Stud Cattle Breeders' Page.

Southland Times, Issue 21097, 31 May 1930, Page 15

Stud Cattle Breeders' Page.

FRIESIANS IN SOUTHLAND* 5 BREEDING DAIRY STOCK 4

WINTERING THE HERD.

IMPORTANCE OF DRY PERIOD.

PRODUCTION STANDARD.

THE INFLUENCE OF FEED.

While there is a steady improvement throughout the Dominion in the quality of the dairy cattle being bred, an equal improvement is not taking place in the feeding of these high-producing animals, nor in their protection, writes H.B.T. in the New Zealand Herald. Farmers appear to think that all they have to do to possess a high-producing herd is to select the heaviest producers among their cows, mate these to bulls that have a concentration of high-producing blood in their veins, and the progeny are sure to be profitable. This is all right insofar as it is impossible to secure a high standard of production unless the stock are bred with the ability to convert a large part of their fodder into milk and butterfat, but, just as the ancient Israelites were unable to niake sun-dried bricks for their Egyptian task-masters without straw, so your very good friend and earnest worker, the well-bred dairy cow, cannot produce milk and butter-fat to her full capacity, unless she is liberally supplied with all the ingredients necessary.

Spring and Summer Requirements.

During the spring and summer months the pastures which constitute the areas chiefly devoted to dairying in New Zealand are generally rich enough to supply the proteins and carbohydrates required for milk formation, and body maintenance. Sometimes there is a deficiency of minerals, which limits milk production and may adversely affect the health of the animal; but this can be-rectified either by top-dressing the pasture with the minerals (in the form of manures), which are chiefly lacking, or by feeding the minerals direct to the animals in the form of a lick.

Deficiency in proteins and minerals is most marked, however, during the winter months, and it is there, because the cows are not in milk, and thus constantly under the eye of the farmer, that they are often, actually starved for the right class of food, when then need it most particularly. Late autumn ana winter-grown grass, and also the withered, tufty residue from summer growth, is much lower in protein and mineral content than an equal bulk of spring or summer growth; thus dairy cows which are grazed at this period on apparently abundant feed may be starving for the necessary ingredients to develop their calves, and at the same time build up their own strength, depleted by a long and heavyseason’s milking. Under these conditions of deficiency, abortion frequently occurs, or, at best, weakly calves are produced, which have little hope of developing into heavy milkers. The cows themselves, under the double strain of reproduction and rebuilding their own systems, combined with the necessity of using a considerable proportion of their foodstuffs to maintain bodyheat, gradually lose, instead of gaining condition, with the result that they take a long time to recover in the spring.

Period of Recuperation.

The six weeks or two months during which a dairy cow is usually dry in the winter should be devoted to building up the system and preparing her to come to her flush as early as possible, and maintain production at her maximum for the bulk of the milking season. To do this she requires an ample and well-balanced ration. Plenty of lucerne, hay or ensilage, which is rich in protein, a moderate amount of wellcured, mixed pasture hay to supply the bulk and carbo-hydrates, and a picking on the best green feed available, should put the cows in condition, not forgetting that they will require a regular supply of phosphates, lime, iron and salt to replace deficiencies in the bones and blood through these being drawn on in the making of milk. The importance of minerals in the foodstuffs of the dairy cow is too often overlooked. YVeakly calves are usually the result of mineral deficiency, as is also milk fever. Further, as milk is always of a fixed composition, i.e., the proportion of minerals is always the same, irrespective of the condition of the cow or the quality of the pasture, it means that if there is a shortage of minerals in her diet she must either draw these from the storehouse of the skeleton, or the quantity of her milk yield must be reduced. Minerals, therefore, play an important part in regulating the milk yield.

