MORTALITY AMONG SHEEP.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1454, 31 May 1912, Page 8

MORTALITY AMONG SHEEP.

SOME CAUSES AND THE REMEDY. The Chief of tho Live Stork division of tho Agricultural Department (Mr. L. >*. Iteakes) stated at the Knrnmrs Union Conference at PalinoTston. »Ny» an exchange, that there had teen cousiilerah.o mortality among sheep oil tho Nest loom:. particularly near "Wangamu, but 'ako on tho a\lanaM"ahi' line, Jieuror u elluigroi). The'sheep affected were principally ewes and 3lr. I?cakes described tho symptoms and showed that tho sheep walked round and round in a comparatively small circle, paralvsis, and subsequently death ensiling. Last year he had personally investigated tho cause ami effect, ami had dist-ovorod that tho trouble was not duo to any contagious disease. As a matter of fact, he had inoculated other healthy sheep from the affected one? and found that there tvas no result. Tie then opened up tho carcasses and ascertained that a process of fatty degeneration was going 011. The digestive organs revealed certain disturbances indicating that the food was not hems properly digested. Forniontation was being produced in the bowels and the gases formed eventually affected the brain, culminating in paralysis. lie likened the trouble to indigestion in the human being, the only difference being in the latter case step?; were taken to afford relief; whereas the sheep had lo suffer in silence. Paralysis developed and eventually tho animal became a martyr to the existi-nt trouble. The remedy was to put the sheep on fresh pasture with short grass. I.ong grass* was primarily responsible for- the trouble. He preferred N Hie change of pasture a? being probably the best ai}d easiest method of removing the source tof mischief. Of course tho sheep could be treated medicinally, but with a big flock it was a task few cared to undertake. A dose of Kpfoni salts at once cleansed the bowels and relieved the pressure 011 the brain.