LAMBING TROUBLE.

Shannon News, 23 July 1929, Page 4

LAMBING TROUBLE.

A WARNING TO SHEEP FARMERS

(By Department of Agriculture.)

Many of the troubles met with in stock in New Zealand are percuLiar to this country, whieh is singularly free from infectious diseases. The cause oi our losses in many cases can be traced to tho effects of feeding conditions. In colder,, less temperate climates, where the growing season is much shorter than in New Zealand, the question of winter grazing of sheep often presents a problem. In New Zealand however, sheep farmers are favoured with a long grass season and in some districts with the exception of roots very little supplmentary feeding is necessary. With the extended and varied use Of fertilisers the present long .grass season may be further prolonged. There is a danger that in some eases the conditions of feed may bo too congenial, more especially for the heavier breeds of sheep.' In the South Island more provision for winter, feeding is necessary than in the North. In the North Island feed is as a rule plentiful, so far as sheep are concerned, for the greater part of tho year . The sheep’s close grazing habits enable it to obtain its food supply on pastures where seme of the larger ruminants would encounter difficulty. In either ease ,whether the food issupplied as supplementary to the available grazing, or whether it consists almost entirely of gra.*s, there is a serious danger of the breeding ewe becoming too fat . It is safe to say, that more losses are encountered in the breeding flock from an excess of condition than from a shortage of. the food supply. Compared with tele cow 7 the ewe has a short period of production, as the lambs areas a rule weaned early There is then a period when the animal under our congenial conditions is inclined to become too fat. As a result, of obesity and also on account of advancing pregnancy the cwos become sluggish and very lazy in their habits. This shiygishness is noted in all pregnant animals, but ewes being more phlegmatic than cows or mares, the danger of lack of exercise in the ewo flock, if the food conditions are plentiful and do not call for forced exercise, is a very real one. With a -hcringe of feed the ewes are forced to travel afield in search of it. The forced exorcise thus ensured renders the animal physiologically fit, the ho weds are regular, constipation and indigestion are guarded against, and the result is a fit flock, not a fat one, and lambing troubles are infinitesimal.

To consider the case of the flock with a plentiful supply of food. The flock does not take any exercise,.it has no need to; the feed is within easy reach whether it is grass or supplementary foods, the ewes are naturally lazy, they lay on fat even to the exten of fatty infiltration of the liver and other organs. There is a tendency to constipation with indigestion, impaired function of the liver, even some evidence of jaundice. The most acute cases in the flock are inclined to become listless, have difficulty in rising and drag behind the remainder of the flock. In a day or so the ewe is found down and unable to get up, if raised, the hind quarters appear unsteady, and if forced to move the animal ofton staggers and falls. This condition is well known to the farmer and is known as paralysis of the hind quarters. If the eye is examined it is found that it has lost its sensitiveness and the animal is only semi-conscious If not disturbed it will remain lying and often die without a struggle. Hence, in some districts this mortality of pregnant ewes has been referred to a.i "sleeping-sickness” a terra which is somewhat symptomatic but otherwise has no bearing whatever on the nature of the diseases. As has been already 7 indicated this condition of 1 the pregnant ewe is brought about through not obtaining sufficient exercise when grazing.

Value of Prevention. This is the season of the year when it is advisable to anticipate the trouble. The best cure is prevention. Pregnant ewes require to be exercised regularly for a period of at least a month to six weeks before lambing. It has been proved by the majority of owners that regular. exercise before lambing, rendering the ewes physically fl', not fat, absolutely and entirely prevents losses from this cause. A minority still consider this trouble infectious but there is no evidence wdiat ever to suggest that the, rouble is of bacterial origin or transmissible from one ewe to another.

In a typical case of this trouble in Marlborough where deaths were taking place the pasture on which the sheep were feeding was rather bare, but the owner was feeding the flock on hay, roots and chaff which were ‘taken to the paddock daily. As a result the ewes did not take any exercise, merely feeding and lying down to ruminate, and feed again. The ewes were ir: good condition. The owner was advised to drive the ewes daily to a paddock of green food, allow them to graze thereon for two hours daily, and then return. No further losses took place and adopting preventive measures on these lines no losses from this cause were experienced last lambing season. The practice of forcing exercise. upon pregnant ewes in good condition is being more and more adopted. Ewes carrying twin lambs are more often the victims ,but even ewes carrying single lambs succumb. Aged- ewes are more susceptible than young ewes. The exercise should not be hurried or forced but should be regular for a period of from four to six weeks before lambing is expected. Lsses are not met with about 10-20 days before lambing so that the preventive measure necessary, the exercise, requires

to be started, six weeks before lambing.

Treatment of the affected ewes is not satisfactory although a number of owners have claimed cures from the .use of a laxative (four ounces salts dissolved in water) and forced exercise afterwards. If seen in the early stage* medicinal treatment may be tried but unfortunately tod many cases are only seen when the animals are too far gone, hence the necessity of taking; effective preventative measures and exercising early.