Shelter and Covering

As a large part of the food eaten is consumed in producing body heat, it is obvious that any protection the animals can be given by covering them and putting them in sheltered paddocks will be well repaid in a saving of fodder and improved condition. Sooner or later we will, no doubt, go in for stabling our high-producing dairy cows in the winter and feeding concentrates, as is done in England and on the Continent, and it will pay us handsomely; but meantime the driest and warmest open-air quarters, with regular covering and intelligent feeding will give fairly satisfactory results. Where is has not already been done in autumn, the time while the cattle are off their ordinary milking paddocks can be well employed in harrowing these thoroughly and top-dressing to encourage early and nourishing spring growth. Harrowing, if thoroughly done, not only distributes the animal manure, but also opens up the hardtramped surface, and allows of the penetration of air and sunlight to the soil surrounding the plant roots. As a consequence, the grass comes away much earlier, and is stronger-growing in the spring. Harrowing also allows the manlire to get quickly into the soil. The most suitable dressing to secure early and nourishing spring growth would be equal parts of sulphate of ammonia and superphosphate, and up to 2cwt, of each per acre would be found to be justified by results.

BREEDING DAIRY STOCK.

INFLUENCE OF BULL.

Many of the problems associated with the breeding of livestock are of time-hon-oured antiquity and the experienced breeder has up to the present received but little help from scientific research. Gradually, however, it is being recognized that the problems of the inheritance of specific characteristics and the effect of the conditions of feeding and management on the qualities possessed by the offspring can be made the subject of experiment and research and many workers in different countries are engaged in studying various aspects of the question. With regard to dairy cattle the develop; ment of milk recording and butter-fat testing has provided a means of measurement of the yield and quality of milk of parents and offspring which has brought about a great improvement in many herds. The selection of bulls for use in dairy herds primarily on the basis of the milk yield of the dam was found to be a slow and occasionally uncertain method of improvement, though materially better than any method followed before milk records

became available, and gradually it was realized that by far the best indication of the breeding value of a dairy bull was the milkihg qualities of his daughters and the extent to which these daughters exceeded their dams in quantity and quality of milk. When a good bull was found, judged by this'standard, he was, and is, kept alive and in use for as many years as possible. Problems of management arise in the keeping of aged bulls and problems of mating in moderate-sized herds, but the excellent results which have resulted from this system make it well worth while for individual farmers to consider how they can modify their practices so as to keep a “proved milk breeding bull.’’

DISEASES OF STOCK.

TUBERCULOSIS RISKS.

WAYS OF INFECTION

Pigs and cattle are the stock most susceptible to tuberculosis, and the former are often infected from tuberculous cows, since the-pig is utilized to dispose of skim milk. Infection of the pig usually takes place with the food, though it may be spread from one tuberculous pig to anther and from a tuberculous sow to her litter, or through wounds’such as those from castration. Fresh air and sunlight are the strongest allies in the fight against tuberculosis, and. these should especially be studied in designing piggeries. The factory system of dealing with whole milk assists the spread of tuberculosis, since the skim milk is mixed in a common vat, from which suppliers take back the separated milk to the farm. One tuberculous herd may thus infect a district. The dung and discharge from tuberculous cows are also sources of infection, as is also the uncooked offal from tuberculous animals.

The usual place of infection of pigs is in the lymphatic glands about head and throat; but the glands between the lungs and those attached to stomach, liver and intestines, the liver, lungs, spleen and mammary glands are often diseased, and occasionally the bones. These signs are detected after slaughtering. Definite signs of tuberculosis are seldom noticed in the living animal. Sometimes unthriftiness is a warning; lumps may be felt at the throat, and in advanced cases diarrhoea, coughing and quick breathing are signs of tubercular trouble. These, however, otfen indicate a quite different dis-

No line of treatment can be advised, but the disease can be controlled by prevention. All dairy herds should be tested at intervals for tuberculosis, and, unless the herd is free form the disease, pigs should be kept out of their yards and pastures. All dairy products used for pigs should be heated up to 180 deg. F., and kept at that, temperature for .15 minutes. All offal should be boiled before feeding to pigs. All suspected animals should be slaughtered and pens disinfected by washing with limewash to which is added a little disinfectant. All litter and rubbish should be burned, the ground turned over and dressed with quicklime.

CROSSBRED PIGS.

