DRENCHES FOR STOCK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 October 1938, Page 3

DRENCHES FOR STOCK

USE OF NICOTINE MIXTURE. GENTLE TREATMENT NEEDED. The extent to which drenches are resorted to cure worm infection in lambs, hoggets and calves, indicate that the average farmer’s management of these young stock is far from perfect. Even with only moderately good management there should be no necessity to drench young stock more than once, whereas many farmers have recourse to this treatment five or six times during the first year of the animal’s life. When drenching with nicotine-sul-phate-bluestone, which is recommended for removal of the small intestinal or “black scour” worms, it is important to have the mixture absolutely correct. To make a 2 per cent solution, the usual strength, dissolve 11b. of copper sulphate in five gallons of water. Into this mix thoroughly 16 fluid ounces of 40 per cent commercial nicotine sulphate. Drench in the following proportions:—Adult sheep, 2 fluid oz.: twotooths (12-18 months), l|oz.; lambs (8-12 months), loz.; \lambs (4-8 months), :?oz.; lambs under 4 months, loz. The drench should be mixed and held in a wooden or porcelain vessel, and it is well to remember that except in the case of bluestone, all measurements are in fluid ounces. Points to remember are that drenching should never be hurried. The smallest amount of this nicotine entering the lungs will cause pneumonia and death. The drenching gun or funnel should not be roughly forced into the sheep’s mouth. Nicotine enters the system through these abrasions and frequently kills the sheep. Sheep heavily infested with worms, and weak, should not be drenched with a nicotine mixture. The poison enters the system through the inflamed and perforated digestive membranes and is deadly when once in the blood stream. Dose such sheep first with bluestone only; feed them well, and then give the nicotine-bluestone drench.