REARING LAMBS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 376, 10 November 1932, Page 2

REARING LAMBS

LIMONITE RESULTS .. TREATED LAMBS YIELD FINE AYERAGE FLEECESJ DEATH LOSSES WIPED OUT. The splendid results which eontinue to be reported with regard to the limonite treatment of stock in bush siclc country, are C'ausing widespread satisfaction among the farmers of this district. Mr. C. R. Taylor, of the chemistry division of the Agricultural Dep'artment, who is looking after the experiments which farmers are making, is collecting a pile of evidence to show that, the dread trouble of malnutrition can be overcome, and real good stock turned off land hitherto considered hopeless. A very ture illustration is afforded by the remarkable change brought about in the sheep on Messrs. Humphry Bros.' station at Atiamuri. Up until the time when the limonite treatment was brought into operation, it was found impossible to rear lambs on this property. All young stock had to be bought. Not more' than five per cent. of the lambs were weaned, and the final successes weta generally cut down tt> about 2 ipr cent. Now there has been a wonderful change. Out of 50 lambs born last year 42 were reared. On November 4, when just 12 months old, these lambs were shorn, and individual fleeces turned the scales at 11.51bs. In fact, the 11.51b is the average weight, as some of the fleeces went well over 131b. The animals also came out of the wool in splendid condition, well fit for the freezer. It is worthy of note as well that these lambs faced a good bard winter. They had no roots or hay. Ensilage was provided, but they would not touch it.' Apart from the lambs, the mothers also gave a very satisfactory yield for wet ewes. They clipped out up to 8.61b, after being on the limonite treatment for 18 months. Other flock ewes, which had had only seven months treatment, averaged 6.51b. Just one more point is that the ewes o • treatment have again produced 100 p-er cent. of good healthy lambs this season, and the flocks are looking in first-class condition, with little anticipation of loss. It will bear repeating that these results are from land which failed to rear more than two to five per cent. of lambs. There are thousands of acres of similar land in the district, and it will therefore be realised that the triumph of limonite is of immense value to the farming community.