Care of Livestock during August

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 87, Issue 1, 15 July 1953, Page 50

Care of Livestock during August

Contributed by the Animal Research Division /'’’ALVES should be fed their mothers’ milk for the first 3 days. This is important, as the first milk, known as colostrum or “beastings”, contains substances which increase

CALF REARING

a calf’s resistance to . scours. Since overfeeding is an important cause of this trouble, not more than 6 pints daily should be fed

during the first week, 7 pints during the second week, and 8 pints during the third week. Diluting the milk ration with a quarter of its volume of water will also reduce the incidence of scours. If scours occur, a supply of a sulpha drug should be obtained from a Veterinarian immediately, as the drug is very effective when used promptly. Calves should not be kept in a calf paddock. When 2 to 3 weeks of age they should be rotationally grazed ahead of the cows. Alternatively, rotate the calves through a minimum of 5 cow paddocks, in which they should spend not more than 5 days at a time in any one paddock. Where good pasture is available calves can be weaned quite satisfactorily at 8 weeks. If whole milk is fed, there is no need to give more than 7 pints per day. Cows about to calve should be brought into a handy paddock so that they can be kept under supervision. If a cow has difficulty in calving, veterinary assistance should

CARE OF THE CALVING COW

be sought as soon as it is obvious that the presentation is not normal and in any . case within 6 hours of the start of

labour. Unskilled interference exhausts the cow and makes the Veterinarian’s task more difficult or even impossible. Veterinary assistance should also be sought if the cow does not clean within 48 hours. Do not hang weights on the afterbirth. Autumn-saved pasture is the best food for newly calved cows, but it must be grazed in small breaks which the cows

FEEDING AFTER CALVING

will clean up in about 2 hours. The cows should continue to receive as much silage as they will eat and if

the pasture is short and sappy, they should also receive hay. The full sisters of high-producing heifers should always be kept, as should the daughters of Merit Sires with a high progeny test. Providing they are sturdy, the calves of very

SELECTION OF CALVES FOR REPLACEMENTS

old cows with good life-time performances , should always be kept, and there is no reason why the calves of well-

bred heifers should not be kept. Twin heifers are seldom worth keeping and the twin of a bull calf should never be kept. About 10 per cent, of all lambs are either born dead or die during the first week. These losses can be reduced by careful shepherding. Many lambs and some ewes can

CARE OF LAMBING EWES

be saved by skilled assistance during lambing. Always use. a reliable lubricating antiseptic on hands , and wrists. Faulty presentations must be corrected.

A lamb should never be forcibly pulled away when a leg or the head is turned back. A number of lambs die from suffocation through the cleanings remaining over their nostrils. These are very easily removed. Where necessary lambs should be assisted to get a drink. This is particularly important where ewes have very large teats. Drawing away a few squirts from these will reduce their size and enable the new-born lambs to suckle. Ewes with very large teats, very small teats, badly placed teats, or defective udders should be marked for culling. A big percentage of their lambs will die. Many lambs which die during cold or wet weather would survive, if they got a good drink soon after birth. ■

Milk from each quarter should be examined with a strip cup before milking. If it shows any abnormality or if the udder appears inflamed, treatment with penicillin should be

MASTITIS

started at once. Three tubes should always be injected at 24-hour intervals, even if the milk appears normal after the 1 first tube.

Prompt treatment early in lactation will often save a quarter which otherwise might become weak or even blind. If difficulty was experienced in getting cows in calf last summer, now is the time to seek veterinary advice to

STERILITY IN COWS

prevent, similar trouble this year. Control of trichomoniasis depends on using only clean bulls and not mating cows for several months after calving. It is, therefore, too late to do

anything if action is deferred until the.mating season starts. Calves and yearlings may become very lousy during late winter and early spring. Control can be effected by

LICE ON CALVES

the use of suitable dips, sprays, or washes, of which those containing D.D.T. or “Gammexane” are most effective. Repeated treatments may

.'be necessary, as the eggs are difficult to destroy. Red worms reduce the efficiency of farm horses. Drenching with phenothiazine now will prevent the pastures becoming contaminated with eggs and thus, reduce the chances of

WORMS IN HORSES

reinfestation in spring. As phenothiazine causes very severe reactions ,in some horses, dosing should be done under veterinary supervision wherever possible. If this can-

not be arranged, divide the dose recommended on the package into 5 parts and give it over 5 days. Navel disease is contracted in the incubator, which should be scrupulously cleaned and fumigated with formalin

DISEASES OF CHICKS

between batches of chicks. Pullorum disease can only be controlled by repeated blood testing of all stock, immediate disposal of all and thorough cleaning and disin-

fection' of premises after each test.