An Examination Of Drought Position

Press, Volume C, Issue 29680, 25 November 1961, Page 6

An Examination Of Drought Position

’T'HERE is no doubt that this A is a severe drought—just how severe remains to be seen. The trouble has been the wet winter. This left the soil waterlogged and out of condition. The severe storms in the early spring had the stock struggling just at the vital periods of lambing and calving. The result has been that this season got away to a very poor and late start as far as stock were concerned. Then we went straight into summer with record speed As one farmer said to me “we had no spring this season.” We burst straight out of winter into summer. With temperatures in the 70's at 9 a.m. and blistering north-westers we suddenly realised that wet conditions were gone forever and drought was upon us. The pastures were parching and cracks were appearing on the clay ground that you could almost sprain your ankle in. Early Start It is a long time since we had a drought which started so early. The last effective rainfall was on September 25. Since that date there have been several little showers which have disappeared quickly in the subsequent north-westers. The cold change over last week-end gave some effective relief to a few districts such as Hanmer. It is also reported that Culverden had one fairly good rain in recent weeks, but apart from a few districts Canterbury is dry right from the coast to the foothills. The vexed question is when is it going to rain? It would be very handy to know. & . . The fact that the weather continues rather windy with quick switches in direction, including a blustery southerly every few days, plus those funnels of dust on the worked ground, suggest a continuation of dry weather to me If it continues dry then what should farmers do —the following suggestions may assist: (1) Lamb drafting: It would be easier if the bottom had not fallen out of the schedule last week-end but it would appear that they must be drafted. The amount of feed will dictate what to do, but on the light and medium land it looks as though the drafter should be instructed to go down to a 251 b or 261 b average in most places. It would be a great help if the freezing workers and the freezing companies could solve their differences and increase output for the next two or three weeks. This has got the makings of the greatest emergency ever. If it does not rain effectively soon it will be the father of all droughts so far as Canterbury is concerned. (*) Breeding ewes: Once the lambs are 'drafted the ewes should be taken out. They will usually try to come back to the yards and can be eut off quite easily. If over 90 per cent, of them can be obtained in this way I think it is the best method. On the afternoon of the second day the newly weaned ewes can be removed for certain by running them through the yards end bagging them This method dees involve putting the remaining ewes

[By H. E GARRETT] and lambs through the yards. If the yards are handy and it is done quickly and the weather is cool it is not so bad. but this operation can knock a few days' growth off the lambs if . there is a big drive on a hot day. The weaned ewes can be put in a corner somewhere and if necessary fed some rough hay or ryegrass straw. (3) Sale ewes: The more that are off the place the better. Unfortunately I would imagine that farmers

will be unable to sell this class of stock from now on. Under these circumstances they must be carried in some corner or other to the best advantage until the lambs are cleared off the place. (4) Ewes and lambs: There are many advantages of early weaning and it undoubtedly has an important place. The argument is that with limited feed the ewes eat far more than they provide in the way of milk for their lambs. On occasions this is so and I would not hesitate to wean and crutch lambs which need it. They should be put on a small area of succulent feed that will remain on most farms, e.g, lucerne. Personally I believe that the shot is to wean the big, hard lambs and keep the smaller and sappy lambs on their mothers. These latter ewes and lambs should be kept in small mobs, no more than 250 ewes and be given plenty of scope—two ewes to the acre or less if at all possible. I feel confident that they will continue to thrive, even on dry pastures under these conditions in a way that will surprise their owners. (5) The summer programme: If ft keeps on dry breeding ewes, and for that matter freezing ewes also, will be grazing down to the dirt in many places. It will 1

be a case of ryegrass straw, poor hay and similar feeds. Crapping men should save all the small seeds and pea straws they are able to, and dairymen may even be glad of barley straw for their dairy cattle. Manufacturers of sheep nuts could well prepare for a bumper season. Ewes can be maintained on the dry feeds until say the end of January or early February. They should then get the "saved” pastures, the orop stubbles, a little bit of good hay and if necessary two or three ounces of sheep nuts per day per ewe Until the rams have been round at least once.