SALT FOR COWS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 1 October 1927, Page 10

SALT FOR COWS

Unfortunately, the results are not quite conclusive, as men differ in milking ability and no allowance has been made for the human factor. Presuming that the milkers engaged possessed more or less the same ability, the result suggests that orovided the milker does his work properly, there is little difference in the yield from the cow, whether milked regularly by the same or by different individuals.

If you watch a dozen people at anv dining table, you will see that thev differ greatly from one another in regard to the amount of salt they consume with their food- So it is with cattle. Some need more than others, but none (says “Dalgety’s Re view”) will eat more than it reauires provided a lick is kept before it all the time. If cattle are denied it for any length of time, however, thev may get depraved appetites and devour all sorts of things as substitutes. In a series of tests made recently at the Kansas Agricultural College. United States, the individual tastes of different cows was clearlv demonstrated. One licked a hole m her block of salt equal to onlv 2oz a month, another consumed 6oz in the same time, a third was not satisfied with less than 15oz. and a fourth needed 18oz. In another test with different kinds of feed the amount of salt eaten varied from Uoz to 15oz a month. Experiments of a similar nature made under Australian con ditions have shown the same variety of appetites for salt. It is quite impossible to gauge the needs of anv individual cow under varying conditions. Therefore, the onlv safe course is to keep a lick before them al] the time. __