BEFORE CALVING.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXXII, Issue 2767, 26 August 1931, Page 6

BEFORE CALVING.

Prevention is better than cure, so give every cow a drench of calcium chloride before calving—2 ozs of calcium chloride and 4 ozs of molasses in a quart of water. Writing of the calcium of lime problem, J. A. Crichton, M.A., of the Rowett Research Institute, says:— ■ “On the whole, the evidence indicates that in most heavy milking cows there may be a progressive depletion of calcium from the tissues, so that at the end of lactation there is actually less calcium in the animal’s body than at the beginning. In the case of dry cows, there is no difficulty on-good rations in obtaining a positive calcium balance, and it has been recommended, with reason, that before the onset of lactation a diet with generous supplies of calcium and phosphorus rich foods should be given so that reserves may be built up to the highest limit before, the onset of lactation. Shortage of calcium with the resulting depletion has been shown to have an adverse .effect bn reproduction.’ ’ Though the early winter has been of exceptional severity, with its succession of heavy frosts, nitrogen in May has provided a grass crop, whereas phosphated fields have been frosted off. The value to the cows of half an hour’s grazing on the nitrogen fields for several weeks before coming in cannot be over-estimated. For profitable production, some good grass before calving is even more important than abundant grass afterwards.