CARE OF LIVESTOCK DURING OCTOBER

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 81, Issue 3, 15 September 1950, Page 196

CARE OF LIVESTOCK DURING OCTOBER

Contributed by the Animal Research Division.

WHERE cattle ticks are plentiful spraying or dipping should be carried out in November rATTTF TICK an< i December to prevent tick rnKiTDOT worry and to kill the adult female ticks before they lay their eggs. * * * In the east coast areas of the North Island where black disease of sheep occurs vaccination should be carried out during November or early BLACK DISEASE December. This will give proVACCINATION tection against the disease, which occurs mainly in summer and autumn. Vaccine should be ordered immediately. * * * In districts where crutch strike causes trouble in ewes crutching or early shearing is advised. Close supervision is necessary to detect cases so t>T aw/ltt v ctd tvd .that suitable treatment can DluVy W JuL/ J. oJL av.JLlk.ll i 1 • j v r .i . • 1 IN EWES be applied before the strike becomes too extensive. When treating cases of fly strike shear the wool away to leave an inch margin of clean skin around the the affected area. Remove the maggots by tapping with the shears, and apply some reliable nonirritant dressing. Irritant fluids such as kerosene tend to cause re-strike.

Deaths of sheep after shearing may be due to infection with the blackleg germ of cuts or bruises. The disease can be prevented by vaccinating at BLOOD POISONING ! east J Y eek b « fore shear " AFTER SHEARING ,Eg ' Before buying the vaccine discuss the matter with a Veterinarian or Inspector of Stock and thus be sure blackleg has been the cause of the losses. * * ♦ Blackhead affects young turkeys and poultry and the disease can best be prevented by rearing the birds on land which has not been contaminated rt ACKvrPAD by adult poultry. If an outbreak IN POULTRY occurs kill all affected birds and move the remainder to clean ground. In the event of a bad outbreak the local Poultry Instructor should be consulted, as in some cases treatment may prove beneficial. * * * Greenleg occurs in poorly ventilated brooders, especially if they are overcrowded and damp. At GREENLEG IN the first sign of trouble enGREENLEG IN & , BROODER CHICKS sure that . ventilation is ad ®’ BROODER CHICKS quate and -that the litter is changed if it is damp. * * * Infestation by round worms is one of the most important causes of poor development of young birds. All growing stock should ROUND WORMS b e treated twice with carbon IN POULTRY tetrachloride, once at 3 months old and again at 5 months. * * * Supplementary feed is essential to ensure the proper feeding of cows in winter and in dry summers and to control facial eczema in autumn, cTrnnirKicMTADv As soon as more pasture is SUPPLEMENTARY available than is pessary to meet the immediate needs of stock the balance should be shut up for silage or hay. On a well-managed dairy farm it should be possible to shut up at least 40 per cent, of the pasture. Crop growing for fattening of weaned lambs is standard practice in South Island districts, and it could with advantage be adopted more widely in North Island districts which experience a dry summer. Crops such as thousand-headed kale and turnips in addition to providing excellent fattening feed for lambs are a splendid insurance against facial eczema. In Poverty Bay and Hawkes Bay they should be sown before the end of October so that they can be well established before dry weather sets in.