FARMING NOTES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 70, 28 March 1949, Page 3

FARMING NOTES

PASTURES SHOULD BE WATCHED AT END OF SEASON

The Food Factor In Test Returns (By W. H. Mandeno, Consulting Officer, New Zealand Dairy Board, Bay of Plenty) At this time of the year the pastures have usually dried up to the point where good feed is valuable. Good managers keenly await the monthly test to ascertain those members of the herd which deserve the best, and also those which lacking persistence—the attribute of all good cows—must be dried off to conserve high quality feeds such as special pastures or good silage. In this unusual year when feed is in abundance in most districts, all but self evident slackers can find a profitable place in the herd. It will not be long, however before the lush conditions are ended by cold spells and rank pasture is gradually reduced. Where paspalum has been held in check by grazing or topping the ryegrass will become .a prominent constituent of the sward to give good growth

throughout the winter, in all but the coldest 'areas. If a sodbound paspalum pasture has been developed by careless treatment of this aggressive grass in the past growthy season a grim prospect awaits the farmer after the cows have been forced to clean up 'the indigestible roughage of frosted paspalum. The sickly yellow turf will be unresponsive to manure and be profitless until next November.

Immediate Action By immediate action with advice from Fields Instructors, sodbound and runout pasture may be renovated to give good balanced swards of rye, clover, and paspalum at comparatively low cost.

, The increasing number of stud stock advertisements in farming journals foscusses the attention on production records. How often is it seen that mention is made of “near misses” where cattle would have attained recognised standards if only they had had a chance. It behoves all daiiwmen, let alone studmasters to watch this point. In the case fo Sire Surveys as in all Group Herd Test recording the length of lactation is set at 305 days. A good coiv will milk for 305 days and after a spell of about six weeks calve again in good condition for her next season. Criticism of the fact that length of lactation is not mentioned in Sire Sprveys published in the Dairy Boards Annual Register is generally by those who forget that there is a practical limit set, and all credit is due to cows to maintain' production over a full season.

Herds where a bull is under survey should be kept going as long as is economically possible to obtain for him the title most coveted amongst practical dairyfarmers of “Merit Sire.”

Minimum Level In the case of cows the entry into the Intermediate Merit Register demands a minimum level of production for three consecutive seasons. These studmasters should see that their promising young cows have a reasonable opportunity to qualify in later years, by having attained the necessary level in succeeding years. It is wise to check the production of the preceding years to ensure that any cows capable of making the grade this season are not excluded by failure to milk on for a few days longer. This position does not arise with a good cow that calves early as she has no great difficulty in surpassing the required minimum in any one season.

Generally the late calver is due again cn an earlier date next season and she may be dried off with the herd whilst still milking freely and with plenty of time to give her an adequate dry period. It is such a cow that needs to be watched.

Whilst it is of greater importance with pedigree breeders a knowledge of standards required for entry in the Dairy Boards Sire Survey and Merit Register is essential to all dairymen. The annual issue is carefully studied by the leading farmers for guidance in purchase of sires and the standards laid down are regarded by both grade and

pedigree men as the most practical for improvement of stock. Considerable Interest It is of considerable interest to those who have for some time advocated standards set by the technical committees of the Dairy Board for I.M.R. and L.M.R. that these have been adopted as sufficiently high for cattle tested under the C.O.R. system where “force feeding” is taken for granted. What has not yet been adopted is the prerequisite to registration in'the breed herd books of a minimum production. )

Fortunately for the industry as a whole the makers of Dairy Board policy on Herd Improvement have seen to it that a register is created of proven stock. By furthering this policy, which together with widespread continuous testing has placed Denmark a world leader in “per cow” production, the New Zealand dairy industry has hopes of surpassing its most formidable rival.