FODDER FOR SHEEP.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1520, 16 August 1912, Page 8

FODDER FOR SHEEP.

.f THE GEOWING OF KAPE. It is well known-Hint there is a certain amount of risk attached to tho feeding of .rapo for sheep, says Mr. 0. A. Banner, director of tho i'dlding Technical .School, -in the_course of an article,in .the "Star." JJfjj'estivo troubles, tUo writer continues, may be caused, for example, hoven or bloat, as it is generally termed. Again, -scouring is often induced Ly Hie oversucculence of the fodder.

Besides tho digestive troubles, farmers must have often noticed the falling off, in patches, of the wool of the sheep when feeding, oil'." rape, which is often spoken-of as scald, and really a typo of eczema.'

Again, Professor Gilruth, when writing about the mortality of sheep on turnips, says: ".Mortality is practically confined to sheep depastured on growing turnips, although there is some reason to believe that occasionally cases occur on rape." , .Not .only .do we meet with these troubles with.our.sheep, but tho trampling of the sheep upon our clayey soils,i especially ''at times of rain, interferes with the satisfactory condition of tho soil for the growth of the crops. Furthermore, in many, instances, the trampling affects to no small degree tho all-round mechanical condition of .the soil.

As a sheep food, as is well known; rape is extremely valuable, especially for ewes suckling lambs, and for tho topping up of .old gummy ewes. It would be difficult to replace this fodder in tho ordinary farm'life. , To minimise the risks attached to tho

feeding of rape, it has often been the practico to have a crop of rye, barley, or wheat in. one.portion of the paddock, upon which the sheep could- graze in conjunction with the rape, for while rape fattens, the barley keeps them in good .condition and provides the ewe with a plentiful supply of milk. This method, no doubt, has its advantages, but a bet-'

ter one would be to sow the rapo and the. barley in alternate drills, by means of the ordinary oat or wheat drill. Broadcasting the seed would not give good results, as tho rape, being a quicker grower timing tho warmer months, would tend to choke the barley. When soivn-in drills, then, . a greater amount of fodder is grown,' say, from 20 acres than when broadcasted, and both the barley and the rape havo an independent initial start. The two plants have .different. root systhe rape sending its tap root into the subsoil, and the- barley. having a fibrous, surface-feeding root system. This fibrous, surface rootin'g system would •therefore materially assist in'preventing the soil.from getting out of that mechanical condition by trampling. Rape .'ameliorates' the subsoil by the action of

•its tap roots.. I'urther, the mixing of the iliets make it more palatable to stock, more wholesome, and minimises the risks spoken of.'

' When drilling, about 41b. of Tape and 301b. of barley are sown per acre, under ordinary conditions. The- rape - can be sown from the grass seed attachment, and ,the barley from the wheat box, the alterinato . drill of each part ■ being blocked. Superphosphate is the best to apply with the seed, at the rate of about threc-ouar*' ters.'to one cwt. per acre.' The, application', of tho superphosphate gives the young plant a morn vigorous start, and consequently •'■ increases the amount of fodder.

Barley, during'the very cold weather, grows much better ' than rape. Where 'barley as' a crop is unsuitable, oats or black Winter rye should be sown with the rape. ■-~'.'

As with most fodder crops, care should bo taken not to turn sheep or stock into the field too soon. There should be sufficient 'herbage and root-development to prevent the surface-soil being trampled out of condition. to the future detriment of the crop. Drills should, therefore, be only about 7 to 9 inches apart; if wider, tracks will be made between drills by the sheep. When feeding off, the partdock should be subdivided, for it is well known that when, areas are continuously grazed, they:will not carry, half the stock they will when fed at intervals. .The first grazing plot, then, would lost about three weeks. The paddocks should bo so divided that when the last plot is fed off, the first-,will havo made 7/to 8 inches of. growth', ':'■':'

This orop, When sown in early should allow of. stocking during the autumn, winter, and early spring, at which time; generally, fodder is scarce.

lu'spring, when other food is plentiful, the stock should be. taken off, and the growth of the crop allowed to continue. The crop should be * ploughed into the soil for green manure about the end of October or beginning; of. November. In this way, not only is the texture of tho soil improved, but also tho fertility is kept up. * . ■