MAKING USE OF GRASS

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28606, 7 June 1958, Page 9

MAKING USE OF GRASS

Heavy Stocking At Gust At the Farmers’ Conference at Lincoln, Mr E. G. Smith, instructor in agriculture at Rangiora, said that the province’s improved pastures were not carrying more stock because much of their production was being wasted. A farmer in the Cust district is one of those who is becoming increasingly aware of thq truth of Mr Smith’s statement as he watches two ewe flocks totalling 1500 head being sustained in good condition on a 27-acre perennial ryegrass and white clover award of modest growth, with some hay. In April this farmer was faced with a prospective feed shortage when a period of drying northwest winds was followed by s series of frosts which halted growth. His partner proposed that the paddock, which had been down for two-and-a-half years, should be rationed out to the stock in sections. A year ago this same pasture gave a good seed crop. Up till the middle of December it was carrying 160 ewes and theii lambs, and after a spell of two weeks it was used through till April by 300 ewe lambs, which were also running for part of the time on 27 acres of pea stubble. The ewe flocks began to use the pasture at the end of April. . One flock comprises 700 stud Southdowns ranging in age from twotooths to 12-year-olds, and the other numbers 800 one-year halfbreds. The flocks are working over the paddock from opposite ends Initially a coil of netting was strung round a gateway and this area sufficed for the halfbreds for about six days. The practice has been to move the netting and standard fence enclosing the flocks about once a fortnight so that they have access to another three or four acres The sheep have about four hours on the grass every second day with the period being lengthened slightly as the cover is bared down. This spelling means that fouling of the sward is not marked Each flock has a bare camping paddock of 20 acres where the Southdowns receive 15 bales of good lucerne hay every second day and the halfbreds 25 bales of threshed clover and grass hay. Under this system the 27 acres is expected to provide the basic ration for the 1500 ewes until the end of this month —a period of nine weeks.

The experiment in concentrated grazing has more than satisfied the partners who plan to do much more of it in the future. Quite apart from providing additional feed—the turnips will be used a month later than last year—it has allowed better control of the condition of the ewes, which are in obviously good fit condition to go into lambing. The halfbreds were carrying a little too much condition when they went on to this feed and they have gradually been brought back with the lower quality hay they have been fed as a supplement.

The baring of the pasture to ground level—the ewes have been very effective lawnmowers—will, according to one of the partners, mean that in the spring the clover, which has lately been suppressed by the grass, will have a chance tn come away again and restore balance to the sward.