MORTALITY AMONGST LAMBS

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1279, 7 November 1911, Page 8

MORTALITY AMONGST LAMBS

"THE WOOL BALL." Commenting on a paragraph which appeared in this column on October !il regarding mortality amongst some of the biggest lambs in" the Manawatu district, which mortality same experienced farmers suggested was due to indigestion, because of tho quantity of curdled milk found in the digestive organ?. Mr. A. P. Wilson, of Waikopiro, Dnnnevirke, writes in the following interesting strain:— "This lamb mortality does not. only apply to tho district unmed, but practically to the whole of New. Zealand, or, rather, it applies to lambs suckled by long-woolled ewes, and in my opinion coasts as soon as tho ewe shearing is finished. .. ; ' "To dato this season I have found seven, dead lambs between tho ages of three and five weeks, and on opening ■each I found that the milk was curdled, and badly so at that, but after stirring tho chewed grass which is mixed with this undigested milk, I found in each caso this season, as I have also found in all similar cases in past years, a small roll or ball of wool, which is very mattod mixed with the food in tho stomach, and unless one is extra careful whilst making this examination tho roll of wool is liable to bo overlooked, through its being tho same colour as the food in tho stomach. The. Real Trouble. "This ball of. woe], in my-opinion, is tho direct causo of the death >oi'. the majority of these big lambs.; men arguo that by crutcliinir the ewes very late, acts as a preventive, but in this I must differ, for I know of .feveral ewe flocks cvutched as late as' J lino last, and still the 'big lamb mortality' occurred. Tho lamb, whilst ravenously sucking its mother, must certainly tako' into ite moiith any loose strands of wool around tho teat, and in somo-cases - this wool must be taken into tho stomach as scon as the lamb starts feeding'or nibbling tho grass. , "There is also another way in which a lamb may tako this wool into tho stomach. All sheep men havo noticed lambs whilst both lying down and standing quickly turn their heads towards the spot where a sheep tick is 1 annoying them, and bite vigorously at tKo spot for some seconds. In tho course of this wcol or skin nibbling act, it is only natural that « few strands of wool get caught between tho small teeth i antl, again, when the little miitton starts to nibble tho grass this wool becomes detached from its teeth, and consequently is mixed with the grass, and both find their way to tho stomach, where, during the process of digestion, it becomes separated from the natural foods and forms itself into a roll, which grows larger day by day, until the digcstivi organs are unable to perform nature's work, hence the curdled or undigested milk, and the end of another lamb. ... "The symptoms of lambs affected with wool-ball are quick, heavy breathing, as veil as a tendency to' being giddy or dazed,' and in the last stages tho lamb loses the use of its legs, but will live for hours, although not able to stand; •'also, in most cases the little sufferer retains it's sense right up to the moment it dies, as it will begin to shuiile it's legs the' instant one moves or a dog happens tu stir. In three-fourths of theso cases tho lamb is foiind alter death; also, as it" is 'only a lamb,' the majority of men do not hold post mortems on such, and probably if they did, their wisdom would not havo increased to any extent. Success of Bleeding. "In the past fortnight I was lucky enough to find two lambs alive, both down to it and .showing tta symptoms described above; one, a twin, with its mother and brother standing close by. 1 bled by nicking tho vein below oach eye; it' ibted, well, and '.'toVitiy^.surprise, after a little assistance, was able to stand, and eventually after some 15 minutes of staggering walked to its mother. I have seen this lamb on different occasions since and now il is nearly as fat as its mate. The othor casc was that of a single lamb, which I bled from one eye only, and this lamb also recovered and is now doing well. Both these lambs had been docked and neither was too fat, this latter fact' suggesting that . thoir illness could not have boon caused through too much rich food, thereby causing indigestion; also, neither was swollen or blown, suggesting clovor or tutu poisoning. "Mr. T. A. Harrison, an ej-president of the Ashburl'on A. and P. Association, writing on tho above subject, says that the deaths of lambs are invariably attributed to balls ol wcol which become clotted internally; alsc, too much mill; with the young grass. Mr. Harrison is inclined to think that it may be Ihe latter combination which causes an accumulation of gas; this, he says, fills the lamb with wind, so as to eventually stop ihe circulation of blood and free breathing, thus causing death, . If Mr. Harrison's latter .theory 're the gas 1 is correct, why are not lambs so affected,' when found alive, 'swollen or blown' ?—as tho fact ot gas or wind accumulating inside, would most naturally causo tho lamb to swell, as do the tutu and clover gases. Nevertheless, his suggestion re pulling the tongue gently outwards is well worthy of a trial. "I have successfully bled numbers of sheep sulieriug from eating tutu, which, as all know, both cattle and sheep are very fond of. As lambs die on places where there is no tutu and rich clover* I. am inclined to believe that Mr. Uarfisons theory re gas forming through tjie lamb getting too much rich milk as well as the rich grass is wrong, but I hope_that we may hear more on the subject irom some of our veterinary friends."