Sheep and Goat Science Commons^™

Why Did These Lambs Die?, Stanley M. Dennis

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

INVESTIGATIONS over the past two years have shown that most lamb deaths in Western Australia occur during the first three days of life, that is, in the critical neonatal period.

Most of the lambs died between 24 and 72 hours after birth.

Congenital Abnormalities In Sheep, Stanley M. Dennis

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

More than 60 forms of abnormality have been found in lambs in Western Australia and in some flocks the proportion of particular abnormalities has been as high as 8 per cent, of lambs born.

In this article Dr. Dennis discusses the causes of abnormalities and reports progress of a Statewide survey of congenital abnormalities.

Predators : Lamb Killers Or Scavengers, Stanley M. Dennis, C. D. Gooding

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

PREDATORS, particularly foxes and crows, have long been considered by many farmers in Western Australia to be a serious cause of lamb losses during the first week of life.

Results of the post-mortem examination of 2,179 lambs carried out by the Animal Health Laboratory over the past two years, however, throws considerable doubt on this belief.

These examinations revealed that 34 per cent, of the lambs showed mutilation by predators but only about 2 per cent, actually died as a result of predator attacks.

Clover Disease Of Sheep In Western Australia, A B. Beck, M. R. Gardiner

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

DURING the past five years there has been a marked increase in the incidence of breeding abnormalities of sheep associated with the grazing of subterranean clover pastures.

This complex of diseases first became a major problem in Western Australia in the years following 1940 and eventually became known as "clover disease".

Stocking Rate And Wool Production At Kojonup, Davies H. Lloyd, A. W. Humphries

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

RESEARCH workers in several parts of the world have recognised the overriding importance of stocking rate in raising animal production per acre.

This article describes some of the initial work on the effect of stocking rate on wool production and liveweight change in medium-Peppin Merino sheep.

The work was carried out at the C.S.I.R.O. "Glen Lossie" Field Station at Kojonup, Western Australia.

Stinkwort (Inula Graveolens Desf.), G R W Meadly

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

THE original home of stinkwort is the Mediterranean region, including northern France. Apparently the first Australian record was at Onkaparinga in South Australia about 90 years ago.

Efforts were made to keep it in bounds during the years immediately following introduction, but it continued to spread and is now f i r m ly established in all agricultural districts of South Australia.

It also covers large tracts of land in New South Wales and Victoria and occurs in most districts of Western Australia.

Starvation In Newborn Lambs, Stanley M. Dennis

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

INVESTIGATIONS over the past three years have shown that most lamb deaths in Western Australia occurred within the first three days of life.

Sixty per cent, of these losses were due to starvation/mismothering.

Weaning Lambs Under Pastoral Conditions, H Suijdendorp, L. Parsons

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

IN the summer rainfall region of the pastoral areas lambs are too often born too late to ensure their survival.

In good seasons with a fair measure of winter rain more late lambs will survive, but losses are still serious. The only solution to this problem is to make sure lambs drop in May-June.

But the presence of late and often unmarked lambs at mating time is a disturbing influence, which makes it hard to advance the established mating pattern.

The Causes And Control Of Infertility Of Rams, J Craig

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

FACTORS other than physical faults often cause infertility of rams.

Obviously, it is important to distinguish between temporary and permanent infertility to apply the proper remedy.

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.

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.

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.

The Role Of Fleece Measurement In Selecting Merino Sheep, H G. Neil, R. J. Lightfoot

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

MANY things determine how much wool a sheep can grow.

These include the amount and quality of pasture available or how the sheep are fed, the stocking rate, the general health and thrift of the sheep and other management considerations such as cropping and the time of lambing.

Ram Management, J Craig

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

REALISING that good rams play an important role in flock improvement, the wise flock owner selects his rams after careful consideration of their breeding, type, production and fleece characters or potential meat-producing qualities.

Good ram management can have a major effect on lambing percentages. In this article Senior Veterinary Surgeon J. Craig outlines methods of achieving the best results from rams.

Contagious Ophthalmia (Pinkeye) Of Sheep, C R. Toop

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

CONTAGIOUS OPTHALMIA, better known to the sheep owner as "pinkeye", is a common disease of sheep particularly during the summer months.

It is known to occur in most countries where sheep are kept and is prevalent in Australia throughout the sheep-raising areas.

Flock Testing : Weighing, Sampling And Measurement Procedures For Fleece Measurement, H G. Neil, R. J. Lightfoot

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

An outline of shearing-shed procedure for the collection of greasy fleece weight records and sampling of the fleece for detailed measurement by the Department of Agriculture Flock Testing Service for Merino stud breeders.

