Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Epidemiology, and Public Health Commons^™

1966 Beef Cattle Progress Report Of Research Activities, E. F. Frolik, H. H. Kramer

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Many beef cattle breeders in the United States and other countries are following the progress of the selection experiment at the Fort Robinson Beef Cattle Research Station, Crawford, Nebraska. Three lines of Hereford cattle from the same genetic foundation are under selection. Line 21 is selected for 200-day weight. Line 22 is selected for yearling weight. Line 23 is selected for an index combining yearling weight and a score for muscling and fat thickness.

Each line is operated as a closed herd so it will be possible to determine how much improvement in economic traits can be made by selecting …

A Sick Ewe Why? [Pregnancy Toxaemia], F C. Wilkinson

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

THIS dazed-looking ewe was seen wandering aimlessly around with an unsteady gait.

Three other ewes had died after a similar sickness lasting about four days.

Two more sheep in the flock of 350 ewes were also sick. One of them was down with its head on one side.

Down And Out [Pulpy Kidney Disease], F C. Wilkinson

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

Two days previously the weaner mob had broken through a gate into a hundred acre paddock in which an excellent green oat crop was growing.

The owner had not been particularly worried because the oats needed grazing. When however, he went to check the water troughs and found 17 weaners dead, he became perturbed.

Cow's Hoofs Need To Be Watched, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

THE need for thorough trimming of the hoofs of sheep for the control of foot rot is recognized, but few realize the need for trimming the hoofs of cattle.

A Sheep Management Calendar For Lambing On Green Feed, H E. Fels, J. A. C. Smith

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

The calendar contained in this article has been drawn up by officers of the Wheat and Sheep Division as a guide to farmers who plan to adopt July-August lambing.

The article also summarises the advantages and complications of later lambing (as opposed to the conventional autumn lambing) and discusses farm management programmes to deal with the problems in various districts.

Have You A Lambing Problem?, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

Here are the steps you should take if you have or suspect a breeding problem in your flocks.

Control Of Lice On Poultry, B R. Vale

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

DURING February and March of 1965 some particularly heavy body lice infestations were found on fowls in both deep litter and cage units in Western Australia.

In some instances comparatively new laying cage units were involved.

The most seriously affected flocks showed marked unthriftiness and depressed egg production.

Calfhood Diseases. 2. Respiratory And Nutritional Deficiency Diseases, M R. Gardiner

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

MOST of the common organisms found in the environment of calf sheds and yards may at times be responsible for respiratory infections, to which the young animal is very susceptible.

1965 Beef Cattle Progress Report Of Research Activities, E. F. Frolik, H. H. Kramer

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Beef carcass evaluation work is designed to obtain production and carcass data on bulls, steers and heifers. One objective is to evaluate sex effects on growth and carcass traits. Another is to determine if sires rank the same in growth and carcass traits on their bull, steer and heifer progeny.

Preliminary results from the 1963 slaughter groups were reported in the 1964 Beef Cattle Progress Report. This report covers averages of 1963 and 1964 results. Results both years were similar.

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.

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 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 .

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.

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.

Beef Cattle Progress Report, E. F. Frolik, H. H. Kramer

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Efficiency of sugar beet farming can be improved by feeding beet top silage to livestock.

In two recent trials at the Scotts Bluff Experiment Station lambs fed unwilted beet top silage as the only roughage gained significantly faster than lambs fed corn silage.

Amounts of concentrates were comparable (Nebraska Experiment Station Quarterly, Fall, 1962).

This experiment compared the feeding value of a complete mixture of unwilted beet tops and concentrate added at the time of ensiling, with beet top silage and concentrate handled separately. A conventional corn silage and concentrate ration was used as a control.

Results showed that a …

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.

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.

Udder Preparation For Milking, W G. Robinson

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

REGULAR routine methods of preparing the udder for milking hare long been recognised as essential for good "let down" of milk.

The biggest problem so far has been to combat the spread of disease, in particular mastitis from udder to udder by the milker's hands or the udder washing cloths.

Precautions For Day Old Fowl Pox Vaccination, P Smetana

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

DURING 1962 day old vaccination was widely adopted as a preventative measure against fowl pox.

From June, 1961, until mid-June, 1962, this procedure proved to be highly successful, but from this date onwards a proportion of treated flocks became affected by breakdowns accompanied by mortality and retarded growth.

In some cases the losses were disturbingly high.

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.

Beef Cattle Progress Report, E. F. Frolik, H. H. Kramer

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Shipping fever is a respiratory disease "complex" of cattle. The disease causes extensive economic losses from death, loss of physical condition, inefficient feed utilization and treatment expense. The annual loss from this disease in the United States has been estimated to be $25,000,000.

In many respects shipping fever is similar to respiratory diseases of humans. It may occur in any season of the year, but is most common in the fall and early winter. Although any age animal may be infected recently weaned calves and feeder cattle which have just been moved from the range to feedlot are most susceptible.

Day-Old Fowl Pox Vaccination, P Smetana

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

FOR many years the standard procedure for fowl pox prevention on West Australian poultry farms has been to vaccinate young stock at 12 weeks of age. Although most farmers have used this system successfully it has a number of weaknesses which can be overcome by day-old vaccination.

A new day-old fowl pox vaccine now on the market has many advantages over the normal vaccine, which is used at about 12 weeks old.

In tests at the Poultry Research Station it gave satisfactory results.

Hints On Chicken Rearing, P Smetana

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

For the next few months poultry farmers will once again be concerned with rearing chickens.

A good brooder, ample space, good sanitation, plenty of water and a balanced feed are still the essentials of successful chicken raising, says P. Smetana, B.Sc. (Agric), Acting Officer-in-Charge of the Poultry Branch.

Chick Management, D F. Hessels

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

A UGUST is the month when most poultry farmers get their chickens. Special attention will be needed in the coming weeks, with nutrition and disease prevention the main considerations.

Lambs Need Drenching At Weaning, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

RECENT losses among young lambs due to heavy infestations of black scour worm (Trichostrongylus species) have indicated that this year the problem of worms in weaners may be more troublesome than usual.