LIVESTOCK LOSSES

Livestock losses during the winter of 1992 are shown in Table 3. Over the survey area 13.2% of the sheep flock was lost representing 480 total sheep per survey farm. The most severe loss was up to 50% of the flock with individual ewe losses being as high as 66.7% of the ewe flock. Cattle and deer losses were lower, both in percentage terms and in absolute numbers of livestock lost. However as with sheep, individual losses were high (50 - 75%) in some cases.

Table 3: Livestock Losses during the July and August Snows (N=143 farms)


Mean Number

Livestock Total
of Deaths

Class Deaths Range % Per Farm





Sheep




Ewes 15.0 0 - 66.7 383

Wethers 19.2 0 - 45.5 70

Hoggets 3.7 0- 28.6 27
Total Sheep1
13.2 0 - 49.5 480










Cattle




Cows 8.2 0 - 37.4 8

Heifers 2.7 0 - 20.0 1

Steers 0.3 0 - 3.7 <1

Weaners 2.8 0 - 75.0 2

Total cattle2 4.9 0 - 26.0 10
Deer




Hinds 7.3 0-44.8 15

Stags 7.1 0 - 50.0 7

Weaners 8.7 0 - 24.0 9

Total deer 7.6 .0 - 33.8 26

1 Includes rams

2 Includes bulls

Sheep

The highest sheep losses as a percentage of the flock occurred on hill country including Banks Peninsula (Table 4), although the highest individual loss (3788) occurred in the high country. Surprisingly there was one farm in the high country which in spite of being subjected to snowfall did not lose any sheep. Percentage and absolute losses were lower on the downs and plains farms and percentage losses were related to the depth of snow in August (r =0.76) and the amount of drifting (r =0.84).

Table 4: Total Sheep Losses during July and August Snows (ewes, wethers, hoggets, rams)

Farm Type Deaths (%) Range (%) Mean Number of Deaths Range (N)

per farm
High Country 14.8 0 - 34.9 887 0 - 3788
Hill Country 15.7 1.4 - 37.4 707 56 - 3013
Banks Peninsula 15.4 1.9 - 49.5 397 50 750
Downs 10.9 0.1 - 28.6 310 2 - 1700
Plains 8.4 0.4 - 46.1 220 10 - 1604
Total (N=143) 13.2 0 - 49.5 480 0 - 3788

Ewe losses were similar among the high, hill, Banks Peninsula and downs properties and were higher than on the plains (Table 4a). While all areas suffered ewe losses due to the August snow, losses were confined mainly to the hill and high country areas in the July snow. Over all properties 13% of the ewe losses occurred in July, 47% in August and 40% after the snows. The proportion of ewe deaths occurring after the August snow was similar between the various land classes.

Thirty six percent of survey farmers lost lambs during the snow with an average loss of 604 per farm. Percentage of farms losing lambs and mean losses per farm are as follows: high country (10% 300 [100-500]), hill country (24% 773 [100-2000]), Banks Peninsula (50% 857 [400-2400]), downs (37% 650 [100-1770]) and plains (57% 437 [89-1000]).

Table 4(a): Ewe Losses due to the July and August Snows

Farm Type July August Post Snow Total Range

(%) (%) (%) (%) (%)
High Country 4.1 4.2 6.8 15.1 0.0 - 33.0
Hill Country 2.6 8.8 6.9 18.3 0.6 - 66.7
Banks Peninsula 0 14.1 5.1 19.2 0.0 - 16.0
Downs 0.5 6.4 6.3 13.2 0.0 - 33.3
Plains 0.5 4.6 4.4 9.5 0.4 - 31.4
Total (N=143) 1.9 7.0 6.1 15.0 0.0 - 66.7

While the percentage losses of wethers was higher than that of ewes, the absolute numbers were much lower (Table 3). As with ewes, losses tended to higher on Banks Peninsula and mainly occurred during the snow, although losses on the plains occurred after the snows (Table 4b). Properties running wethers on the plains and downs however were limited.

Table 4b: Wether Losses Due to the July and August Snows

Farm Type July August Post-snow Total Range

(%) (%) (%) (%) (%)
High Country 4.5 14.7 1.8 21.0 0-37.7
Hill Country 4.2 11.0 5.5 20.7 0 - 45.5
Banks Peninsula 3.5 21.8 0 25.3 0 - 45.5
Downs 0 0 0 0 0-0
Plains 0 0 5.7 5.7 0 - 25.6
Total (N=45) 3.9 11.9 3.4 19.2 0 - 45.5

Generally the loss of hoggets was small (Table 4c) and similar among the land classes. In the high country the losses were evenly spread between the July, August and post-snow periods but in other areas losses were confined to the August and post-snow periods.

