Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1897-04-30
Aarifnltmral.
Lung Worm in Lambs.

During the past season worms seem
to have played unusual havoc with lambs
and the following letter from corre-
spondent in reference to this trouble re-
lates somewhat general experience
IL would like to consult you about
flock Of Shropshires that have. They
are in miserable condition, say fourth
Of the flock. They are troubled with a
cough, fall Of, their bellies seem to try
to reach their backbones, but they hang
on and do not die. The disease seems
to attack lambs worse than older sheep.
There is some evidence of catarrh and
q little running at the nose. am in
clined to think that it was worms in the
lungs. The sheep eat we'll but get no
good from what they eat. They have
some ticks. Would you advise that this
flock be sheared at once, dipped and
treated with powder? There is some
slime in their dung"
1t is altogether likely that the trouble
with these lambs is due to the ravages
of the lung worm The time to kill this
worm, and it is about the only time that
it can be effectively killed, is when it
first makes its presence known in the
early fall months, August or Scptem-
Der. At that time and just after wean-
ing a few lambs 10 the bunch that has
been weaned will become thin, and
when driven a little cough slightly.
This is the time to get right after the
worm with turpentine. And it is ad-
visabls to treat all the lambs at the
same time. That has been our practice
and We have been successful in bringing
the lambs back to a thrifty condition
But if they are left go until they reach
the condition described by our corre-
spondent do not think that any pow
der or other remedy will be of any use
in restoring their normal growth. My
advice to our correspondent would be to
sell these lambs, for they will always
be small and an eyesore, and about
August watch for the recurrence of this
trouble and as soon as the first symp-
toms are noticed treat all the lambs to
three or four doses of turpentine, if that
number of doses is found necessary
to stop the coughing. In my experience
with sheep have never known fall
that | have not had some cases of this
kind to treat, and yet our lambs have
always turned out thrifty after the tur-
pentine treatment. The whole point in
its use is to use it before the trouble
has advanced too far. AS dose | aim
to give each lamb teaspoonful in three
or four times as much milk. Usually
three doses given in one week cures the
most obstinate cases. At the time |
have mentioned sheep are very shy in
the matter of eating powders, and be-
cause of this and the effectiveness of the
turpentine have always relied on the
latter.
In regard to the treatment of the ewes
for ticks would advise shearing them
as soon as the weather and the Landing
permits. Then after the ewes and the
lambs have run together for about two
weeks dip all the lambs thoroughly. 1t
will be found that the ticks have passed
from the ewes to the lambs, 10 which case
it is only necessary to dip the lambs. The
latter are also much easier handled than
the ewes. Later in the summer would
advise dipping all the ewes thoroughly,
and for that purpose every breeding and
feeding farm should have a dipping
at.-John A. Craig IN The Gazette,