STAGGERS IN SHEEP

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 May 1939, Page 3

STAGGERS IN SHEEP

SYMPTOMS AND CAUSES. SOME VETERINARY ADVICE. A condition commonly called “staggers” has been seen in sheep in different parts of New Zealand recently. “Many farmers will know the symptoms quite well,” said Mr T. K. Ewen, of the Stock Division, Department of Agriculture, Christchurch. “It is only when a mob is being shifted, or otherwise stirred .that you see the trouble. Then, as they are running along, affected sheep will suddenly develop a paralysis of the hind legs, which seems almost at once to extend into a tetanic spasm of the whole body, with the inevitable result that the animal tumbles over. Although it may struggle stiffly, it is unable to get up; and even if it is put on to its feet then, it cannot stand. If it is left for a little while, depending upon how badly the sheep is affected, it will generally get up and go shakily off to rejoin the rest of the mob. Most farmers have found that only ewes are affected with this condition, but I have seen it on two properties in lambs, as well as in horses and cattle.

“It may be asked, what is the cause of this disease? But here it must be admitted that we are on uncertain ground, for there seems to have been no investigational work done on this condition at all. Many farmers, I know, are convinced that the cause of the trouble is the fungus disease of ryegrass heads, known as ergot. It is easy in most instances to ascertain whether affected mobs have had access to ergotised ryegrass heads. But on the other hand, many unaffected mobs have been in the same position. It sometimes develops on paddocks that have been stripped for grass seed, and on other paddocks where there have been affected sheep I have been unable to find any trace of ergot. Again, the symptoms whether in cattle,, sheep, or horses, are not typical of ergotism, which has been produced experimentally by feeding ergot to horses. CHANGE OF FEED. “From what one can learn from farmers of their experiences in other dry summers, and from the time of its occurrence this year, it does seem to be connected, at least in older sheep, with the ingestion of a dry, fibrous, unbalanced ration. It may, therefore, simply be due to this; perhaps complicated by a deficiency of vitamin A. A rather similar condition can be produced in animals by feeding vitamin A deficient diet. Support is lent to the view that it is a matter of unbalanced feeding by the fact that by providing a more balanced ration, such as by a change to a stubble paddock (where there is grain to be picked up), or to rape or green feed, the trouble can be cleared up within a week or 10 days. However, an objection to the ‘dry-grass theory’ is that I have seen ‘staggers’ occurring amongst lambs grazing upon very young ryegrass during the last month. The affected ones recovered when the mob was allowed access to a paddock of green oats. “The one constant finding, then, is that it seems only to occur upon ryegrass. It may be wondered whether, under certain specified conditions, ryegrass may contain some hitherto undetected toxic substance. Research work might usefully be directed upon this disease. It remains true that the condition is one of interest more than of seriousness, since deaths apparently do not occur and, in any case, it would seem that complete recovery can be effected by providing a more balanced ration.”