Animal Sciences Commons^™

Autumn V Spring Shearing, W L. Mcgarry, I. K. Stott

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

IN the agricultural areas of this State it is customary to shear in the late winter or spring, usually some time between July and September.

In an experiment conducted at Muresk Agricultural College during the past two years it has been shown that shearing in autumn (March) has resulted in more wool being produced with higher returns than when shearing at the conventional time.

The Success Of The Rabbit 'Killer' Trials, A R. Tomlinson

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

SUCCESS well beyond what was anticipated has been achieved in a two year trial of a modified version of the rabbit "killer" method.

In the "killer" method, trained officers are employed to kill rabbits instead of to inspect and supervise the activities of farmers and, in fact, these officers do all the actual work of destruction.

This system was advocated by the W.A. Royal Commission which reported on Vermin Control in this State in 1944, and it was used successfully in New Zealand.

These trials were applied only to poisoning and not to overall destruction measures. The main object was …

Zamia Palm Poisoning, F C. Wilkinson

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

THE Zamia palm (Macrozamia Reidlei) is a common plant in the jarrah and karri forest country and on the coastal plains and is one of the earliest recorded Australian poison plants.

Brucellosis And Its Control With Strain 19 Vaccine, C R. Toop

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

DAIRY farmers of a generation ago will not need to be reminded of the ravages of contagious abortion or of the need for the continued application of effective control measures.

Fifteen or 20 years ago this disease which we now call Brucellosis was rife throughout the dairying districts of the State and it exacted a heavy toll.

The "abortion storm" was a common occurrence and it was not unusual for 30 per cent., and sometimes considerably more, of the cows in a herd to lose their calves at about the sixth month of pregnancy.

Deferred Grazing : What It May Mean In The Mulga Region, W M. Nunn

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

THE practice of deferred grazing has been written up in American textbooks and has been applied effectively to sections of the cattle range lands of the United States.

Early attempts to apply the principle in eastern Australia were not very successful, and it remained for our Departmental workers in the North-West and Kimberley Divisions to demonstrate the phenomenal results that could be obtained on grasslands in summer rainfall areas.

Wild Life In A Modern Age, Clee Francis Howard Jenkins

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

THE present human population of the earth is estimated at about 2 1/2 thousand million, and reliable sources consider that this figure will be doubled by the year 2000.

Although the pessimistic forecasts of Malthus have not yet come true, it is obvious that the world's food requirements, must lead to increased exploitation of land and other primary resources, with consequent repercussions on all forms of wild life.

Famous Sheep Breeds. 6. The Southdown, J A. Mallett

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

THE chunky, low-set, meaty-carcassed Southdown is a popular breed wherever prime mutton and lamb are appreciated.

Just as the Dishley Leicester was used to improve most of the British longwool breeds, so an infusion of Southdown blood has benefited the majority of the British shortwool sheep whose main role is meat production

Hit Rabbits This Winter : It Will Check Breeding And Give More Valuable Feed For Summer Grazing, C Marshall

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

NOW that the current summer "1080" Rabbit Drive is drawing to a close, it is time we considered our future plans.

I am afraid that in the past most farmers have relied far too much on summer control as the complete answer to rabbit destruction and that this reliance has increased considerably following the introduction of "1080" poison, plus the valuable assistance received from the myxomatosis virus.

Galah Poisoning : Kill The "Cocky", John L. Long, F. Vagg

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

NO! Not the one that tills the land, but his enemy, the pink and grey galah (Kakatoe rosei-capilla).

Farmers have usually found the destruction of galahs damaging standing crops and bagged, or stored grain, fairly difficult.

Past methods of boiling grain and adding sweetened substances are rather laborious and require a lot of time.

Now, a quick and relatively simple method is available to farmers, using paraffin oil to adhere poison to the grain.

Selenium : An Essential Trace Element, Laurence C. Snook

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

SELENIUM is one of the rare elements. In most soils it occurs in such minute quantities as to escape attention.

Plants, however, can concentrate selenium in their tissues and, in the U.S.A. in areas where the soils contain more selenium than usual, this facility can result in selenium poisoning in grazing animals.

Fortunately, none of the common soil types in Australia appears to contain enough selenium to affect the quality of the herbage.

Pig Pox : Its Presence In W.A. Is Suspected But Not Yet Confirmed, F C. Wilkinson

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

A PIG-FARMER recently asked for in-information on pig-pox and inquired whether the disease occurs in Western Australia.

The first part of the question is easily answered, as pig-pox is a typical pox disease caused by a virus and resulting in roundish, red areas appearing on the pig's skin.

The disease is in fact very similar to the other more commonly known pox diseases—chicken-pox in the human population, fowl-pox in poultry and cow-pox in cattle.

The Romney Marsh, J A. Mallett

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

THE Romney Marsh, sometimes known as the Kent, is the most popular of the British longwoel sheep breeds used in Western Australia.

Rams of this breed are widely used for mating with Merino ewes, the crossbred female progeny of the matings being in demand for subsequent mating with Downs-type rams to produce export Iambs.

Time Of Lambing, W L. Mcgarry, I. K. Scott

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

THE time chosen for lambing depends on many factors, and the final decision rests with the individual flock-owner who has to consider how different times fit in with the overall programme of farm operations; how they will influence the marking percentage, the marketing, the thrift of his sheep and most important, how they influence the profit from his sheep operations.

Cutting Costs In Calf Rearing, N A. Scott

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

RAISING calves as herd replacements and as a sideline to provide added income is becoming increasingly popular.

