FACIAL ECZEMA

Opotiki News, Volume I, Issue 114, 25 November 1938, Page 4

FACIAL ECZEMA

SPREAD PREVENTED AUCKLAND MAN'S CURE j ! GRAZING THE SECRET A method of preventing facial eczema. spreading among sheep was explained at Gisborne by Mr. C- H. Williams at the meeting of the Poverty Hay and Ijjust Coast Shoopownors’ Union. "V

He lore going into the details ol' I lie scheme, Mr. ‘Williams said he had been toldl ol tlie cure-by a- recent-visitor to Gisborne from the Auckland district, a. well-known farmer who had been battling with facial eczema for the past 20 years. During that- time this farmer had had heavy losses at times, and lie had found that- it was all a matter of grazing. He thought it- would lie of value if farmers in this district carried out a series of experiments before the danger period of depasturing sheep on differently treated pastures, different in respect f () the kinds of licks and fertilisers used.

The disease depended on the condition of the pastures, some favouring the disease and being unfavourable to the. sheep. To feed siek sheep on fresh pasture was the worst course to

adopt-. With the right conditions, the

Auckland man claimed, it could bring on facial eczema in, sheep within three days. .

Last year, Mr. Williams said, his intoirmaut had I anight 8(X) two-tooth sheep from an infected district and had not lost one, although the sheep on his neighbours’ farms were dying daily. He ii'ipl placed the sheep in a 54-acre, paddock of .knee-high mature grass, and that as his reason for his suecoss&t “The he , at least five weeks oiHf twvfoiredi. becomes safe,” lie said.

Mr. Williams had been told that to moderately stock a paddock avas liital, because the sheep would-.cut®the flush of grass, i When a paddock was overstocked- the feed was eaten right down and the dioep wore forced tin go baoic on to the’ rough grass, and never got enough ypftng growth to put their livers out of order- If all the Iced was eaten down and' there came humid conditions, it was the Aucklander’s policy to yard, the sheep lor 2d hours of the day.,.anil feed them for an hour.