SHEEP ON DAIRY FARMS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 34, 3 November 1937, Page 13

SHEEP ON DAIRY FARMS

New Problems Studied in Taranaki STRATFORD EXPERIMENT Problems "following tho mtroduction of sheop to dairying country are being stqdied on the Stratford demoustration farm. The investigations are aimed broadly at throwing some light on a method of minimising losses due to feeding and at ascertaining the maximum sheep* carrying capacity of tbe land in the Stratford district. The number of farmers who are diversifying their farm praotice by adding fat lamb production to dairying is increasing and the problems have assumed greater importance. For example one farmer in South Taranaki iost 300 ewes this season. The farin authoritiea theTefore feel that the resqlts of their investigation will be of real value. Something about the wovk was explained at a field day recently. On 65 acres, or half the area of the farm, the season was commenced by running 300 ewes on a daily shift system on fields of approximately five acres each. There were 250 ewes and lambs in one paddock yesterday. To date 23 ewes have died and, with a few still to lamb, 305 lambs have been docked and 15 remain to be done. The scheme provides for the addition of mpre ewes worked on "the ilying flock" Bystem until the maximum carrying capacity is reached. The qbiect ot the investigation is to obtain information that will be requir- ' ed in the near future with the addition of the small flocks of breeding ewes to many of what wero formerly purely North Taranaki dairy farma. The reduction of the herd to 45 cows has this ycar resulted in a decrease of just over 18001b. of butterfat, but this has been ampjy compensated for by tbe sale of fat lambs, even inoluding in the one year the whole cost of subdivision fences, the provision of water and the preparation of creek crossmgs. It is stated, however, that this method of adding to income on dairy farms is undoubtedly limited by two important . factors, first the purchase price of the aged ewej and seconj^ly the losses due to management and diseasos • of sheep concentrated on high fertility pastures after spending so long on higher country. An attempt is being made to evolve a system of management and of feeding to mimmise the losses on this type of fat lamb production, and the expenracnt should undoubtedly help iu this direction.