Treatment of Sheep.

Manawatu Herald, 9 May 1903, Page 2

Treatment of Sheep.

A farmer on the West Coast of the North Island, who has been losing a number of lambs and hoggets through a trouble caused by presence of worms in the lungs and stomach, recently sent two badlyaffected animals to the Agricultural Laboratory in Sydney street for examination The lambs were not destroyed, but were kept in the laboratory yard, and given a fattening supply of dry, nourinshing food, but no medicine whatever. They have now completely recovered, and are getting fat This is another proof, although it is not needed, in the light of past experience, of the truth of the contentions of the departmental officers that parasitic deseases of this kind do not require medicinal treatment, but only the provision of a proper diet. Another sheep was recently sent down to the Veterinary Division suffering from fatty infiltration of the liver, as the result of too much fat-producing food and too little exercise. In other words the sheep bad been living in paddocks producing a heavy growth of nutritious grasses and clover, admirably adapted for cattle fattening, and even for sheep if they were cleared off a| soon as they became fat. Unfortunately for the owner this course had not been pursued. The sheep on its arrival at Wellington had already begun to shew some improvement as the result of twenty-four hours’ travelling without food. It has since been kept on a diet of a few ounces of hay daily, with plenty of water and exercise, and it has now entirely recovered. It is gradually being given a reasonably full diet, and in a few days, as it is a valuable stud sheep, it will be sent back to its owner completely cured This animal also received no medicine whatever, being"" simply dieted on rational principles. These cases afforded a valuable object lesson to sheep-owners.—N.Z, Times.