The Nespelem Tribune

County Agent Investigates Mysterious Malady That Has Struck Douglas County Herds

Examine Animals

Surveys Fail To Reveal Cause Of Disease; Warns Okanogan County Ranchers

Much concern has been felt by Okanogan county stockmen over the losses from some mysterious cause being experienced by Douglas and Grant county farmers and ranchers, reports Vernon Chapman, county agricultural agent. Last week Mr. Chapman spent one day on Badger mountain south of Waterville in company with others studying a range on which losses have been experienced earlier in the week and to learn more of the exact nature of the disease.

The purpose of this article is to acquaint Okanogan county stockmen with the method in which the disease acts and to offer them aid if this condition should strike their herds.

Ranchers Warned
About Cattle Deaths

County Agent Investigates Mysterious Malady That Has
Struck Herds
(Continued From Page One)

"The possibility of this loss occurring in Okanogan county is not entirely without reason since the first of these losses were experienced in the earliest portions of Douglas and Grant counties and new outbreaks have occurred in the later areas as the season progresses. The ranges inspected last week on this trip were very comparable in development to much of the south half of Okanogan county. It would be my opinion that stockmen of that area should keep close watch of their herds during the next several weeks to catch the first of any such losses if any should occur.

No Poisonous Weeds

"Losses have been occurring on mixed grass range, and on this range which I had the opportunity of visiting there was a more or less even distribution of bunch grass, cheat and blue grass. There were no weeds which are commonly known to be poisonous nor were there any shrubs or brush on which stock were grazing and which are poisonous. The stock did not appear to be eating a predominance of any kind of grass or weeds but three head of stock were lost within a few hours and all on one relatively small portion of the range. It is reported that the losses have been experienced almost entirely on grass ranges and much of it on ranges where bunch grass has been the chief type of forage.

"Sick animals show a decided nervousness, with lack of control of the limbs, the front legs in particular. At some stages they have what can best be termed fits and there is some frothing at the mouth. Affected animals do not necessarily die suddenly and a few recover from it. Sick animals seem to lose at least a portion of their desire to drink but throughout most of their sickness they evidence a desire to eat anything they can get. It seems that they become constipated only occasionally. As yet there seems to be no specific cure which can be recommended.

Say Fungus Is Cause

"Most veterinarians, including members of the State Department of Agriculture, state that the loss is being caused by some mysterious fungus growing on the bunch grass. However, as yet they have not proved this contention and at no place do we find record of such cause being authenticated.

"Many stockmen are blaming the loss on smutted cheat grass. However, it has been my personal experience on the range where I was raised and where cheat grass smutted a number of years ago, that this does not cause cattle losses. I have observed further that in some of the most heavily smutted areas in Okanogan county no cattle loss has been experienced. It was interesting, too, to note that there was practically no smut in the cheat grass on the ranges which I visited in Douglas county last week, Still there had been loss of cattle only a few days before.

"We must state then that the cause is unknown and we can not tell how to prevent the loss if the livestock are running on the range nor how to control it if it once starts except to remove the stock from the range. We can not tell whether or not this disease will occur year after year if it once strikes because we do not know what it is. It is my understanding though, that botanists and other scientists are now working on this matter hoping to be able to make some report soon. Until then it would seem to be wise to keep close watch of the stock and to report any losses to this office as soon as discovered."