THE SHEEP LOUSE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1296, 27 November 1911, Page 8

THE SHEEP LOUSE.

EFFECTS, DETECTION, AND SUPPRESSION. Apart from (he tick and the louse, says Mr. A. T. 11. Hubbard in the November issue of the "Agricultural Journal." our sheep aro practically free from external parasites. The presence of three, however, entails serious loss both in wool and earcat's, and should therefore command tho earnest attention of all sherpowners. Thar, considerable apathy exists on the part of majiy farmers, particularly in regard to lice, cannot be denied. ... The tick being larger and consequently, nvoro conspicuous' than tho. louse, it is perhaps regarded by many a* being the moro harmful, whereas tho lonso is really a much moro serious menace to the welfare of the sheep. Reduced vitality, loss, of condition, ami iujurv lo the fleece, are each directly attributable to the ravages of the louse, dependent as it is for its sustenance partly upon tho blood it extracts. from its . victims ajnl partly on ihe yolk of the wool. Owing.to continual restlessness of the. sheep, caused through irritation, its vitality aDd condition are rapidly reduced, proper growth of wool is retarded, arid the fleece is seriously damaged through constant rubbing against feuces, logs, etc. With reduced vitality the louse-affected sheep naturally becomes a prey to other ailments. In'this connection Mr. Hubbard is cf opinion that much of the difficulty experienced in this country in raising young sheep would be overcome if owners exercised greater care in ensuring that their lambs are maintained free of lice. The rigour of tho winter months demands that every endeavour should be niado. to rid the Limbs as far as possible of anything calculated to undermino the constitution.

METHOD OF DETECTION. ' , As man}- shecpo.wn.crs freely admit that they "don't know a louse when they see it," nor know how to look for it, a" few remarks in' this direction will perhaps Ijo of same value. In the majority of cases where sheep aro affected with lico there. are generally, outward and visible signs <|1' the trouble, consisting of poorness: of condition, dry, hungry, or scoured .appearance of the wool; and the fleece is also often broken and tufted, portions having been lorn out by the sheep- rubbing themselves against fences, logs, etc., in the endeavour to allay tho irritation set up by tho vermin. In order, however, to definitely sat.isfy oneself as to tho presence of lice, a closer examination is necessary, and for (his .purpose the sheep must bo caught. After being 'turned towards tho best available light the wool should be parted, so as to expose the skin to view, and the sheep 'examined carefully, especially the parts surrounding the brisket, neck, and well up about the ears. Vermin is of feu found in the ears when nowhere else, owing to want of thorough immersion of tho sheep when being dipped, (he cars thus escaping treatment and rent-lining a breedingground arid starling-point for fresh infection. Lice, will generally be found well down, on the skin, and in badly affected cases the skin is scaly and lacks that' pink colour characteristic of the clean, healthy sheep. ■SHEEP-DIPPING. That dipping in many instances,is carried out in a very perfunctory manner must be. admitted. Carelessness, want of knowledge, and limited beans are tho main factors operating in this- direction. For tho successful suppression of vermin, in sheep it is obvious-'that dipping mr-st bo universally done, and oh thoroughly, effective lines. Of tho many dipping preparations on tho market' some perhaps, are uioro effectual than'others; but while the niaterialused is. often blamed for unsatisfactory results it is very often the method employed that is at fault. Proper mixing of the dip and thorough immersion of the sheep are the fundamental- essentials'of successful dipping. Whore circumstances permit and a large number of sheep have to be dealt with, the GOfl.-lohg dip is perhaps the best, but where, a small flock is. kept a less'expensive dip, and yet just as effectual, may Ixi constructed by adopting the semicircular typo of bath. This class of dip is in use on many small farms, and gives entire satisfaction. It is generally built about 10ft. long by aft. across its greatest width. This holds about six sheep at one time, and permits them swimming about freely, until the'draining pen gate is opened'and they are released. By this method thorough dipping is accomplished; w-hercas in the short, straight dips, so often found on small farms, tho sheep cannot be. retained sufficiently long to ensure proper immersion, and'consequently little goo_d results. ,„ ' " As -regards the best time to dip, there is a diversity of opinion, but the best-solu-tion of that problem is to dip twice— that' is, firstly "off the shears,'' or soon after shearing, and again later oh, but during the statutory dipping period. The first operation costs comparatively little, owing to the shortness of the wool, and-it-rids the. lambs of tho parasites which desert.tho older sheep as soon, as shorn. Tho second dipping will destroy the vermin hatched from, eggs which perhaps survived tho "first immersion, and results in the flock being in gocd clean condition to face the winter months. . . . The idea which largely provails amongst sheepowners—that vermin aro a uccessary conconiitanr to - poverty—is -entirely erroneous. Neither lice nor'licks can arise spontaneously. Low condition is certainlv conducive to the increase of vermin,'but if a sheep was absolutely clean and' was not exposed to infection from others it would not develop vermin, no matter how poor in condition it became.