NEW CATTLE FODDER

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 9, 28 January 1942, Page 2

NEW CATTLE FODDER

INCREASE ON STRAW PULP

Britain's farmers are obtaining excellent results with, the fodder now being produced by the new caustic soda straw-pulping process on' over 250 farms in the United Kingdom. Experiments- at the Midland Agricultural College with eight pairs; of Dairy Sho-rthorn steers weighing between sand 7%cwt showed that those

fed with processed straw achieved over the 71 days of the trial an average liveweight increase of 1.79 lbs a day, an advantage of .71bs per day, or of 6'4 per cent, over those receiving untreated straw.

Even more striking were the results fom a test with 20 young dairy cattle, 7-20 months old, at the National Institute foir Research in Dairying. Each of the animals given soda processed straw -with the ration increased 1.171bs a day, against

.471bs for each one fed with, straw soaked in cold water only, a gain of no less than 148 per cent.

Similar results have been obtained in other experimental centres, and trials confirm that pulping so improves the feeding value of cereal straw, chaff and cavings that the products can be used to replace part of the. hay, corn or roots in rations for meat and milk production.

The processing plant of concrete or brick can be erected by local builders at a cost of about £30. Running lavo batches a day it Avill produce 14001bs of straw pulp from 4001 bs of straAv, enough to< supply 28 animals Avith 501bs per head daily, and it only takes an hour's light Avork to put through each lot.