ABORTION IN COWS.

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 285, 24 April 1929, Page 1

ABORTION IN COWS.

IMPROMPTU TALK. By Matamata Farmers. Interesting comments on abortion in cows were made by Mr. J. W. Simpson, a well-known Matamata | farmer, at a meeting of the MataI mata branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union last Wednesday. The speaker strongly held that a lot of what was considered contagious abortion in cows was in reality due to lack of care and understanding amongst farmers themselves, and was in no way contagious. He had been led to this belief by his own observations following an experience of his own. Causes of Abortion. At one period he had some heifers in calf running on a swamp. Sportsmen with dogs used to go amongst them, and frighten them, and this caused the animals to run and plunge through the swampy ground, with the result that they aborted. The | cause of this was simply rupture, j When he moved his stock from the swamp there had been no recurrence amongst his pregnant cattle. Continuing, Mr. Simpson stated that other farmers dogged their cat- ! tie, and when the calves were slip- | ped, they called it contagious abor- ■ tion. (Laughter). “ Gave Her Whato.” He next referred to the “ kind ” I person in the shed, who, when an animal kicked up, kicked her, and gave her “ whato.” (Laughter). A short time after the cow aborted, and £he farmer said “ contagious abortion—it’s infected.” (Laughter). So it is, infected—by somebody’s boot. (More laughter). Not half the cases are contagious abortion, he stated emphatically. Continuing, Mr. Simpson remarked that all present had seen mares in foal, while ploughing, slipping and stretching, and then their foal. It was mostly a case of lack of care and good management.

Mr. disagreed with the view that the bulk of cases were not the result of contagious abortion. In his opinion the disease came in cycles. » .. L A More Serious Problem. ' ? ( Mr. Rollett held that a more serious problem than contagious abortion was that of getting a cow in ! calf. Mr. West stated that he knew of a t former who had 19 cows out of 30 j suffer from contagious abortion. | r - Simpson: What kind of pasj ture W2s it on ? J Mr- West replied that it was during a wet year, when there had been heavy floods in the summer time. The slime had been blamed. Mr. Simpson remarked that there was another kind of abortion caused by rank feed. On the chairman drawing the meeting’s attention to the lateness of the hour, Mr. Simpson's final comment was: “ Well, that’s proved we can get a discussion, anyhow.” With this view members were unanimous.