UNHEALTHY SHEEP.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3989, 15 December 1891, Page 3

UNHEALTHY SHEEP.

Th» Opinion of a Fanner

A Canterbury farmer, who recently visited- the plains, writes under date Nov. 30th :—"After leaving Hawera, I went over a number of farms on the Plains, and I was surprised to see such a numbe/bf unhealthy sheep on such excellent grass, and now I wish to state what I believe is the cause of and recommend a remedy. Many of the sheep have bronchial worms, thread-like worms which increase rapidly and cause irritation in the lungs and coughing. One great cause is that sheep are continually pastured sn the same land and lambs pick np the worms passed by other sheep. A number of hoggets have died; one man told me he had lost as many as 30 per cent. Now, I should recommend to kill off the old crocks that are not •north curing and dose the others, young and old. Terpentine is the best known cure; it has to go to the stomach and diffuse through the body, and kills the worms in the lungs. Fumigation with sulphur is a remedy, but if the worms are far down it is impossible for them to be coughed up. If carefully dosed and put on clean pasture, recovery will be rapid. Keep the sheep away from low-lying marshy places, where the worms increase and multiply, and provide watering places where the sheep will get pare, clean water, and let farmers take an example from Mr A. h. Fantham, who has windmills and water trongbs, and keeps the water pure by adding lime now and then. He has the healthiest flock of sheep I saw on the coast. He does not complain of the climate being too wet for sheep, bnt provides them with good food, pure wfcer and shelter, and the result is what it always will be to those who use care and judgment. sij/th, & good thing for the young ■wßimd if chaff is used for winter fdolfc is good to mix a little salt; it keeps them healthy and stops scour."