LOSS OF SHEEP AFTER WASHING.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1298, 20 March 1883, Page 4

LOSS OF SHEEP AFTER WASHING.

Tn following letter from Mr C. C. Boyes, <4 Kawarau Falls station—and eUo editorial remarks— relative to the loss of hie sheep during last shearing, appear in a recent issue el the 11 Australasian" Sir,—A number of my sheep have died thia season after being washed in hot water, and the cause of death is so mysterious that I shall bo greatly obliged If you can suggest any reason for it, Out of the first 5000 put through the wash I loot none, but, after that number had gone through, about 1 per cent, died in the paddocks. None of the sheep seemed to be affected until the second or third day after washing, when they were noticed to be lame in ths fore or hind quarter and carrying a leg; within 24 hours after they died. On skinning the sheep the part affected was quite black and mortifying, though no wound of any kind was to be seen. Sometimes this blackness was found only in the brisket and nowhere else. I had one sheep killed just before death, and on opening the stomach found all the internal organs quite healthy, but between the skin and the black flesh were small globules of water. Naturally I ascribes the losses to rough treatment at the wash, and when the washing was nearly over I put through one thousand strong sheep, and washed them with the assistance of my own shepherds. We took unusual care and time with them, but on the second day the same symptoms set in, and about 1 per cent died. After the third day no more died, nor do they suffer at all after shearing. My overseer puts it down to diseases, and says ths symptoms are identical with those of black-quarter, a disease that is prevalent on the borders of Scotland and Northumberland, but I have never heard of it in these colonies. I may add that the sheep were all healthy merinoes, fresh mustered from the hills to the wash, that I have used the wash for over 10 years and never lost over half a dozen sheep before at any one washing. lam very anxious to find out the cause of my looses, or I shall hesitate to wash another season. I am Ac., Chas. C. Boyles. Kawara Falls, Frankton, N.Z., Jan. 1. (The post-mortem appearances point to black-leg, but a more complete and critical examination would be desirable. We invite communications Jfrom others having similar experiences.—Ed. Mr Boyles also wrote to the Government Sheep inspector, of Canterbury, on the same subject, and he informs us that he considers the solution a satisfactory one. Below is the reply, which has kindly been placed at our disposal— Amberley, 10th February, 1883. Dear Sin, —1 am in receipt of your letter of the 23rd ult. I have not neard of the disease you speak of as having occurred in these colonies, From your description I am inclined to think with your overseer that the cause had been the sudden change from the native grass of the hills to the English grass of the paddocks. Ido not know what kind of a season you have had for grass, but I think it probable that the sheep have been brought in off compratively poor native feed where they have had a good deal of exercise, to paddocks that have been saved for them, and where they would consequently have had abundance of grass without travelling for it. It is thia sudden plethora of rich food which is the chief cause of black-quarter. An overflowing of blood is caused, and the veins in one or other of the extremities not being able to perform their functions quickly enough, become overcharged with blood, which becoming stagnant soon causes ganggrene to set in. Black-quarter does not appear to be an epidemic or contagoua disease and form the necessary conditions, it might appear at any time. It may be that this particular season your English paddocks may have been unusally luxuriant as compared to your native feed. In such seasons it would be advisable to top off the paddocks before bringing the run sheep in, As a remedy, bleeding from the vein on the inside of the thigh of the affected quarter would probably give relief. The ergot from the native grass which you ' sent me, I have often seen before, but I think ' it would have to be much more abundant than it usually is to cause much disease in . sheep. At the this time of the year—espe- 1 daily in dry season—our paddock sheep suffer a good deal from a disease called stag, gers, which is usually attributed to ergot of rye grass, My own opinion, however, and that of many others, is that it is caused by indigestion. If a sheep that has died from Krs be opened, a hard balled of undigessd stalks will be found in the stomach and thia I think, is the cause of the disease. I shall be glad to hear from you what conclusion you arrived at with regard to this new disease.—l am etc., Reginald Foster.