Table 4c: Hogget Losses Due to the July and August Snows

Farm Type July August Post-Snow Total Range

(%) (%) (%) (%) (%)
High Country 1.2 1.3 1.3 3.8 0-15.4
Hill Country 0.6 1.8 15 4.1 0-16.0
Banks Peninsula 0 0.6 3.3 3.9 0 - 28.1
Downs 0 2.0 0 2.0 0 - 28.6
Plains 0.1 2.1 2.5 4.7 0 - 26.3
Total (N=123) 0.4 1.7 1.6 3.7 0 - 28.6

Cattle

Cattle losses averaged 4.9% and followed similar trends to sheep with higher percentage losses on high and hill country and Banks Peninsula (Table 5). Losses on the downs and plains farms were small. The majority of cattle deaths were cows (8.2%), losses ranging from a mean of 11.2% on high country farms to a low of 1.7% on plains farms (Table 6). Although variable, two-thirds of cow deaths occurred after the snows with over three-quarters on hill country farms. Individual farm mortalities varied from zero to 37.4%, the maximum occurring on a high country property.

Table 5: Total Cattle Losses During the July and August Snows (cows, heifers, steers, bulls)

Mean Number of deaths
Farm Type Deaths Range per farm Range

(%) (%) (N) (N)
High Country 6.3 0 - 17.1 23 0 - 76
Hill Country 5.0 0 - 17.6 10 0 - 53
Banks Peninsula 4.7 0 - 26.0 9 0 - 25
Downs 1.9 0 - 12.8 2 0 - 11
Plains 0.8 0 - 10.0 <1 0-4
Total (N=87) 4.9 0 - 26.0 10 0 - 76

Table 6: Cattle Losses Due to the July and August Snows: Cows

Farm Type July August Post-snow Total Range

(%) (%) (%) (%) (%)
High Country 0.8 4.0 6.4 11.2 0 - 37.4
Hill Country 0.3 0.9 5.8 7.0 0 - 24.7
Banks Peninsula 0 4.2 3.2 7.4 0 - 24.4
Downs 0 0 1.7 1.7 0 - 15.0
Plains 1.7 0 0 1.7 0 - 5.0
Total (N=78) 0.4 2.4 5.4 8.2 0 - 37.4

Deer

The death rate of deer averaged 7.6% (Table 7), highest percentage losses occurring on Banks Peninsula followed by the downs and hill country. Losses in other areas were generally small.

Of the five Banks Peninsula survey deer farmers, one lost over 100 deer and another lost 210 deer representing approximately 34% of the herd.

Table 7: Deer Losses Due to the July and August Snows: (hinds, weaners, stags)




Mean Number of Deaths
Farm Type Death Range per farm Range

(%) (%) (N) (N)
High Country 3.0 0 - 3.6 10 0 - 38
Hill Country 4.2 0 - 19.7 11 0 - 30
Banks Peninsula 20.2 0 - 33.8 81 0 - 210
Downs 4.9 0 - 8.1 18 0 - 83
Plains 1.6 0 - 2.9 6 0 - 15
Total (N=25) 7.6 0 - 33.8 26 0 - 210

CAUSE OF DEATH

Ewes

The major cause of death in ewes was sleepy sickness, (35.8%) followed by suffocation (25.4) and stress (25.4%). Sleepy sickness tended to be higher on the plains properties (44.4% vs. 28.6% on high country properties) associated with ewes closer to lambing. Deaths attributable directly to starvation or hypothermia were small (7.5% and 6.0% respectively).

Wethers

Fifty percent of deaths were due to suffocation (13uried in snow) the balance being due to Stress (37.4%) and starvation (12.5%).

Hoggets

Fifty percent of deaths were due to suffocation, 21.4% to stress and 14.3% to starvation and drowning respectively. Drowning was confined to the plains properties.

Lambs

Starvation was a major cause of death (35.7% as was hypothermia (28.6%) and drowning and stress (14.3% respectively). Suffocation accounted for only 7.1% of lamb deaths.

Cows

Over 89% of cow deaths were attributed to stress with misadventure and suffocation accounting for 5.5% respectively.

BREED OF SHEEP

Eighty nine farmers out of 109 (82%) considered that their breed was suitable for their type of country. However a further 11% identified a problem with Merinos relative to either Perendales, Romneys or Half-breds run under similar conditions of management and exposure to snow.