This is particularly noticeable since the inception of the Artificial Breeding Scheme whereby farmers are at liberty to breed herd replacements from their most productive cows and use semen from beef breeds for the poorer types.

Pullorum-Tested Poultry Flocks : 1960, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

EARLY in 1955, an amendment to the Stock Diseases Act made blood-testing compulsory for all commercial breeding and hatchery flocks of poultry, and it was required that the incidence of infection, as determined by the last test prior to the commencement of hatching, must be less than two per cent.

Beef Growth Rate Studies : Wokalup Research Station, Maurice C. Cullity

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

Comparison of Growth Rates on Irrigated and Unirrigated Pastures of Two Year Old and Yearling Beef Dairy Crosses and of Yearling Jersey Steers.

Hold On To Your Egg Profits, J A. Hoy

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

IN recent years, much sound advice has been made available to poultry farmers to assist them in developing their properties and operating them on profitable lines.

Much of this advice has been utilised to good advantage, but there are still many properties on which the profits are being reduced by feed wastage, damage by rats and mice, lack of sufficient attention to egg quality, unnecessarily high labour costs and failure to keep farm records.

Famous Sheep Breeds : The Merino, J A. Mallett

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

THE Merino breed has often been described as "the Royal Family of the Sheep World" and this title was never more applicable than in the case of the presentday Australian Merino—a sheep which, in addition to producing the world's most valuable wool is so staunchly-constitutioned that it will thrive under a wide range of conditions and has survived droughts in which the hardy native animals perished in thousands.

Lupinosis, H W. Bennetts

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

LUPINOSIS is a disease which has caused severe mortalities in West Australian sheep flocks in recent years, and one which—because of the important role which lupins are playing in light land development—must inevitably continue to be a matter of serious concern.

Vermin Control In W.A, A R. Tomlinson

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

THE annual report of the Agriculture Protection Board of W.A. for 1958-1959 indicated that while vermin control had continued at a relatively high standard throughout the State, most of the animal and bird pests were at the lowest level within the memory of most people.

However, there were ample warnings that any relaxation in control work could have rapid and serious consequences.

Pulpy Kidney Is Still A Sheep Killer, F C. Wilkinson

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

ALTHOUGH considerable publicity has been given to methods of control by vaccination, numbers of sheep are lost every year in outbreaks of infectious enterotoxaemia— the disease commonly known as "pulpy kidney."

Cattle Lice : Spray Now For Prevention, F C. Wilkinson

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

ALTHOUGH lice infestation can occur in any season of the year, the heaviest infestations are found during the winter.

This build up of lice infestation normally starts in the autumn but if the cattle are treated by spraying at this period, the majority of the lice are killed and the build up is prevented.

Thus the old saying "Prevention is better than cure" certainly applies with regard to cattle lice.

Milk Fever (Hypocalcaemia) Of Cows, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

THE condition known as milk fever is almost essentially a disease of highly productive adult milking cows at the time of calving.

It is characterised by a low blood calcium level causing a sudden general depression of consciousness of the cow and muscular paralysis.

Without treatment most cases result in the death of the cow.

How Efficient Is Your Drenching Gun? Does It Deliver Sufficient Drench To Kill The Worms?, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

THE drenching gun pictured certainly doesn't. It is set to give two fluid ounces of drench (60 ccs approximately). However, when tested by squirting the fluid into a measuring cylinder, instead of down the sheep's gullet, it delivered only 30 ccs.

Animal Division Moves To South Perth, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

THE Animal Division of the Department of Agriculture — which includes the Veterinary Branch, the Animal Health and Nutrition Laboratories and the Poultry Branch—was transferred to new premises at Jarrah Road, South Perth, early in July.

Autumn Lambing Means Autumn Feeding, C J. Spencer

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

MANY Merino flocks in the agricultural areas Iamb down in the autumn months.

This means that the lambs are being developed and reared when paddock feed is at its worst, and this in turn means that a well-planned supplementary feeding programme is essential.

Famous Sheep Breeds. 4. The Border Leicester, J A. Mallett

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

ALTHOUGH the Society of Border Leicester Sheep Breeders was formed only 62 years ago and the first volume of the Border Leicester Flock Book appeared in 1899, surprisingly little authentic information is available concerning the origin of the breed.

Studies In The Mulga Pastoral Zone. 1. The Grazing Of Wandarrie Grass Associations, D G. Wilcox

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

THE establishment of the Wiluna office of the North-West Branch marked the commencement of a series of investigations into the pastures of the mulga zone.

Unlike the agricultural areas where a fund of knowledge exists on the growth habits of the pastures, the pastures of this area were completely unknown.

The preliminary investigations had to be aimed at forming an understanding of the reactions of the various plants to rain, to temperature and seasonal conditions and to grazing in an area of extremely low rainfall reliability.

Studies In The Mulga Pastoral Zone. 2. Some Aspects Of The Value Of The Mulga Scrub, D G. Wilcox

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

THE mulga pastoral zone is so named since most of its area is dominated by Mulga (Acacia aneura).

The mulga is found associated with shrubs and grasses in almost all plant habitats. In its various forms it can associate with spinifex (Triodia basedowi), Wandarrie Grasses (Danthonia, Eragostis and Eriachne spp.) and with low shrubs on flood plains, hills and breakaways. It may even attempt to become established in salty communities, though this is never completely successful.

The scene the area offers from its low hills is one of a succession of low undulations, occasionally scarred by creeks or breakaways and …