Feilding Palmer Hospital

Abstract A newly established piggery experienced an abortion storm that was diagnosed as being caused by Leptospira pomona. Serumantibody titres and urine culture indicated the rapid spread of infection within the piggery, and established the period since infection began. This showed the origin of infection to beone of the piggeries from which stock were purchased. Histological and microbiological studies indicated the continuing presence of L. pomona as the cause of abortion. Initial treatment with dihydrostreptomycin and “Leptovax” had no effect on preventing infection, and the subsequent use of “Terramycin” caused little modification to the spread of infection or prevention of abortions. The spread of leptospirosis through the herd resulted in a marked increase in the number of piglets aborted or born dead and, subsequently, a poor survival rate of piglets reared through to slaughter. Efforts are being made to control leptospirosis within the piggery, but eradication is currently considered to be almost impossible.

The establishment characteristics of three hill country white clover selections were compared with 'Grasslands Huia' and Kent white clover after oversowing in spring and autumn on a low fertility, summerdrv hill country site near Palmerston North. The hill country selections gave 15-16% establishment of sown seed in spring. whereas in autumn two of the hill country selections established much higher seedling numbers than other clovers, one-third surviving at 6 weeks. Less than 5% of Huia seed established in autumn. Less than one-quarter of spring-sown seedlings survived dry summer conditions. Plant survival at one year after autumn oversowing was markedlv better and at this stage, two of the hill country selections had developed 6 times the stolon density of Huia and they were giving at least 3 times the herbage content in the pasture. Keywords: Legume establishment, white clover, hill country, seedling establishment, plant survival, slugs, oversowing, stolon density, nematodes.

Statement by M. Alphonse Gree, notary certifying transfer of land for Quentin Roosevelt gravesite. Included with Lopp report of August 11. 1920. In French

Skin thickness was found to be moderately heritable and genetically associated with lamb survival in a previous study on Romney sheep. The aims of this study were to estimate the heritabilities of skin thickness and skin temperature at around 5 and 11 mo of age and determine genetic and phenotypic correlations between them and with production traits such as fat depth, loin-eye muscle depth and width, live weights at weaning, scanning, and 12 mo, and 12-mo fleece weight, in FocusPrime (n = 2,088), Texel (n = 732), Romney (n = 825) and Highlander (n = 1,801) sheep breeds. Heritability estimates of skin thickness at 5-mo old were moderate in FocusPrime (0.39 ± 0.12) and low in Texel and Highlander (0.11 ± 0.15 and 0.13 ± 0.09, respectively). Heritability estimates of skin thickness at 11-mo old were moderate in all breeds (ranging from 0.19 ± 0.07 to 0.29 ± 0.15). Heritability estimates of skin temperature were high in FocusPrime (0.39 ± 0.11), low in Texel (0.17 ± 0.11) and Highlander (0.12 ± 0.06) and almost zero in Romney (0.04 ± 0.03). A tendency in all breeds for negative and favorable correlations was found between skin thickness and skin temperature at 11-mo old sheep. Skin thickness at 11-mo tended to have a positive genetic correlation with fat depth in all breeds except in Texel where the correlation tended to be negative (-0.10 ± 0.34). Genetic correlations of skin thickness at 11-mo old with the weight traits were variate. There tended to be a positive correlation with weaning weight in Texel (0.14 ± 0.34) and Highlander (0.29 ± 0.22). However, there tended to be negative correlations with live weight at scanning and at 12-mo of age in FocusPrime (-0.03 ± 0.18 and -0.13 ± 0.22, respectively) and tended to be positive in Romney (0.09 ± 0.25 and 0.10 ± 0.24, respectively) and Highlander (0.26 ± 0.22 and 0.39 ± 0.21, respectively). Moreover, genetic correlations of skin thickness at 11-mo of age with FW12 tended to be positive in both Romney (0.20 ± 0.22) and Highlander (0.55 ± 0.19). Further studies on the genetic correlations of skin thickness and skin temperature with lamb survival in these breeds are warranted.

Abstract A 110-sow intensive piggery experienced a sudden drop in production. This first became apparent as an agalactia with subsequent piglet deaths. Investigations showed that this was a primary agalactia resulting from a lack of mammary development which, together with a reduction in birth weights, led to the loss of several litters. Toxin intake via one or more batches of feed was suspected. The feed source was changed, whereupon the syndrome disappeared. Chromatographic analysis revealed no known toxins but the clinical signs indicated the influence of a toxin.