FATTENING LAMBS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1474, 24 June 1912, Page 8

FATTENING LAMBS.

AN EXPERIMENT AT MOUMAHAKI. Sinco a larger proportion of the sheep of this country ware yearly being' fattened oil forage crops, both student and farmer are interested in the cultivation of all crops which arc conducive to rapid fattening. Numerous plants are adaptable to this purpese, but probably rape has for many years been considered pre-emin-ent, yet, says Mr. T. W. Lonsdale in the Agricultural Department's "Journal," we have 110 authentic evidence 011 this point. Many trials have been carried out in •various parts of the country, but these have chiefly been to ascertain the' yield per acre cf the respective plants.

An interesting experiment in feeding lambs has recently been conducted on the Moumaliaki Experimental Farm, the object of which was to compare the feeding qualities cf different varieties of forage, a field of several acres being devoted to rape, silver-heel, uiaize, and Buda kale.

On March i!), a draft of IS2 iambs was apportioned according lo the area occupied by the respective crops. Each lot was weighed and marked with a distinguishing nlark. so that in Hie event of individual lambs straying 011 to other plats the matter could be easily and immediately rectified/ The lambs were then turned on to separate plots, and remained on the crops for a period of eighteen days.

To a casual observer the general appearance of the lsinbs 011 rape, silverbeet, and maize plots was similar throughout the trial; but , ; t was evident that those feeding 011 Hilda kale were not fattening rapidly. At Ihe conclusion of the trial the lambs were again weighed, the average gain per lamb for the period beiier as folirws: "Rape, 7/lib'.; silver-beet. G.I lb.; maize, a.fllb.; Bulla kale, 2.-111). Tho re.-alts obtained from the Bnria kale are disappointing; yet, considering that Ihe daily gains made by the lambs fed 011 rape, silver-beet, and maize are phenomenal compared with the kale-fed lot, it must not be inferred that Hilda kale is of low feeding vulue. Probably there may luive been some factor which detracted from the value cf the last-nam-ed crop; and the fact that the results of this trial show sueh a marked variation points to Ihe futility of regarding the results of one or even several trials as conelusive.

With regard to silver-beet, a point worthy ol' note is thai when lambs are led (in this forage only they are liable to scour; and it is quite possible that if some other forage, such as mustard, is led with the silver-beet the gain in weight would ho considerably higher.

To enablo the whey lo drain off thoroughly it is absolutely es-ential that the best Ohce.se Vats should be used. "Victor" Vats manufactured by A. J. i'nrlou, liegUteml I'lumbcr, Carterton, allow the whole of the whey to drain oil. Write for particulars-.