CATTLE DISEASES.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 September 1921, Page 10

CATTLE DISEASES.

MILK FEVER. . This affection in cows and its treatment is so well known to every stockowner that the complaint need not be dilated upon. There are, however, a few points that can bo mentioned which may have the effect of saving a number of cows. A fair percentage of mortalities have occurred in the past which could have been prevented if the proper treatment were carried out. The most general mistake made is in not treating the cows when the first symptoms are apparent. Some are inclined to wait and cannot realise that a cow is suffering from “Milk F(/ver” if she has not some symptom they consider must be present, or if she has a good flow of milk. The excitability or otherwise of the cow must not be taken into consideration. The safe rule is that any cow which shows any sign of staggering, or is down and unable to rise, at any time between the first and third day after calving, should be treated for Milk Fever. The treatment is not expensive and does no harm if properly carried out.

The cow most subject to this complaint is the third or fourth milker and one that ie a good milker. She need not necessarily be in good condition, although a high-conditioned cow would be more subject to the trouble. A cow should not be kept in the best pastures for ten days to a fortnight before calving. Select a paddock where she would have to move about for her food—one where the gras* is not too succulent, but not rough, coarse and indigestible. Good and sufficient water is essential. —

The special points for the treatment of “Milk Fever” are as follow:

(a) No drench must be given through the mouth, under any consideration, until the cow has practically recovered from the complaint or until she has thoroughly regained her senses. Sequels to the malady, such as inflammation of the lungs, constipation, etc., can be treated in due time. A large number of cows are killed every year through drenches being administered, when the animals are sub-conscious.

(b) The cow must be milked out. The udder and teats and the operator’s hands require cleansing and disinfecting with a saturated solution of boracic acid, or, what is better still, a eolution of formalin at a strength of one tablespoonful to two quarts of water. (c) The teat syphon, to be inserted into the teat, must be boiled for five or six minutes before use and the point of the syphon must not be contaminated with the fingers after the sterilisation.

The udder should be fairly well distended with air, and the teats should be then tied with broaft tape, after which the quarters should be massaged for about five minutes.

If the cow has not recovered by the seventh or eighth hour, the operation can be renewed.

(d) When a cow is unconscious or is unable to sit up on her own account, she must not be allowed to lie on her side, as the breathing is then impaired and the circulation of the blood is interfered wth, the .chance of her recovery being then remote. Many cows are allowed to die through this’ neglect. The cow must bp watched. The cow must be in a sitting position on her brisket, and to keep her in that position the use of trusses of hay or bags stuffed with some such material should be used.

(e) The dung and urine can be removed by the usual methods if necescessary. In cases where the cow starts to swell (blown), she may be gently turned from side to side and rubbed with a wad of straw, or a brush, over the region of the swelling. (f) As soon as the cow is able to take a little nourishment she should be given some boiled oatmeal in a fair quantity of cold water to drink, but this must not be given to her in the form of a drench. Bran cannot be recommended to an animal in this condition. Cut grass is Hie best feed, and hay can bo added if the grass is too succulent. Roots, or anything in the nature of cabbage, must not be given for at least four days. (g) If the cow shows no inclination to get up when conditions appear favorable, she should be lifted on her legs and given a good brisk rubbing over the body and legs for five or ten minutes, after which she will probably be able to look after herself.—The Dairyfarmer.

NEWS AND NOTES. The Department of Agriculture is evidently not greatly concerned by the annual slaughter of calves. It has been going on, says an officer of the Department, for many years, and it has increased with the increase in the number of Jersey cows. There is absolutely no market for Jersey steers, and consequently few fanners go to the trouble expense of rearing them. It stood-

to reason, this authority continued, that every year a large percentage of calves should be slaughtered. A cow was capable of producing during her lifetime about eight calves, and if every calf were reared, in ten years or so the cattle population would be very inconveniently crowded. It is not the Jersey male steers alone that have been knocked on the head, but the males of other breeds and crosses as well, and the percentage this last season was larger than ever. This was partly due to the fact that milk was too valuable to feed young calves, and other feed was correspondingly dear. There has been a good deal of pessimistic writing in the press about the so-called depletion of the flocks and herds in Great Britain, but looking into the official figures, what do we find? At the census last year there were 17,732,-

000 head of cattle in the British Isles, not far below the number of those in Australia, and only 400,000 below the average of the preceding four years. Sheep, however, show a. larger falling off, being 23,332,000, as against 25,787,250 in the previous four years, and 3,720,600 in 1912-16. The reports of the lambing this year, however, indicate that tlie percentage is phenomena], so the next census should show a very substantial increase in the sheep numbers. The value of all field crops produced in Canada for the year ending March 31, 1920, was 1,812,915,500d01., and the value of dairy products 247,531,352d01. The number of horses in the country is given as 3,677,369, ‘lie number of milch cows as 3,548,437, other cattle as 6,536,574, sheep as 3,421,058 and swine as 3,040,070. During the year 3,788,138 pounds of wool were graded by farmers’ co-operative organisations. The dairy butter industry has increased during the past decade from 5,478,3041bs to 25,356,7111bs.

A peculiar statement is made in an English journal, which says: “Queensland is such a land of plenty that it is there sometimes practicable, and even profitable, to feed cattle on bananas. A farmer there writes: ‘I turned 30 head of cattle into a 40-acre patch of bananas—not a run-out patch, but practically a new garden. They started to “wol” the bananas. There were enough bunches of bananas when the stock was turned in to fill any of our liners. The few head of cattle ate the lot, and the plants as well, inside a few months, and none of the cattle died or suffered, from any ill-effects. They got as fat as seals.’ ”

Dairy cattle are in great request juit now, in view of the good market prospects for butter and cheese as compared with . those for meat and wool. The demand is general throughout the North Island, with the result that some most undesirable animals arc sent into the saleyards.

“I am satisfied that the farmers of New Zealand have been far too quiet in the past,” remarked Mr. W. Perry, of Mafiterron, at <1 confsrence of producing interests held in Wellington. “They are allowing other interests to he pushed, but they are not pushing their own. It has often been remarked that conferences have been held, a great deal of discussion has taken place but at the finish . there has not been any punch behind the resolutions. That is the point we have to try to get over.” A somewhat different view of the matter was taken by Sir James Wilson, who said he thought that farmers often passed resolutions which the Government could not carry out. “They overload the papers with their resolutions,” declared Sir James Wilson, “and it is impossible for them to be carried out. They (the resolutions) are submitted to the Government, but don’t go through, and it is then asked: ‘What is the use of passing resolutions?’ I think that if we found out what could be done by the Government time would be saved.” .