Perendales appeared to be the most resilient breed, surviving better than Romneys or Half-breds. Crossbred ewes were considered to withstand the snow conditions better than Corriedales. One farmer claimed his Border-Leicester x Romney-cross lambs survived better than Romney lambs while another considered Texel cross lambs to be more hardy than Coopworth lambs.

Condition of ewes prior to the snows

Farmers were asked to assess the condition of their livestock prior to the snows.

Table 8 Livestock condition prior to the July 1992 snow


 Good Average Below Average
High Country 65 20 15
Hill Country 49 35 16
Banks Peninsula 50 43 7
Downs 27 47 26
Plains 28 53 19

More hill and high country farmers considered their stock to be in better condition than those on the downs or plains. The autumn of 1992 was exceptionally dry and feed conditions were such that substantial quantities of winter feed reserves were fed prior to the July and August snows. However ewe condition had no effect on the losses of ewes (good 14.9%, average .15.6% and poor conditioned ewes 15.2%). The point was often made that good conditioned cows and ewes were more susceptible to metabolic problems (milk fever, sleepy sickness) induced by stress. Fit but not fat is the preferable condition.

LOCATION OF SHEEP DEATHS

Location of deaths varied according to the type of country fanned, although more deaths occurred at high altitudes than at any other single location (Table 9). On high country, hill and Banks Peninsula properties, deaths tended to occur in the lee and NW facing aspects with fewer deaths on exposed faces. This was a result of severe drifting into sheltered areas that occurred in the August snow. In contrast, deaths on the downs and plains properties tended to be evenly spread over the farm with similar proportions occurring in sheltered and exposed paddocks. Areas that normally afford protection proved ineffective in the August blizzard and higher than normal losses were reported behind gorse and broom hedges down-country and in gorse and manuka gullies, scrub and bush in upland areas. Such was the permeating effect of the August snowfall that drifting occurred almost everywhere and it is not surprising that 15% of total farmers reported losses occurring over the whole farm.

Table 9: Location of Sheep Deaths (N=143 responses)

Location High County Hill Country Banks Peninsula Downs % Plains % Total %







High Altitude 23.1 32.2 35.0 11.1 2.4 20.1
Low Altitude 15.4 8.9 10.0 6.7 2.4 8.0
Exposed Faces 3.8 5.3 5.0
4.9 3.7
Exposed Paddocks 7.7 5.3
15.5 21.9 11.2
Sunny (NW) faces 3.8 1.8
2.2
1.6
Lee Faces 3.8 17.8 20.0 8.9
10.1
Lee of Shelter Trees 3.8
5.0 13.3 24.4 9.6
Lee of Gorse/Broom hedges
1.8
4.4 7.3 3.2
Gorse Gullies


2.2
0.5
Manuka Gullies

5.0 4.4
1.6
Scrub/bush
3.6 10.0 2.2
2.7
Sheltered areas - general
1.8 5.0
7.3 2.7
Covered yards/woodshed


2.2 2.4 1.1
River Terraces 7.7



1.1
Gullies 3.8 5.3
4.4
3.2
Water Races
1.8

4.9 1.6
Dark, cold country 3.8



0.5
Poor access blocks 3.8



0.5
Plantations



2.4 0.5
Drifted into fences



4.9 1.1
All over farm 19.2 14.3 5.0 22.2 12.1 15.4

Shift to different block or paddock in a future snow?

Farmers were asked whether they would shift sheep to a different block if they had warning of a future snow. Seventy nine percent of Banks Peninsula farmers indicated they would shift sheep to a different block, substantially more than the downs (65.7%), hill country 62.9%), plains (62.5%) or high country (35.0%).

Preferred Location

Sunny country was the preferred location to shift sheep prior to an impending snow while low altitude was the preferred choice for hill, downs and Banks Peninsula farmers (Table 10). Good access and shelter were important to plains farmers as were the use of buildings including covered yards and sheds for emergency shelter.

Table 10: Preferred Location of Sheep Prior to Snow (N=143)

Location High Country % Hill Country % Banks Peninsula % Downs % Plains % Total %







Low altitude 21.4 32.7 64.3 22.8 9.5 29.0
Shelter
16.4
17.1 52.4 18.3
Near arterial tracks 14.3 22.9 14.2 11.4
15.2
Sunny Country 42.8 13.1 7.1 5.7
11.7
Covered yards/sheds
8.2 7.1 22.8 9.4 11.0
Good access 7.1 3.3 7.1 14.3 19.0 9.0
Limited opportunities 7.1 3.3
2.8
4.9
Near feed 7.1


9.4 0.9
Gullies


2.8
0.7

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