Veterinary Medicine Commons^™

Mastitis : Prevention And Control. 2. Principles Of Mastitis Control, F C. Wilkinson

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

MASTITIS is a major cause of financial loss in over half our dairy herds.

Losses result from treatment costs, milk discarded, permanent loss of milk production, culling, lowering of solids-not-fat content and loss of butter-fat production.

Mastitis CAN be controlled. This article outlines the basic principles of mastitis control in the milking shed.

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.

Good Facilities Help T.B. Testing, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

Owner co-operation is needed for the smooth working of the tuberclin testing of cattle, compulsory in the South-West Land Division.

This article describes suitable facilities for the testing and how they operate.

Mastitis : Prevention And Control. 4. The Mastitis Control Programme Continued, F C. Wilkinson

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

PREVIOUS articles in this series have described mastitis and the principles of mastitis control, and suggested how a control programme may be established.

This article outlines the routine measures which should be maintained for continuation of the programme.

The Control Of Stock Medicines, J Shilkin

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

WHILST it is generally known that medicines sold for human use are the concern of the various health authorities throughout Australia and that many precautions are taken to ensure that these are both safe and efficient, it may not be so widely known that the sale of preparations for both internal and external use in stock is controlled for the same purposes by the veterinary authorities.

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.

Robinia : The False Acacia, Robert Dunlop Royce

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

ROBINIA, the false acacia, is a tree up to 60 feet high, and is native to the eastern United States.

There it develops a trunk 3 or 4 feet in diameter and produces a hard close grained and durable timber.

In America it is known as black locust or simply as locust.

Pig-Pox, F C. Wilkinson

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

THE lesions of pig-pox appear rather alarming when seen for the first time.

Fairly large red areas initially appear on the pig's skin followed later by scab formation, with healing two or three weeks after the first appearance of the disease.

Lot Feeding Of Beef Cattle. 5. Feed Lots And Animal Health, W J O Wilkie

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

BRINGING cattle from various sources together in a feed lot makes them more liable to disease than they would be in the open paddock.

Precautions, careful selection, prevention and vaccination can reduce the risk of disease and the possible need for treatment during the feed lot fattening period.

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.

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.

The Effect Of Mulesing And Tailstripping At Lamb Marking On Subsequent Lamb Growth And Incidence Of Fly Strike, R J. Lightfoot, W. L. Mcgarry

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

THE modified mules and tailstrip operation has been shown to be highly effective in reducing the incidence of crutch strike in sheep.

In Western Australia the operation is usually performed on ewe weaners or hoggets immediately after either crutching or shearing.

The Animal Quarantine Service, R K. Kent

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

Exotic diseases are a constant threat to Australia's animal industry and there are many reasons for the uncompromising ban on the import of certain animals from overseas.

Such diseases as foot and mouth and blue tongue would cost Australia a tremendous amount of money if they became established here.

Just how Australia protects itself against the introduction of exotic diseases is described by Veterinary Surgeon, R. K. Kent, M.R.C.V.S., in this article .

One Shot Baiting, C D. Gooding, L. A. Harrison

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

THE Agriculture Protection Board introduced the first of its contract poisoning schemes in 1955 in the lower South-West when three units undertook the first "1080" poisoning for farmers in Western Australia.

The originators of one-shot baiting describe this new technique and explain how it should be used for best results on the farm.

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.

Oedema Disease : A Cause Of Death Of Pigs In W.A, J Armstrong, P. Meyer

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

Within the last two years Oedema Disease ("Gut oedema") has been diagnosed as a cause of pig mortality in this State.

This article describes the nature, symptoms and methods of control of this disease.

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.

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.

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.

Vermin Control This Month, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

THE effects of the very wet winter are no longer being felt in vermin control activities in most of Western Australia and they have returned to normal.

Poison Plant Problems, T E H Aplin

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

A POISON plant may be defined as a plant which, when eaten by humans or animals, exerts harmful effects or causes death by virtue of its toxic substances.

Liver Cirrhosis : A New Poultry Disease, P Smetana

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

A new poultry disease which is apparently peculiar to Western Australia is causing losses in some commercial poultry flocks in this State.

The cause of the disease has not been isolated and no reliable treatment can yet be recommended.

Internal Parasites Of Cattle, J Craig, R. Butler, M. E. Nairn

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

Worm parasites can have a most serious effect on cattle, even causing deaths.

This article describes the main parasites of cattle, treatment with modern anthelmintic drugs and the best means of preventing and controlling worm outbreaks.

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.

Lice On Cattle, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

Lice can cause serious financial losses through reduced growth rates and loss of production in beef and dairy cattle.

This article describes the main species and recommended control measures.