A WAIKATO FAT LAMB FARM

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 154, 26 March 1938, Page 7 (Supplement)

A WAIKATO FAT LAMB FARM

An Excellent Percentage FATTENING OF CHILLERS PROFITABLE SIDE-LINE During iny recent visit to the Waijcato I spent an afternoon on a well-conducted fat-lamb farm. At that time only a few rams had gone out, and we went to inspect the reserves. Wheu we arrived in the paddock my host put his dog around the rams and fairly galloped them up and about. He makes a point of getting his rams into hard-training for a full mouth before tupping. “They can be galloped half a mile without distress,” he stated. “Overfat, ‘soft’ rams, are no use here.” These were the fittest Southdowns I ever set eyes on. The policy must be a sound one, fior this season 1600 fat lambs have been sold from 1450 ewes put to ram 12 months ago, and that from a flock composed of ewes aged from twotootbs to six-year-olds. One ram is apportioned 50 ewes. Here I also had explained to me a means whereby a good percentage of twins can be obtained. The scheme appears most sound, but I am not yet at liberty to divulge it. “Old Pasture Best.” On this same farm I waa assured that old pasture was best for fat lambs. This sounded interesting, and I plied my questions. Finally we went over some old and new pasture to study the matter on the spot. . We found a paddock of old and new pastures with the original dividing- fence removed. The new pasture was laid last April. Both were equally topdressed. I was told that when ewes were given choice of pastures, they always wandered back to the old. The closely-eaten old pasture contrasted strongly with the roughage on the younger. Eventually the “mystery” was solved. The old bore twice to three times the amount of clovers to be found on the new. On this the clover will build up as time goes on, but it is not yet there in plenty. 21-year Chillers. The fattening of chillers is here a profitable side-line. A recent draft of 2i-year-olds, sold in the paddock - at £ll 15/-, killed out at an average of 6401 b., and returned 36/6 1001 b. for prime, choice beef. The rate of growth was 2561 b. of meat a year, a very good growth. Allowing £4/15/- for the weaned calf, the growth and fattening for the post two years has returned £7, £3/10/- a year. , . Talking of growth rates reminds me of trees. On this farm were some lawsonianas planted three and a half years ago, as two-year-old trees. They are now nine to ten feet tall. In but two more years they will be fine shelter. I was telling a Manawatu friend of the quantity of pine trees about, the Waikato, when he somewhat sarcastically observed, “and also blackberry?’ The remark was unkind., but true. The Waikato even in splendid old settled districts, is “dirty.” The steep, narrow gullies that abound are all too often infested by gorse and blackberry. These ■will be found running through magnificent pastures and causing no_concern to the landowners. Ragwort in the inner Waikato is not bad, being as yet in the “isolated plant” stage, and so could be easily stamped out. Californian Thistles Bad. This has been a great season for Californian thistle in the Waikato. It has sprung up over acres of splendid pastures. On the farm”! visited several paddocks -were being mown at a. cost of 4/6 an acre. A few tests were being made to determine the best cutting time. The worst infestation found was in a paddock mown at Christmas time. Those left alone till March were not nearly so bad The Christmas cutting severed only the leading stalk and its removal then allowed the side-shoots to grow unhindered. As a result, the growth was utterly massed. , , , A fellow visitor suggests that bruising . the thistles would be the- best treatment. He advocates knocking them about with ; harrows, starting, say, at Christmas, and then following up aggin in early Februl ary. The idea seems worth trying. Two , harrowings would cost less than one mowing, and checking the thistles early would benefit the pasture decidedly.

Across the Tasman. On a West Australian station 17 inches of rain were recorded in 11 hours. Ibis rarnft at about the same date as the Hawke’s Bay end of January floods. In the Australian ease, that 11. hours fall was equivalent to the average raiutall for 16 months.