THE AGI5.ICULTURAL NEWS. 



The Losses Caused by 



Cattle Ticks 



HOW TO AVOID THEM 



CATTLS TICK 



THE LOSSES CAUSED BY CATTUI TtOKS. Many c»Mle ownen 

 who h.ivc always been accustomed to see both Ticks and Ticky Cattle oa 

 their tarms are unfortunately not inclined to attach much importance to 

 Cattle Ticks, and. as a rule, through lack of appreciation of their damaging 

 effects, placidly consider them as of little consequence. That Ticks may 

 cause losses in many diiTerent ways has probably not suggested itself to 

 these stockmen, who are really most vitally alTected, and it therefore seems 

 necessary to emph.asize the fact that, in addition to their relation to 

 diseases such as Texas Fever (or Redwater), Ticks may also be the cauie 

 of serious loss in many directions. 



While the power of transmitting Redwater (and other diseases in othtr 

 countries) is undoubtedly the most dangerous property possessed by Cattle 

 l^cks, and is the principal cause for adopting stringent measxirt-^ in secur- 

 ing their complete eradication, nevertheless there still remain otlier good 

 reasons for the accomplishment of this achievement, as will be gathered 

 from a reading of the following notes. 



LOSS OF CONDITION IN CATTLE. Apart from questioni of 

 disease, the presence of Ticks on CattU- 1 cciuces their condition. 



During the period of an expcriiuenl made specially to test this point, 

 heavily infested cattle lost an average of 9 lbs. in weight, whilst the tick- 

 free cattle gained an average of 44 lbs., both lots of cattle being fed alike. 



There is another case of a tick-infested steer which weighed 730 lbs., 

 and which, after being freed from ticks by dipping, weighed 1015 lbs. two 

 months later, the feed remaining the same as before dipping. 



DECREASED MTT.K YIELD. Great losses occur by Ticks on Milch 

 »ows, reducing the milk yield, and in some cases so injuring the teats as to 

 ftsder them useless. 



A series of experiments on this point was carried out by the United 

 States Department of .Agriculture, and it was shown that : — 



(I) Cows lightly infested with Ticks produced 18} per cent, less milk 



than Tick-free cows ; 

 (a) Cows heavily infested with Ticks produced 42.4 per cent, less milk 



than Tick-free con's. 



REDUCED WORKING POWER. Cattle whose vil.dity is reduced 

 by Tiik infestation cannot give the same returns in work as healthy 

 cattle. This is another source of loss in countries where cattle are used 

 for haulage, ploughing, and other working purposes. 



DAMAGE TO HIDES. The market value of hides is ereatly reduced 

 by the perforations caused by the Cattle Tick. Tick-Mlten hides are 

 worth Ijd, per pound less than uninjured hides. Even on a hide wci^liing 

 50 pounds tliere would thus be a dead loss of over six shillings. 



HIGHER MORTALITY RATE. If the vitality of cattle is kept at a 

 low point by Tick infestation, they will be much more liable to disease, 

 and much less able to olfer resistance to any disease they may aciiuirc. In 

 the Tick-infested area of the United Stales the death-rate amongst cattle 

 is nearly three times greater than in the Tick-free area. 



STUNTING OF GROWTH. This is another material loss caused by 

 Ticks. With Tick infestation at babyhood, there is very little chance to 

 bring cattle to early maturity. The stuntin)J which they receive requires 

 them to lie kept as much as two yc-:irs longer before they are fit lor the 

 butcher. That means two years ..I cxtr.i Iced and care, and loss of 

 interest on capit:i1 tied up unnecessarily long. 



INCREASED LIABILITY TO DISEASE. Ticks suck blood, and 

 thus, by reducing the general vitality of cattle, render them generally m;:ch 

 more liable to diseases oi all kinds. 



But there are some diseases the attack of which is directly facilitated 

 by Tick Bites, such as Ulcerative Lymphangilis and Sporotrichosis of 

 horses. The spread of Demodectic Mange is also greatly assisted, and the 

 same applies to many skin diseases, such as Ringworm, caused by 

 fungus growths. Tick also inoculate the microbes of suppuration, causing 

 obstinate abscesses. 



The discharge of such sores, and in some cases the mere oozing oi 

 blood serum through incisions made by the mouth parts of the Tick, keeps 

 the hair moist and matted together ; the Living and hatching of lly eggs in . 

 such area give rise to infestation with clestructi\c maggots, causing ulcers 

 and other complications that require medical treatment. 



