TE KAPUA NOTES.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 201, 30 September 1916, Page 4

TE KAPUA NOTES.

(Own Correspondent) Since last, time of writing, in Te Kapua, we are gradually drifting into advanced spring, having survived fierce gales and cold rains, and everything looks brighter in country surroundings, and we hope to see no more “picturesque snow” until next winter. Stock generally are picking up well, with increase in grass, but there is one grievance settlers have just now, and that is the rather severe mortality among the lambs. The best of the flock are found dead. I referred to this matter some time ago, and wished for discussion by some authority, but :i seems to be unaccountable. It is always the finest lambs that are attacked. Various reasons are given; some contend that the ewe having too much milk, the lamb gets too much and becomes blown; and that the pasture is foul with too many sheep; that the pasture may be too rich, and again it is said that slummed crutching is responsible. But these reasons seem to be at variance with one another, for while admitting that a lamb may have too much milk, the man with the good pasture suffers with the one with scant grass. in fact, the man with abundant pasture seems to be the heaviest loser, and as regards crutching, some who have not crutched at all have not lost any more than the man who did so.

Docking is now in progress, and good percentages are being experienced, and the lambs are really good, sturdy, healthy animals. An outstanding feature this year is the large number of twin lambs, and when they survive the weather and have good mothers, they thrive well and do not seem to be attacked with the fatality going among lambs —an argument which seems to bear out the fact that a lamb having too much milk is the cause of mortality.