CARE OF LIVESTOCK DURING DECEMBER

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 81, Issue 5, 15 November 1950, Page 404

CARE OF LIVESTOCK DURING DECEMBER

Contributed by the Animal Research Division.

AS each lot of lambs is 'sold, draft, off their Fl mothers together with any dry ewes which may remain in the flock. If feed is short and the CARE OF EWES ewes ,. have very little milk it AND FAT LAMBS " sually pa Z S . tO wean all tpe lambs, which can then be given the best grazing available. The ewes should be shorn and those which are to be retained should be placed on short pasture with ample water. This will help to reduce their condition and will result in a better lamb percentage in the following season. * * * If ewes with lambs are to be shorn, every effort must be made to reduce the time during which lambs are away from the ewes, as it is easy to wradtnc dry ewes at this time of the year. .■ . The ewes should be brought to the shed in small mobs and should be dagged before reaching the board. ❖ * * . ■ ■ ■ Farmers who wish to eradicate foot-rot from FOOT ROT CAN their flocks should obtain the BE ERADICATED ° e P a t‘ me x ?‘ w • A .. Bulletin No. 325. This is the season in which the eradication campaign must be planned.

Sows should be brought into the house a week or two before farrowing, and fed up to 6 gallons of milk per day, but this should be reduced to PIG 2 gallons plus bran if available on the FEEDING date on which they . are due. Watch for signs of constipation in heavy in-pig sows. Baconers from spring litters should be sold as sow feed requirements increase, as it is important not to starve the sows and litters. These sows require 6 gallons of milk plus an additional gallon for each pig in the litter. Meal may replace part of this ration at the rate of 11b. of meal for every gallon of milk. Orders for meal supplies for next spring should now be placed with, the merchants. * * * If cows are returning to service, examine the mating records to see if any particular bull is to blame. If so, get a Veterinarian or Stock Inspector COWS RETURNING J° collect . a .semen sample -rrA Tur? nr it t for examination. Be care1U ill 12 DULL - 1 . . . 1 ful m purchasing replacement bulls. If possible, buy a young bull that has not been used previously. Never buy a bull in the saleyards unless his full history is known. Washing out cows seldom helps and may cause trouble if irritant fluids such as kerosene are used. It often pays to consult a Veterinarian as soon as the cows are noticed returning to service in unusual numbers, as the Veterinarian cannot be expected to diagnose the trouble months later. * * * So-called roup is often fowl pox. Send specimens to the Animal Research Station, Wallaceville, for diagnosis. Outbreaks of. this disease can be FOWL POX prevented by vaccination, full details of which may be obtained from the nearest Poultry Instructor, Department of Agriculture. * * * . The zinc lining of new galvanised pipes may be dissolved by the flow through them of dairy ZINC POISONING by-products, and these then IN PIGS prove poisonous when ted to pigs. Consult the nearest Veterinarian before making a new installation. *' * * The year’s production can be materially affected by feed conditions during summer. Cows fed poorly now not only produce less milk during the DAIRY COW summer hut- will dry off earlier in NUTRITION the autumn Dairy statistics show that long lactation is very important, so start feeding silage or other supplementary milk-producing fodders as soon as pasture starts to dry off. Do not wait for milk production to show a material fall.