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This article was published in 1945
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INSTITUTE OF INSPECTORS OF STOCK OF N.S.W. YEAR BOOK.
HYPOCALCAEMIA IN WETHERS
F. J. Madden, Inspector of Stock. Tamworth.
Of the very many cases of Hypocalcaemia seen amongst sheep in this District during 1938, in practically every instance the animals involved were pregnant or lactating ewes. In one case only was this condition seen in sheep of any other class, and as the incidence in other than ewes has been found, even over a wide experience, to be so rare, it is thought that recording of the exceptional class incidence will be of general interest.
On a mixed farm at Piallamore the owner was having a good deal of imbalance trouble among the ewes on his property; but eventually he reported the occurrence of a mortality in wethers from an apparently similar condition. On investigation it was found that 200 wethers had been grazing on a green oat crop which was about 6 in. to 9 in. high and very lush; and that they had had the run of this feed for a period of three weeks before they were affected. Hypocalcaemia was considered to be responsible for the morbidity seen; and this diagnosis was supported by the fact that the sick wethers responded normally to treatment with 15% Calcium gluconate and 5% Mag. sulph. Out of 200, before eighteen wethers had been affected; more than half having died before treatment was commenced.
This is the only time that the writer has seen hypocalcaemia in sheep other than ewes, as above stated. However, this condition was prevalent among cattle in about 1932, many cases of the trouble being seen in this District, and in every instance but one the animals involved were heavy-in-calf cows or cows in milk. In the single exception, two steers on one holding were seen to be showing symptoms exactly similar to those noted in the affected cows.