SATISFACTORY RESULTS.

The reason why crossbred pigs are usually so satisfactory is that they are the result of a complete change of blood; that is to say, when they are the offspring of two definitely distinct or unrelated breeds, says the New Zealand Farmer. Similarly, tne reason why pure-bred pigs are often anything but satisfactory is that they are too far inbred. In-breeding is necessary in some cases, and sometimes is quite successful, but as a general rule it has been proved time and again that it is a bad practice. The pedigree breeder who knows his business will always try to avoid close blood relationship between the sexes, and though he may often find it difficult to avoid distant connection of some kind, he will try to obtain stock that lor the last few generations has not been intermingled. The periodical introduction of fresh blood is, in tact, the very backbone of pedigree breeding, and because they have not appreciated this fact to the full many have failed at producing pigs of the best type. The beginner, for example, ■ having started with a few sows and an unrelated boar, soon finds himself in a quandary after his first litters have been produced. He can go on using the same boar for his original sows, but he cannot mate the offspring of the latter with the boar who sired them. Such things have been done, and sometimes with results a good deal better than might have been expected, but that does not prove that'the practice should be generally, followed.

The question then arises as to what is the best course to adopt towards introducing the new blood thaf. is necessary. If one wishes to keep in the herd some of the gilts bred from the original sows and to breed from them, then a new boar must be obtained. That means that if the original boar be retained two boars must be kept, and that again means expense which will not be warranted unless the original number of sows was fairly large. Probably the best thing to do is to get another boar that is not related in any way to the original sows, so that he can be used for them as well as for their progeny. It is advisable, of course, at the same time, that the new boar should also be unrelated to the old one. The latter must be scrapped, and the money will probably be lost in the process, though if he be still young a fair price may bo made of him to another herd owner.

The unfortunate part of the business is that it is the custom to regard a scrapped boar with suspicion. The prospective buyer, somewhat naturally, is apt to believe, whatever may be said to the contrary, that the animal is being sold for some fault, and it is therefore difficult to make much of a price of him unless one can sell him to someone who knows the real circumstances of the case. To get rid of him, however, no matter how good he may be and however poor the price may be, will pay in the long run, for no boar can be said to be profitable unless the fullest use can be made of his services. Of course, if there are enough sows to justify the keeping of two boars, well and good, but the beginner does not find himself in that position unless he has started in a fairly large way to begin with. The rule should be that so soon as one finds oneself with gilts ready to breed, but which cannot be bred from with the existing boar, the latter should be scrapped and a new boar, totally unrelated to any of the sows or gilts in the herd, obtained.

It may seem a pity to get rid of an animal that has proved his worth and who may be to some extent still useful, but it is the wisest policy in the end. Boars cannot be kept for nothing, and it has also to be remembered that the longer a boar is kept the less saleable he becomes. The demand for boars after their second or third year, although they are probably just as good for breeding as they ever were and may be useful for several years to come, is always small.

FRIESIANS IN SOUTHLAND.

NOTES ON SOME HERDS.

The Friesian dairy herds of Southland are noted for high production of milk and butterfat, and some very interesting returns for the present' season are available, writes Mr J. P. Kalaugher, secretary ,of the New Zealand Friesian Association. Mr R. J. Browne on his farm of 228 acres at Pukemaori has 420 ewes, 470 lambs, 150 hoggets, 10 horses, a herd of 29 Friesian cows with 14 calves, and the 29 cows for November returned him a factory average of 521 b fat per cow, a very pleasing return. Messrs A. and R. ■ Udy of The Ridges, Wyndham, with their herd of 34 Friesians averaged 57.51 b fat per cow for October, and 61.51 b fat for November. A pedigree Friesian, Guineaslea Buttercup 4th, for the last, three months returned 861 b., 931 b., and 911 b. This cow milked up -to 1031 b. milk a day-. Mr Jas. Young of Wallacetown whose herd of 43 cows averaged 3491 b. fat last season has his farm in great order. The buildings, gates and fences are all in first class repair, and his pastures are especially good. One of his pedigree Friesians, Hollywood Inka Mercedes, milking up to 1011 b. daily has returned a yield of 1061 b. fat for November. Ms R. H. Dickie of Tuturau whose herd average, 3971 b. to the end of June, was the highest last season for Southland, has the excellent average returns this season of 581 b fat for October and 69.71 b. fat for ,November. A pedigree Friesian in this herd, Cordyline Colantha Cremona, returned 971 b fat for November.

