FARM NOTES

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 270, 10 January 1929, Page 6

FARM NOTES

DISEASES IN DAIRY STOCK.

MAMMITIS AND STERILITY. Advice of Dr. Keakes. The following articles on maaraiitis and sterility in dairy cows have been forwarded by Dr.. C. J. Brakes, Director-General of the Department of Agriculture, to Mr. J. E. Leeson, chairman of directors of the Morrinsville Dairy Company, who was one of a deputation which waited on the department recently to urge that more intensive study of these diseases be made in view of the tremendous loss that was being suffered by dairy farmers. MAMMITIS. Mammitis is one of the great troubles of the dairy farmer. Quite a number of cows which become affected in a mild way recover by nature’s own methods, but acute attacks often result in the loss of one or more quarters. - Like some troubles affecting the human race, it may Ae looked upon as being largely what !has been aptly termed " a disease of civilisation,” and it may be taken as ■a general principle that the greater the extent to which the dairy cow is developed as a < high-milk-yielding animal the greater will be her tendency to suffer from this trouble. Therefore the higher the standard of productiveness reached by our dairy herds the higher must be the standard of care and management exercised by the dairy farmer in handling his cows in order to obtain the best return from them combined with the J minimum of loss through sickness or death. i t-i>

The cow is the moneymaker, but it must always be borne in mind that trouble may be expected if she is treated simply as a piece of milkproducing animal machinery. As a matter of fact the good dairy cow of to-day is a highly-sensitive organism, and in her first flush of milk production especially her udder is the most sensitive part of her, the part most likely to suffer when exposed to any unfavourable or any injurious influences, and the prevalence of mammitis is an illustration of this.

Good husbandry methods can go 1 far in preventing this trouble, and though micro - organisms can be looked upon as being an important factor in producing the inflammatory condition of the udder which is | termed mammitis there can be little J doubt but that these organisms bej come most active, and do most harm, when the udder is in a suitable receptive condition as a result of some cause which lowers the natural resistant power of the organism to the attacks of disease germs. Among such Causes are (1) a temporary lowering of the vitality of the cow due to digestive disturbance caused by unsuitable or indigestible food such as an uijusual growth of grass .produced in the later winter months and not kept eaten down as fast as it has grown, thus persisting into the natural season of spring growth ; (2) a temporary weakening of the system by calving trouble ; (3) direct chills to the uddef, which is in a speeially-aetive and consequently a speeially-sensitive condition immediately after calving; (4) by the damaging effect of casual microorganisms associated with dirty conditions ; (5) by overstocking ; (6) by j the improper management of milking | machines, particularly as regards

working them at too high a pressure, by not removing the cups immediately all but the strippings have been milked out, or by uncleanliness. These are some of the predisposing causes of mammitis, and it is desired to impress dairy farmers with the necessity for using the best methods of management, or, in other words, to practice the best of animal husbandry, in order to prevent, so far as is possible, loss through this trouble. There is plenty of room yet for improving and increasing the milk yield of our dairy herds, but it must never be forgotten that the better the cow as a milk producer the better her owner must he as a dairy farmer if he is to maintain her in good health and at her maximum yielding capacity. With the best of care some cases of mammitis will occur, but the better the care and the greater the exercise of practical commonsense preventive methods by the farmer the fewer they will he and the greater will he the amount of the milk cheque. TEMPORARY STERILITY.

The condition generally known as temporary sterility of dairy cows is the cause of considerable loss and trouble to farmers in New Zealand and in all other dairying countries. In females of all types of animals, including cattle, there are always some ‘who, through individual idiosyncrasy, will not breed regularly or not breed at all. But this temporary form occurs so frequently that i t raises a perplexing problem. Gows exhibiting it will almost invariably get in calf at times varying fiSiiaily from two to four months for the time cf the first unsuccessful service, hence there can be no permanent defect in the generative organs of the animals, but there is evidently some cause or causes operating which prevent conception taking place at the time of the first or second service.

Intensive research is in progress in New Zealand, in America, the United Kingdom, Denmark and other countries on the Continent of Europe,

aimed at determining how the troui ble comes about and how it can best be combated. Meanwhile all the knowledge at present available must be supplied for the purpose of reducing the number of cases of temporary sterility to as low a percentage as is possible. Management and Treatment ef the Bull. In examining the position the degree in which the bull may be responsible for cows failing to hold must be fully considered, and there is good reason for believing that the adoption of the best methods of management of the bull will be of definite value. Points in management of the bull are as follow: 1. Never let the btill run with the herd but keep him apart and take each cow to him for service when she is ready. Let her have two services and then take her back to the paddock. This enables the bull to conserve his energy instead of wasting it in unnecessary services and perhaps (especially in the case of a very young bull) rendering himself temporarily useless from , time to time.

. 2. Do 1 hot allow the bull to be too fat and “ soft ” when the time for service arrives. He needs to be in really good Condition, but this can be overdone at the expense of the sustained energy and Vitality necessary for the effective carrying out of his season’s work. 3. If a hull aged i§ mdttths old oh therSaheuts is used do not overwark him by giving him too many coWs to serve. 4. Examine the bull’s organ carefully before the season commences in order to be satisfied that it is . perfectly clean and healthy. Also examine it at frequent intervals afterwards. If it is not, treatment must be at once applied. The form of treatment depends upon the nature of the trouble affecting it and wherever possible the advice of a veterinarian or stock inspector should he sought. If this is not immediately

available it is a good practice meanwhile to syringe into the sheath twice daily a mild solution of ordinary table salt. This should be prepared as follows : ■ A quart of water should be boiled in order to sterilise it, and a quarter of an ounce of salt added. The fluid should be allowed to cool to blood heat and then be injected gently into the sheath, the opening of the sheath being at the same time held as close as possible round the injection tube so that the fluid does not escape too‘quickly. Skilled advice from a veterinarian or stock inspector should be obtained on the spot as soon as possible, so that, if necessary, more specialised treatment, according to the exact nature of the affection, may be applied. But the salt solution is a good standby for the farmer until he can secure this advice.

5. A bull with any diseased condition of his penis should never be allowed contact with a cow.