SEASONAL FEEDING

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20492, 7 May 1938, Page 26 (Supplement)

SEASONAL FEEDING

CARE OF THE HERD WINTER FEED SUPPLIES While the part played by the judicious management of breeding-stock in the production of high herd averages is generally realised, points out Mr P. S. Syme, of the Ruakura Farm staff, there is a tendency on the part of many farmers to leave too much to the cow and to overlook certain personal responsibilities in the field of management. To produce well and consistently throughout her lactation period a cow must be adequately fed at all times throughout the year, and a lack of proper appreciation of this simple axiom frequently results in periods of semi-starvation which prove to be serious limiting factors of production. If a satisfactory and adequate ration is to be available at all seasons, the farmer must look ahead and, by careful forethought aided by practical experience, render himself independent of the vagaries of the season. He must sow even while he reaps.

The past summer has been more than usually dry. In some districts crops of hay and silage have been light; root crops have been poor, and with heavy demands on the food available in January and February many farmers who failed to carry over sufficient hay and silage from the previous season now face the lean period of the year with food reserves at a very low* ebb. This position may best be attacked from two angles—(a) By conserving existing supplies and using all feed to the best possible advantage. While each farm presents separate problems, certain solutions are common to all. Much may be done by dividing the herd so that the animals may be fed according to their condition and value; the low-producing animals will di-y off, and this, combined with early culling, will ease the position for the remainder. Soft turnips, green maize, and other perishable food available should be used to conserve pasture-growth, and if an autumn flush occurs, surplus grass may be used for ensilage. Silage and hay should be fed only very sparingly, unless an adequate reserve is available for winter, as the position then is likely to be still more acute. At the worst the summer food shortage is likely to be temporary, and the ration can be supplemented by purchased foodstuffs such as bran and meatmeal.

Encouraging Pasture Growth. (b) By encouraging pasture growth, and providing additional supplementary feed.

While the season is now too far advanced to permit of sowing root crops with much hope of success, sowings of temporary pasture mixtures will provide valuable feed for the autumn and spring. A temporary pasture of Italian rye-grass end red clover may be ready to feed six to eight weeks after sowing. The best results are obtained by the use of certified seeds, and these should be sown at the rate of 301 b. Italian ryegrass and 6 lb. broad red clover. Super at the rate of 2 cwt. per acre should be applied at the time of sowing, with a dressing of 10 cwt. of lime if this is considered necessary. A good, well-worked, and well-con-solidated seed-bed, combined with early sowing, will materially contribute to successful establishment. Algerian oats sown at 2i bushels to 3 bushels per acre will provide some autumn feed and will prove useful for grazing or for hay in the spring. This allows sufficient time to prepare the land for swedes, a practice followed by many farmers. It should be remembered that a small area done well is far more profitable than a larger area which has been allowed to suffer through inadequate attention. If full advantage is to be taken of existing pastures, selected fields should now be lightly harrowed and top-dressed with 2cwt. to 4 cwt. of super per acre; and if lime is deficient, this may be added at 10 cwt. per acre. Fertilisers applied at this time, when the soil is still warm, give quick results and greatly increase the quantity of feed available, thus reducing the drain on the feed intended for winter consumption, and still getting the cows in good condition before the winter. Where ample reserves of fodder are available, supplementary feeding should commence before the grass fails. Considrable injury results to a rye-grass sward if it is grazed too hard in the late autumn. The spring growth of rye is delayed, the balance of grass and clover is upset, and the way is paved for a rapid invasion of bad perennial weeds.