WINTER FEEDING OF STOCK

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 77, 17 April 1937, Page 19

WINTER FEEDING OF STOCK

Harmful Malnutrition Is Common DOMINION'S WEAKNESS Poor winter feeding of siock is oue of the comraonest and most, grievOus weaknesses in New Zealand farming, states Mr R. P. Connell, of the Fiolds Division, Palmerston North, in the "Journal of Agriculture. ' 1 The feeding of developing dairy heifers and of hoggets is unfortunately often far below the needs of the animals. Such developing stock are readily susceptible to serious and possibly permanent setbacks as a result of malnutrition in the winter, and the harm which results is likely to be greatly intensified if the stock are infested with internal parasites. The permapent setback may take the form of stunting in size, which experience shows is associated usually with a corresponding stunting in production. Hence it may be expected to prove profitable eventually to givo both heifers and hoggets the best feed available. Feeding of straw, poor hqy, or stemmy grass growth is not consistent with this. Feed, such as leafy grass, good hay, roots and green crops, which is relatively rich in digestible supplies of body-.building raaterial is required. U'sually July is a critical month in the feeding of pregnant dairy cows and ewes. During the period when she is not yielding. milk the dairy cow should be fed liberally enough to bring about what in Britain aptly has been ealled a "steaming up" process, which results in recuperation and renewal of bodily reservos, which are paTticularly likely to be depleted in heavy producers. Feeding that begets tbis result is considered to assisfc greatly in warding off udder and other disorders that commonly occur at about ,C8lving time. ' . Pat Lamb Raising New Zealand investigations have demonstrated the importance of good Winter feeding of ewes kept primarily for fat lamb production. It has been found that the economical production of fat lambs depends to a considerable extent upon obtaining lambs of good weight at birth, and this in turn, as might be expected, is determined by good winter feeding of the ewes. Field evidence which is being accumulated goes to show that the position in pig raising is essentially similar; that success with litters and proiits from the winter feeding, and that while other matters, such as good housing,' may also be essential to success, due attention to theselatter matters does not bring success if the feeding is neglected. 'The farmer who already has not made provision for the adequate feeding of his stock cannot at this stage do much to remedy the position apart from resorting to purchase feed. But, nevertheless, some good will be achievea by direeting attention to the value of good winter feeding at this stage, if it leads to the planting of better supplies of feed for the following winter— -a matter which now should be receiving attention. In the feeding of roots, carrots and mangolds should follow swedes in the order given; the mangolds may be kept longest beeause of their particularly 1 good keeping qualities. Chou moellier usually is in good condition for feedihg in July, when it generally should be used, for sometimes in Auguist it tends to run to' flower etalks. Used with Silage Roots and silage may be classed generally as Some what watery bulky feeds, and so it is better to feed toots and hay than rations of roots alono or of roots and silage. Silage alone has been used at times as a winter supplement to pastures with goOd results, and this every when very little feed was obtainable from the pastures, but the prolonged feeding of roots alone may lead to disorders such as red water. , Whether better results are obtainable from silage by .using it alone or in conjnuction with hay in winter is a queetion about which the evidence available does not allow of a definite answer. Probably much depends upon the respective qualities of the hay and silage; however, certain farmers feed silage alone successfully, especially at about calving timo, and elaim that they have less calving trouble than if they had substiluted hay for the silage. Similarly silage has been fed successfully to ewes right up to lambing time. A typical satisfactory full-maintenance daily ration for a dry in-calf dairy cow is approxlr:ately 40 1b mangolds together with .12 lb of average hay. When it is remembered that the nutritive equipment of this ration is 50 lb Oi' Ordinary grass silage, the cause of the tendency towards uuder-feeding of silage becomes obvious. Cereals sown in the autumn ghould be fed Off bofore the growth becomes too long; in genefal two light fecdings of short growth are more satisfactory and involve less waste than one feeding of heavy growth. AutumU-sown green cereals have been used successfully at this Btage for pig grazing when the amount of food available for the pastures has been undesirably sinai!.