LOSS OF BLOOD. It has been calculated that cattle heavily infested 

 with Ticks may lose as much as 500 lbs. of blood in the course of a year. 



This drain on the system of an animal means ihat extra feed is required, 

 and invohes a greater expenditure of energy on the part of the animal in 

 obtaining, digesting and assimilating this additional amount of food. .AH 

 this extra food and extra energy means loss of money. 



OTHER BENEFITS OF CATTLE DIPPING OR SPRAYING. The 



dipping or spraying of cattle is ordinarily carried out with the sole object 

 of destroying Ticks, but many other benefits are incidentally derived from 

 the operation. Dipping prevents and cures Ringworm, Mange, Warts. 

 It kills the Hot, Warble, Horn and other Flies, and the Maggots and 

 Larvae deposited by same. It prevents Hairballs in Calves by allaying 

 Skin irritation. It kills the Fly which is the transmitting agent of the 

 Worm causing Ophthalmia. The attacks of Lice and all other skin para- 

 sites are prevented. Dipping destroys the org.inism of Contagious Abor- 

 tion. In fact, the man who dips or sprays his cattle and horses regularly 

 has the satisfaction of knowing that he is "killing many birds with one 

 stone." 



HOW TO AVOID LOSSES FROM TICKS. Obviously, losses caused 

 by Ticks can be prevented by destroying tlie Ticks ; and a ready means 

 of doing this is to treat the cattle with an eilective Tick-destroying pre- 

 par.'ilion, such as— to quote the best known - Cooper's Cattle Dip. 



This preparation is the outcome of a costly scries of experiments at 

 Goiiubie Park Experimental Farm in S*iuth .Africa, extending over Sume 

 years ; briefly it may be described as the solution of the problem of 

 utilising the Tick-killing properties of arsenic, without incurring risk of 

 injury to the animals by " scalding " or otherv.'ise. 



Irrefutable evidence of the superior mciits of Cooper's Cattle Dip is 

 afforded by the Governnieiits of the following countries: — 

 United States of America. Brazil. Northern Rhodesia. Madafiascir. 

 Southern Rhodesia. Union of South Africa. British East Africa. Sudan. 

 Swaziland. Gorman East Africa. Northern Territory of Australia. 

 Basutoland. Portuguese Eaut Africa. Egypt. Portuguese West Afritvt. 

 Queensland. British West Indies Argentine Republic. Nyasaland. 

 . New South Wales. 



Therefore, Cooper';; Cattle Dip may he said to command the official 

 approval of the Governnuiits of practically all the important cattle raising 

 coimtries of the world, which in itself is ample testimony to its value. 



COOPER'S CATTLE TICK DIP 

 Hat received the official approval of the following Counlriet: 

 I'oion oi .South Africa, Northern Rhodesia, Brazil, llasuloland, 



Nyatiaiand, Swaziland, Southern Rhodesia. Madagascar, 



ftrltitb East Africa, German Last Africa, Portuguese I:ast Africa. 



Nrtafiese Weal Africa, Egypt, ArjEcntlne Republic, Ouecnslaad, 



Uaited Stales of America. New South Wales, 



W. lodkt, Northern Terrltor) of Australia, Sudan. 



WEST INDIAN AGENTS; 



M. Kll 1.^: i.. L. Hor.si. rd & Co. ANTIOIA ■ Itcnnett, Bryson * Co. 



JAMAICA: O. Hcnder.ion & Co.. KinKston. 



UKl^NADA: Thom.vjn. Itanke> & Co. 



BAkBADO.'^: Barb»do.< Co-operative Cotton Co.. Ltd. 



KAIIA.MA.S: W. N. Twynam. Nusiwu. 



TRINIDAU: T. Gcddcs Ornnt. Port of Spain. 



BKITISII (lUIANA: 5«ndbach. Parker & Co. 



8T. VINCENT: Corea & Co.. Kingstown. NHVIS: 5. D. MaloDC. 



DANISH WEST INDIB5: A. Schmlci;elow. St. Crolx. 



MONTSEHRAT: W. Llewellyn Wall. DOMINICA: Hon. H. A. Praoivtab 



5T. LUCIA: Barnard 5onj dt Co., Castries. 



Manufacturers : WILLIAM COOPER & NEPHEWS, Berkhamsted, England 



BIUNCHES: Torg»l«. CliK«,o, SjrdDey, 



Melfcoarne, Auckland, Bueno. Aire., Mont. Vid«., Piali Af«M«, Eul Uadw, (Mmm. 



