FACIAL ECZEMA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 March 1939, Page 3

FACIAL ECZEMA

POSSIBILITY OF NEW OUTBREAK. WARNING TO FARMERS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. A warning to farmers in certain parts of the North Island against the possibility of an outbreak of facial eczema among sheep and cattle was issued last night by the Director-Gen-eral of Agriculture, Mr. A. H. Cockayne. “The spell of fine weather has dried out the pastures in large areas of the North Island, and, if the dry period is broken by warm rains, a flush growth of grass dangerous to stock may result,” he said. “In the December issue of the ‘Journal of Agriculture’ owners were advised by the Facial Eczema Management Committee, of which Dr. J. F. Filmer is chairman, to take certain preventive measure for the conservation of pastures and the provision of supplementary feed,” said Mr. Cockayne. Briefly summarised, the measures were: — Close up from a quarter to a third of the farm in December. The area shut up should consist of at least four fields to facilitate utilisation. -The first field should be closed in early December and the remainder at 10-day intervals during the month. The areas chosen for shutting up should consist of pastures least likely to flush quickly in the autumn, i.e., pastures containing a good proportion of cocksfoot, and situated on moist land or land lying away from the sun. The shutting up of paspalum fields should be delayed till the middle of January. If good growing weather is experienced and a mature field gets too rank, it should be grazed oil with cattle and the field closed again or another field closed to take its place. Holding paddocks should be selected for supplementary feeding bf sheep when a dangerous flush of grass occurs and the mature grass is being rationed out. These fields should' consist of pasture land not likely to flush rapidly; paspalum pastures or pastures on moist land or peat. The fields should contain ample shade. “If these precautions have • been taken the farmer will be in a position to cope with an outbreak should we be unfortunate enough to have a recurrence in the next few months.

D.ANGEROUS FEED. “It can be stated definitely that the dangerous feed is the rapidly-growing immature pasture which comes away quickly following rain in warm, humid weather. This being so, it is necessary to control or dilute the consumption of such feed by the grazing animals. How this can be best brought about on individual farms should be discussed with the nearest veterinarian or inspector of stock of the district. It is imperative that owners should notify these officers on the first appearance of an outbreak of the disease in their sl/Oclc “Briefly, the first symptoms of the disease are a shaking of the head, a tendency to seek shade, a swollen condition of the ears and head and a discharge from the eyes and nose. These symptoms are seen in sheep. “In the dairy cow the skin of the udder and teats is inflamed and swollen. Affected . animals are restless, seek shade and continually kick at the udder or attempt to lick affected parts. “There may or may not be evidence of jaundice in either class of animal. “When such symptoms are first noticed the animals should be removed from the paddock in which the feed may be considered to be dangerous and put on to a paddock of older pasture. If such a pasture is not available, a paddock well provided with shade should be selected, in which the stock may be held and fed on ensilage, hay, roots, maize, chou moellier, or other supplementary feed. This system of management will require to be carried out for a few weeks till the young pasture matures and till the danger period in the district is passed. Mass prevention is recommended on these lines in all dry, parched areas where a sudden fall of rain would bring about an excessive flush of young feed. “Affected animals require to be provided with plenty of shade, natural shade or sheds. The diet should be mainly of ensilage and hay with any other succulent crop available. The application of a soothing emollient ointment to the affected parts will assist recovery. In place of an ointment such as boracic, carton oil or picric acid solutions may be used. An easily prepared and cheap ointment may be mixed by the farmer by incorporating one ounce of boracic acid powder in a pound of lard or petroleum jelly. A black ointment affords more protection, and the addition of sufficient vegetable black to render the ointment a deep jet black colour will be found satisfactory. The affected parts require to be heavily coated so as to provide the necessary protection from the sun.”