Sheep mortality in the King country

Authors: Pyke BN
Publication: New Zealand Veterinary Journal, Volume 22, Issue 10, pp 196-197, Oct 1974
Publisher: Taylor and Francis

Animal type: Livestock, Production animal, Ruminant, Sheep
Subject Terms: Biosecurity, Disease surveillance, Epidemiology, Mortality/morbidity
Article class: Correspondence

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Abstract: I was interested to read the paper on “A Sheep Mortality Survey in Hawke`s Bay” by G. B. Davis (N.Z. vet. J. 22: 39-42). I have been recording the causes of death in sheep from the time of weaning onwards in my flock since 1966. Except for the first year, the number of ewes in this flock has varied from 200 to 300. Stocking rate was highest in 1967 and 1968 at about 18 ewe equivalents to the hectare and has been dropping back to about 13 ewe equivalents to the hectare. The property is 28 hectares and is easy hill country. The annual rainfall of about 1 500 mm is usually well distributed but the summer of 1969-70 was exceptionally dry and this was followed by dry summers in 1971-2, 1972-3 and 1973-4. Ewes are vaccinated with a combined clostridial vaccine 2 to 3 weeks before lambing and lambs are treated with anthelmintics at regular intervals from weaning till they are a year old. The ewes were vaccinated against Salmonella typhimurium and S. bovismorbificans for the first 4 years. Since 1969, one paddock has been spraved with thiabendazole to prevent the build up of Pithomyces spores…

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