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Tales From Dead Lambs : Results Of A Survey Of Lambing Losses, Stanley M. Dennis

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

During the past year the Animal Health Laboratory has been conducting a preliminary survey into the infectious causes of abortion in sheep and perinatal lamb mortalities. This work was prompted by:

* The diagnosis of vibrionic abortion for the first time in Western Australia in 1961, and

* The estimate that 30 per cent, of all ewes mated in Australia each year may fail to produce a viable lamb that survives to marking time.

This enormous lamb wastage is due to a variety of causes and the role of infectious agents has yet to be evaluated.

A Simplified Mulesing Crush, G T. Halpin

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

DURING the last two years Mr. Tom Flanigan, a mulesing contractor in a large area centred at Katanning, has performed the mules-tailstrip operation on many thousands of lambs and sheep.

Starvation/Mismothering : A Major Cause Of Lambing Losses, Stanley M. Dennis

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

RESULTS of the preliminary survey into the infectious causes of perinatal lamb mortalities carried out last year by the Department of Agriculture showed that starvation/ mismothering was the most important single cause of death.

Horse Problems In The Kimberleys, M R. Gardiner

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

A review of current horse disease and ill-thrift problems in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, with emphasis on the "Kimberley horse disease".

DISEASES and other conditions affecting the health and working capacity of the horse have long had an important bearing on the economy of the cattle and sheep industries of the northern part of Western Australia.

Under present conditions it is impossible to muster stock on the large pastoral leases in the Kimberley districts without the aid of horses, and many other operations would be more difficult if stockmen were denied their services.

Piglet Anaemia : An Iron Deficiency Disease, F C. Wilkinson

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

PIGLETS are born usually with only about 40 mg. of iron in their bodies and the sow's milk only supplies about 1 mg. of the 7 mg. needed each day by the piglets.

This means that if the piglets do not get additional iron, the body stores soon become depleted and anaemia occurs at about one to three weeks of age.

Mules And Tailstrip Lambs At Marking Time, R J. Lightfoot

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

THE mules and tailstrip operation is basic to fly strike control and should be routine practice in all flocks in the same way as other accepted management practices like marking and crutching.