Set Stocking Has A Place In Soil Conservation Farming, J E. Watson

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

Set stocking of sheep at increased stocking rates is rapidly becoming popular with farmers in the agricultural areas of Western Australia.

But will set stocking increase soil erosion hazards? It should do just the reverse, according to Soil Conservation Adviser J. E. Watson, B.Sc, who claims that set stocking has a place in soil conservation farming.

The Control Of Infectious Abortion In Sheep, Stanley M. Dennis

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

Infectious abortion con be an important cause of lambing losses in some flocks.

In this article Senior Veterinary Pathologist Dr. S. M. Dennis describes the symptoms of infectious abortion diseases and gives some recommendations for their control.

Recent Advances In Lupinosis Research, M R. Gardiner

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

BECAUSE of the important role which lupins play in light land development, flock losses from the effects of lupinosis must inevitably continue to be a matter of serious concern.

However, research carried out during the last four years has considerably advanced our knowledge of the fundamental nature of this disease and of the way in which it may be prevented or controlled.

Saltland Notes : Don't Put Sheep In Yet, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

If you have sown bluebush or saltbush this year, keep the sheep out.

Infectious Abortion Diseases In Sheep, Stanley M. Dennis

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

There are increasing signs that infections causing abortion in sheep are an important source of lambing losses in Western Australia.

The organisms responsible may cause losses at any time from the 60th day of pregnancy to a week after birth.

This article discusses the symptoms, effects and control of infectious abortion and associated losses, and outlines a research project started this year to investigate them.

Dingo Control In The Kimberley Region, J J. Freeth

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

With all the recent dramatic developments in irrigated agriculture in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, one is apt to forget the main wealth of the district still lies in its pastoral industry.

Man, in his efforts to obtain a living from the pastoral industry, has to contend with many pests which compete with pastoral activities.

Perhaps the most serious and certainly the most sagacious pest in this region is the dingo.

Ovine Listeriosis : A Newley Diagnosed Cause Of Infectious Abortion And Lamb Losses In Western Australia, Stanley M. Dennis

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

LISTERIOSIS is an infectious disease occurring in animals and man and is caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes.

It is worldwide in distribution and has been reported in 28 species of animals and 11 species of birds.

This disease was recently diagnosed in Western Australia for the first time when it was found to be a cause of abortion and perinatal lamb losses in sheep.

Oxalate Poisoning. 1. The Effect Of Oxalate-Containing Plants On Ruminants, M R. Gardiner

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

Poisoning by plants which contain salts of oxalic acid may be a more common cause of stock losses in Western Australia than was previously thought.

This article describes the effects of these plants on ruminants and outlines an experiment in which the toxicity of soursob was examined.

An article in next month's Journal of Agriculture will describe the most important oxalate-containing plants found in Western Australia.

Grow More Wool, W L. Mcgarry, R. J. Lightfoot

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

THE amount of wool that each sheep grows is determined by many things, including the amount and quality of pasture available or how the sheep are fed, the stocking rate, the general health and thrift of the sheep and other management considerations such as cropping and the time of lambing.

Selenium And Sheep Health : A Review Of White Muscle Disease Investigations In W.A, M R. Gardiner

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

SELENIUM, the latest trace element to be investigated in medicine, biology and agriculture, has been found to be essential in the prevention of a wide variety of animal diseases in various parts of the world.

Select On Fleece Weight And Cull The Low Producers, W L. Mcgarry

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

EFFICIENT calling of maiden ewes before they join the breeding flock is an essential part of any policy of flock improvement.

Removal of the low wool producers should be one of the first considerations when culling the flock.

Weaning And Weaner Management, R J. Lightfoot

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

MOST of Western Australia's Merino flock owners wean their lambs in the months of August, September and October.

Too often this is done indiscriminately to fit in with other operations, or lambs are left on their mothers for long: periods until the ewes are remated.

Urea For Sheep And Cattle On Dry Feed, Laurence C. Snook

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

Urea can be a valuable supplement for ruminants which have to depend on dry feed low in protein.

It is not a substitute for good quality conserved fodder.

Urea is extremely poisonous if eaten in excess and great care must be taken when feeding it to stock.

There are a variety of ways in which urea can be fed and these are outlined in this article.

The Department of Agriculture's Animal Nutrition Laboratory is now carrying out trials to determine the most convenient and safest method.

Urea is most effective as a fertiliser; when used in this way it results …