OUR CATTLE HERDS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 210, 31 May 1920, Page 6

OUR CATTLE HERDS

BEST DIETARY FOR CALVES NOTES OF EXPERIMENTS THE VALUE OF LINSEED For dome time past the Government lias been faced with the possible depletion of tho cattle herds of the Dominion. a depletion likely to lie caused by I lie indiscriminate slaughter of young calves almost at birth. With a view to finding ft remedy for this state of things, the .Agricultural Department ha 9 been endeavouring 10 evolve a scheme for rearing calves on n modicum of milk supplemented by other foods, and it is satisfactory . to. note that the exjieriments which have been carried on simultaneously both at the Ruakura and Weraroa, State farms have proved »«<"-* cetsful. An Interesting Article.

Sir. J. L. Bruco (superintendent of experimental farms) lias a most interesting article on the result of the experiments in the last issue of the "New Zealand Journal of Agriculture." Ho points out that the present development of the dairy industry in New Zealand on lines which absorb the whole of .tlio milk or involve (ho extraction of practically nil feeding matter therefrom is braising about a position which threatens oo Eh dairying: itself .and beef prodi'ction. The rearing of calves is now one of the main problems confronting our dairy farmers. With the diminution iu the supply of skim milk and even ordinary whey, it has become mora and more necessary to turn to other foods. The present high Dnces of such feed&g stuffs, if fIU purchased outside, may make rearing with their aid comparatively expensive, but a great many more dairy farmers could and should grow the necessary farm crops, such afl oats, linseed, and beans for use on the farm. The dairyman must consider his future herd, and as a mlo it will bo sound oconomy'for him to save and rear well at least his best heifer calves. The ordinary run of calves could also be pro l ' fitably reared by the system of feeding here dealt with, but in their case tlio feeding seems likely to develop in tho near future into a. special and separate bi'sines-s on l<irj?e-acalo lines. With tho object of obtaining reliable local data regarding (ho extent to which suppleirentnry foods (mainly home-grown) can bo profitably substituted for milk and whey, a scheme of feedinsr tests, combined with the best practice in calfrearing generally, was undertaken, at ilis Departments experimental farms during the past season. In each case 10 calves, most of which would otherwise have been slaughtered for ' their shins, were, purchased soon after birth, divided into four groups of four each, and fed strictly on th 6 respective dietary nfsigned to each group, the neriod of the test being 17 weeks. • The results nf the tests are instructive, and go to show Hint the m-odifcp of tho dairy can be very largoly eliminated from the dietary of calves. There have been no deaths, and at the time of writing the calves f.re in excellent health _a)KI compare well with others re.ired mainly on milk.

In regard to general rearing practice, the writer is more than over convinced that the "anoiciit calf-paddock" has been responsible for more ailments in cattle than possibly any other cause. It iN essential that it bo abolished and repieced by clean, new grass nasture, preferably limed when sown down, no matter what the dietary of the calves may be. s 3 Ruakura Tests, The calves used for the tests at the Ruakura Farm of Instruction at Hamilton were 16 non-pedigree heifers under • n week old, purchased in the local sale-

yards at a cost of a few shillings each, and representative of the ordinary grade stock which came into the market. They comprised 12 shorthorns and four short-horn-Jersey crossbreds. All the calves were weighed on the same day, an'd then divided into groups of four, according to their/ weight. The variation in the total weights of the various groups was only 21b., so that all lots commenced., practically at the same,mark. Vot the firat month the calves were shedded at night, and were fed three times daily in separate. bails. They had a clean run on fresh pasture composed of Western Wolths ryegrass and red clover sown the previous season, and clean water and a salt-lick Were always within, 'their reach. The calves were first given one tablespoonfnl of castor-oil, and for the first two weeks were fed- an new milk, and at the-end of, that period on the dietaries, which follow:— •

Group 1: Whole milk 81b, per day for two weeks; whole linseed, Boz., flour 20z.. plus skim milk 151b. per day for 15 weeks. The result was that the weight of the four animals increased from 3011b. to 10711b. in the 17 weeks, which represented an average daily gain for' each calf of 1.611b. The total cost of food per head during the testing was «£1 14s. lid. Group 2: Whole milk Rib. per day -for two weeks, linseed meal bean mbnl 120z.,' plus ekim milk 81b. per day for two weeks, after which this wa« replaced by water for the remainder of the 17 weeks. The total sain in weight of the four animals was 6501b., an average daily gain of 1.361b. per head, the total cost of food per head being jil Ss. lid. Group 3: Whole milk 81b. per day for two weeks, oatmeal 807.., crushed linseed 40z., plus skim milk 151b. per day for 15 weeks. The four calves gained 7331b. in weight, an average daily gain of 1.541b. per head, tho total cost of food per head being .£1 19s. Bid. Group 4: Whole milk 81b. per day fcr two weeks, crushed linseed ita., plus skim milk'lslb. per day for 15 weeks. Tho total weight gained by the calves was 8471b.. or a daily gain by each animal of 1.7i1b., the total cost of food per head being £1 lte. Gd. The above shows that the drv crushed linseed' added to skim milk gave the best results. This

ration requires no preparation, and c'oiTsequently reciuires less labour. The calves carried good condition throughout, but the others did not have tho glossy skins so noticeable in group 3. There is not tho least doubt that the oatmeal and crushed linseed porridge gave iho calves a bettor appearance. Weraroa Tests.

The results of 'he tests conducted at the Wewiroa Central Development Parm, where the calves v.'ero treated under practically similar conditions, were as follow i-Group 1: Whole milk 81b. per day for two weeks, skim milk 161b. per day for twtf weeks, flour loss., and linseed meal 3oz. per day for 13 weeks. The total Bain in weight was 7181 d., or an average daily gain per head of 1.51b., the cost of food p&r head being l<s. 3Jd. Group 2: Wholo milk 81b. per day for two weeks, skim milk 161b. per day for two weeks, crushed oats lib., per day for th.rtoen weeks, The total gam »' weight was 82211>., or an average daily,gain for each calf of 1.71b., the cost of feed per head for (ho period being 19s. 101 d. Group 3: Whole milk Blb. per day for two weolrs, skim milk 161b. (plus 1 quart per day of linseed gruel) for 15 weeks. The total gain in weight was 7701b., average daily gain of eacit calf, 1 Clb. Total cost of food per head, ,£1 7s. 3d. Group't: Whole milk B}ib. per day for one week, skim milk I6lb. per day for one week, baan meal i)oz., linseed meal 60/„, well cooked and fed with three quarts warm water pei' (lay for 15 weeks. The total gain in weight was 10771b. or an average daily gain for cneh calf of 2.31b. Total cost of feed por head, 18s. lOd. The calves used were crossbreds, comprising Friesian-Jersey, Shorthorn-Jersey, Ayrshire-Jersey, Friea-ian-Shorthorn and Guernsey-Jersey, also fjriulo Jorsew Tho substitution of tho various foodu which ftnaJly replaced the milk ration was brought al>out gradually. Thus before tho end ci tho new-milk period a littlo skim milk was introduced, and increased until the ration was all slim milk. Other food changes wcro made similarly, and the animals at no lime suffered any check. In summing up, Mr. Bruce claims that it was clearly demonstrated throughoutthe tests that the most important and creential factors in calf-rearing (npart from the dietary) '-.ore (1) a clean new grass paddock, (2) a good supply of fresh drinking water, and (3) clean feeding utensils. There was no doubt that absence of scour among tho calves wa9 largely duo to tho latter precaution.