves may be given 4 oz., increasing gradually to 6 oz. at a year old. It may be found that a few yearlings will be made staggery and will go down, but these will recover in a- few minutes. If this happens the amount of drench may be slightly reduced. No preliminary fasting is .necessary, but it is .desirable to yard the animals for. two hours beforehand and to keep them from water for one hour after .drenching. A In addition to routine drenching; feeding must be adequate. Good hay should be available from the end of April. A small amount of concentrated food such as crushed oats, and bran, with a little linseed-meal, or meat-meal will be helpful in July, usually the hardest month. Shelter is highly important: an open-fronted shed, or access to a good haystack, will at least give warmer sleeping-quarters if good hedges are not available. In ridgy country the lie of the ground may give a certain amount of shelter from prevailing winds. No' mention is here made of treatment of lung-worms, but the same general control measures are beneficial in combating these. Drenching, while of almost no. value against , lung-worm, should not be neglected, as very often, though lung-worms are present and . the frequent cough due'to them' is in evidence, the stomach-worms are the real offenders.