CALVING TIME.

FEEDING HIGH PRODUCERS.

High producing dairy cows should have very careful feeding just before and just after calving time. Many cows are ruined because of careless feeding at this period. The ration should be greatly reduced at least a week before the cow is due to calve. A few days before calving, says, an overseas writer, the cow should have nothing but light bran mashes well salted. If the weather is cold the water she is given should have the chill removed. A small amount of roughage in the form of lucerne or clover hay is desirable, but in most instances it is best to discontinue silage for a week before calving.

For the first three days after calving the cow should not receive more than two or three pounds of bran made up in a mash for the first day, and one or one and a half lb. additional added each of the next couple of days. On the fourth or fifth day, after her udder is in good condition, a small amount-of other concentrates can be allowed. Some middlings, linseed'oil meal, oats, and bran will be sufficient.

At the end of a week the cow can be consuming her accustomed amount of roughage and she can have all the water she wants to drink providing the chill has been removed if the weather is cold, lhe feed now can be gradually increased, and at the end of two weeks the cow can be on full feed if she is carefully watched. In their eagerness to get the cow to full feed many dairymen overfeed their cows at calving time, causing udder trouble and often other troubles as well. If the cow has been properly fitted for calving by a preliminary feeding for several weeks she will not. suffer any by being fed in this manner, but rather will profit by it.

PIGS WINTER RATIONS.

VALUE OF LUCERNE,

A little lucerne or other leguminous hay in the winter ration of hogs hastened growth and increased the profit in feeding tests recently conducted at the Ohio Agricultural Experimental Station. Pigs fed a ration of maize, tankage, linseed meal, ground lucerne, and minerals reached an average market weight of 2251 b. 29 days earlier than similar pigs fed the same ration without the lucerne added. With the lucerne added it required 211 b. less feed for each 1001 b gain.

At present market prices the gains made by the pigs getting the lucerne cost 30 cents a 1001 b less than those made by the pigs not receiving lucerne. The ground hay was fed at the rate of one pound for every pound of linseed meal and two pounds of tankage.

Grinding or chopping the lucerne and mixing it with some other feed for growing or fattening pigs is considered advisable by Mr W. L. Robison, in charge of these experiments at the station, as it insures their taking a sufficent quantity. If ground lucerne is not available, feeding the leaves that shatter from the hay as it is thrown from the mow or even keeping hay in a rack before the pigs would be preferable to omitting it from the ration. Whole hay is recommended for brood sows. By limiting concentrate allowance somewhat, Mr Robison finds no difficulty in getting them to eat it readily. The expense of grinding is saved, and the sows secure needed exercise in getting the hay. Clover or other leguminous hay may be substituted for lucerne. Good chopped clover proved fully as valuable in the test as lucerne of similar quality. For all classes, of hogs it is important that hay of good quality be used.

BUSH-SICK CATTLE.

