The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1916-07-11
LOSSES OF CATTLE
FROM ABORTION
Caused BY Bacterial Disease and
Not Due To the
Pasturage

The department Of agriculture Mt
Washington, the state experiment sta
tions and agricultural colleges are
awakening to the fact that contagious
abortion among cattle is far more prev.
alent than had been supposed.
This disease as been known to exist
for many years. As far back as 1867 at
tention was drawn to it in Engliuil but
IL was not until 1876 that il was con.
clusively proved to be lue 10 infection.
IL th0n took twenty years to find and
prOYe which organism was responsible
this was done in 1896, by Bang. on,
The losses that OcChr IA the result of
this disease are enOrm Dus--h"t, unfGr.
tunately, from the delrh Of the infect
ed animals, for if this occurred IL could
more easily be controlled; but by Vir-
tue Of the fact that ,vrry affected mi
nal lives and acts Ms a center Of distri-
button, and thus the disease becomes
difficult TO eradicate
Cause OF Big Money Loss
II has been estimated that in SINE
parts Of England fifty to SIXTY per
cent of COWS are affected, while toe evi-
pointed by the board of agriculture and
fisheries in 1909 to inquire into the
disease; goes to show that approximate,
ly twenty-five per cent of animals In
England and Scotland were infected.
Gilruth, some years ago, estimated the
loss 20 the dairy farmers in New Zea-
land as between 81 600, 900 and 1890
600 per annum. "-'
How sdlnc may ask, do the losses
arise since the COW does not die. The
one who asks this question has evident.
ly not, experienced the trouble, and
should use mis- utmost endeavOurs TO
keep his herd free. The losses may be
classified under. three headings: .
I Loss Of calf abortcd o..
Cuts The MIX Yield ,H-
Diminished milk yield due to prema-
ture caIving. This is very consider.
able loss, for II is we'll known that a
COW that slips her calf seldom if ever
comes to her full milking capacity in
that year.
A combination of the previous two re.
peGted in subsequent years. This is the
most serious loss, for the sterility that
so often follows, and is shown by the
'ow persistent1y returning to the bun
after she has aborted, means that if she
does hold to the bull she comes in too
late in the season to make her maxi.
mum profit or remains barren, then for
several years the calf is not produced
and the COW remains dry.
The disease is undoubtedly present in
Hawaii II il a bacterial infection
which persists during the entire life
Of the animal. Loss of calves has long
been attributed to the cows eating
various weeds in the pastures but it is
now known that. wherever abortion il
epidemic in the Herds it is usually due
to infection.
Precautions To Take
When cows abort or "slink," tn,
prematurely born calf, together with
after.birth and any discharges, must b, |
Immediately destroyed completely by
burning on the spot where they are
found: these cows to be kept in pad
dock where they aborted.
Cows which have not up to the pres
ent aborted should be removed at once
to "elean" paddocks and kept from
contact with those aborting. Any sub |
'equent abOrtinG Op showing signs
being likely to do 80, must be immed, !
ately returned to the original paddock |
fhe calf and utter birth to be destr"ye
On the spot as before.
Bull to be removed from herd al,
isolated.
Separate Paddocks
A second shed or enclosure s'ould. i
possible, be made available for sepaI
ate milking and treatment of COW
which have not up to the present abort
cd. AbOrting cows to be kept out
the shed or enclosures.
Intelligent responsible persons shout,
be detailed for milking and handling |
abOrting and non, abOrting COWS, au
their respective duties must not be in
exchanged.
On the mainland, especially in reg
ions whore dairying is an imp"rt"nt in
dustry, state aud county inspection il
praotised and all infected animals NJ
isolated and destroyed, Just las here i,
Hawaii there is inspection Of herds fo
bovine tuberculosis. 1t is serious dis
ease and ought to be eradicated.