FEED FLAVOURS

Kaikoura Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 37, 12 May 1947, Page 4

FEED FLAVOURS

CONTROL OF GRAZING ANIMAL REDUCES TAINT.

Certain weeds are known to impart undesirable flavours to milk; but associated with the rapid growth of pasture itself which has a similar effect, states a bulletin from Massey Agricultural College.

On the farm there are two methods of attack on this problem of pasture taints in milk: (1) by reducing those pasture plants which give most trouble in the sward, by, for example, control and reduction of an excess of clover in cases where it is not considered essential for *the building up of soil fertility, and (2) by controlled grazing, the principle there being that cows, if not given tainting foods close to milking time, can eliminate the worst of the off-flavours from their milk. The feeding of wintersaved pastures, whereby the grass in a spelled paddock is allowed to grow to from six to eight inches or even higher before being fed off in breaks,

helps to make a paddock more grassy. All taint-producing feed should be given to the herd soon after milking, so that the cows have time to eliminate the worst of the off-flavours by the following milking. In the case of night paddocks it is useful to remember that cows do not eat much after midnight, therefore the flavour at the morning milking is usually less than at the evening; though if a pasture is inclined to produce bloat it is often not convenient to use it for night

feeding. Of the weeds, land cress and pennyroyal (to control which a tight sward of good grasses and clovers is necessary) are the main ones productive of troublesome taints in New Zealand. In root crops turnips and swedes cause the most tainting trouble; in green crops chou moellier (marrowstemmed kale), rape, kale and green lucerne; in supplements silage; and, in pastures, clover and sometimes even grasses.