THEORY AS TO CAUSE. CRYSTALS IN THE SOIL. HARM DONE BY SILICA OXIDE. A new theory in regard to bush sickness is contained in a report sent by Mr S. Burton, of Hamilton, a veterinary surgeon, to Mr W. J. Broadfoot, M.P., at the request of the latter. Mr Burton states that during the course of his duties as Government veterinary sur geon he visited the Mamaku Farm-in 191 b to inspect some bush-sick cattle. The symptoms he observed led him to believe that bush sickness was due to some irritant, and also that a soil deficiency would not cause an abdominal irritation. The feed was green and succulent and could not cause any digestive trouble. He examined the paddocks for an hour endeavouring to discover some weed which would cause an irritation, and in disgust sat down on a log to think the matter over. ; "Unconsciously,” he continued, “I picked a blade of grass and put it in my mouth. I at once knew that I had found the cause of bush sickness. The blade of grass had a peculiar grittiness, which put my teeth on edge, and plucking another blade I found that the root had come up, so I placed that in my mouth with the same experience. Filling an envelope with the soil I proceeded to the house, borrowed a glass and a jug of water and set to work to pan it out. To my surprise I found that about one-third of the sample consisted of small crystals and glass-like particles. The cattle did not take in this irritating material through drinking in shallow streams or by licking the soil, but by watching the animals feed I noticed that the roots were pulled up and the cattle were eating herbage, roots and all.” After he made further experiments, Mr Burotn came to the conclusion that bush sickness was caused through these glassy particles. On examination, the crystals proved to be oxide of silica, the hardest crystal next to a gem. The crystals in their whole state did no harm, but when cracked the lance-like edges caused the irritation'to the abdominal tract, therefore, soil which was worn was not so dangerous as the volcanic soil which had not been destroyed. Mr Burton reported his investigations to the Director of the Live Stock Division and suggested as a remedy that humus be formed by ploughing in green crops to prevent the grasses being pulled up, and that the deepest-rooted grasses suitable to the climatic conditions should be sown. The cultivation of the soil at Mamaku Farm had minimized the bush sickness in latter years, said Mr Burton, and the administration of preparations of iron was a correct treatment for a mechanical irritation of the digestive tract. “The reply I received from the Director of Live Stock,” he continued, “was to the effect not to make any more investigations on bush sickness, not to visit Mamaku again, but to devote my time to some more important disease, such as tuberculosis and black-leg. This is one of the reasons why I left the departmental service. “I have since made several post mortems on bush-sick cattle and found in each instance from one to two handfuls of oxide of silica in the fourth stomach, and the microscopic examination performed by a medical man on the walls of the affected animals showed the condition which would be caused by mechanical irritation, such as ground glass.”

QUALITY OF FEED.

DIGESTIBILITY’ QUESTION

EFFECT OF FERMENTATION

The desirability of fermenting feed so as to render it more digestible and valuable in feeding, has frequently been discussed. A trial was made with cows at the Wisconsin Station a year ago. Lucerne hay and maize fodder, including the ears, was chopped, mixed, and processed. The processing consisted in adding to the chopped material a definite amount of a secret formula material, called converter, and the mixed material was then steamed for ten minutes and allowed to stand for approximately 12 to 14 hours. Ten cows were divided into two lots and were fed during a six weeks’ period according to the double reversal plan. The check ration consisted of lucerne hay and maize silage for roughage. All the cows under both systems of feeding received the same amount and kind of concentrates. There was essentially the same amount of dry matter in the lucerne hay included in each ration, and an equivalent amount of dry matter in the maize silage as in the maize fodder used in the processed feed. In commenting on this trial the investigators make the following statement. —“All but one of the cows ate the processed feed readily and without waste. The general appearance of the animals and their reaction to the ration indicated little or no difference between the processed and. the untreated feed. No trouble was experienced in changing the cows from the check ration to the processed feed or vice versa. All the cows maintained their live weight very uniformly throughout the trial, and finished the tests with practically the same average weights as they had at the start thus indicating that neither ration supplied appreciably more or appreciably less than the amounts of nutrients actually required for milk production and body maintenance.

“Milk production obtained with the two rations was practically identical. With the check ration there was produced an average of 0.941 b of butter-fat daily per cow, as compared to an. average of 0.591 b, with the processed ration. “While further work will be conducted before final conclusions can be drawn, this trial indicates the inability of this method of fermenting feed to increase appreciably the feeding value of lucerne hay and corn fodder for cows. If account is taken of the investment required for the fermentation apparatus, the cost of the converter, the expense of steam, and the greatly increased labour required to process the feed, it is apparent the fermentation process adds greatly to the cost of the ration.”