BARREN EWES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20080, 28 October 1939, Page 14

BARREN EWES

INTERESTING THEORY CANTERBURY EXPERIENCE The lambing percentage on many farms on the Canterbury Plains this season may be affected more by the absence of single lambs than by the scarcity of doubles That, at all events, is the opinion expressed to the Christchurch press the other day by an experienced breeder of all classes of stock. He instanced a case that had come under his notice which suggested an interesting theory as to a cause of barrenness.

In one flock most of the ewes had satisfactory lambing, an exception being one particular lot. The ewes were treated exactly alike, except that in the lot with the poor lambing they had been flushed when mated on good clover. This observer said it was well understood years ago that mares wan'd not hold if mated when grazed on luxuriant clover. He had discovered this in his own horse breeding, and what held good with one class of stock might easily apply to another. English Opinion Whilst the value of flushing feed at mating time is universally recognised. there has never been much opinion expressed as to ti e character of the Iced. Wallace, a wellknown English authority of 50 years ago, in his book, “Farm Live Stock of Great Britain," mentions what is well known —’.hat, barrenness in stock may be induced by over-feeding in the case of either sex, which loads the reproductive organs with fat. Some foods, lie says, induce this uncertainty more than others. Foods for breeders should be particularly rich in phosphates, and should have more albuminoids to fat formers than in the case of fattening animals. Very fat animals do not come very often in season. Tco low condition and constitutional weakness are other causes. The value of this authority's opinion, in the iigdit of to-day's farm practices. is the value he attaches to foods particularly rich in phosphates.