STOCK BREEDING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 February 1943, Page 4

STOCK BREEDING

IMPROVEMENTS IN SOVIET RUSSIA. ' USE OF SCIENTIFIC METHODS. Recent statistics show ihat tno Soviet Union’s flocks and herds multiplied greatly during the first nine' months of last year. In the Ivanovo region, Central Russia, for instance, the number of large horned cattle increased by 46 per cent., sheep and goats by 72 per cent, and hogs by 45 per cent. In the Gorky region the corresponding figures were 27.1 per cent, for largehorned cattle, 39.2 per cent, for sheep and goats and 55.9 per cent, for hogs. This war time success was due to improved fodder supplies and better care of young stock, which reduced mortality among young animals. In Kazakhstan, the largest cattlebreeding area in the U.S.S.R., the larger-horned cattle increased by 15.6 per cent., sheep and goats by 25,1 per cent, and hogs by 44.3 per cent. In the neighbouring Tadjikistan the figures | were 29.7 per cent, for large-horned I cattle and 25.7 per cent, for sheep and goats. One of the main reasons for this success was the wide use of the luxuriant winter pastures. Special cattlebreeding stations were established there, with the result that the herds grew much more rapidly. Mortality of young animals is far lower than among herds kept in stables. Artificial insemination of cattle has been widely applied and is proving most effective. The method has recently been improved by Soviet scientists. Professor Zavadovsky’s methods for increasing the fertility of sheep have also brought excellent results. Where they have been applied the number of lambs produced by each 100 ewes has increased by 25 to 30. Zavadovsky’s methods also contributed to the euccessful development of cattle-raising in Siberia. In the Altai territory largehorned cattle increased by 15 per cent., sheep and goats by 35 per cent., hogs by 57 per cent. The Soviet Government has taken various measures to encourage farmers . to improve their standard of animal husbandry. A decision adopted after the outbreak of war awards certain priviledges to the best cattle-breeding farms and individual workers — “Soviet War News.”