FARM AND FIELD

Lake County Press, Issue 2696, 23 August 1917, Page 7

FARM AND FIELD

LkRICINAs. &RYIGLEIB

(By F. 0.8.)

(COPYRIGHT). FEEDING DAIRY COWS. The custom of feeding all the cows in a herd alike, irrespective of the yield of milk, is a source of considerable loss. The capacity of every individual cow for the production of milk is limited. Many cowkeepers in South Australia give supplies of cake to their animals, and while the liberal use of concentrated foods may increase the yield oi milk to a certain extent, it will not convert a bad milker into a good one. On the other hand, it will generally pay to give a good milker a reasonable amount of cake and meal. Moreover, unless such an animal is well fed she Avill "milk herself away." It therefore follows that the quantity of cake or meal should be regulated by the yield of milk, the heavy milker's getting an extra supply. Another—and perhaps the most important—factor that should determine the quantity of cake or meal fed is the price realised for the produce. In the case of town dairies where the milk is sold at retail prices and the cows are fattened at the same time, it is not only necessary, but it is profitable to feed well. On the other hand, where butter is made and the buttermilk consumed on the farm, or where' the milk is sent to a creamery, the feed will require to be on a much more economical scale. In the spring, while keeping up the supply of bulky foods, it may be advisable to reduce the concentrated foods to such cows as show an appreciable shrinkage in their milk yields. When the grass is plentiful hand-feeding may be wholly or partly discontinued unless where there is a tendency to scour, when unclecoi'ticated cotton cake, or a mixture of equal parts of this cake and dried grains, may be fed at the rate of 21b. per head per day. If the cows are allowed a rest of about two months they will put on flesh if grazed on fairly good pasture, and will"be in much better condition to start the following season than cows that calve in the spring and are fed on hay or rootfodders.

PREVENTING MILK FEVER. A cow which lias had milk fever be* fore and is still in the prime of life, says an experienced dairy fanner, inns as nine]) danger of coming down with the trouble as she did before. High producing cows in good condition are always susceptible. In such circumstances the thing to do is to feed such a cow light for five or six days before calving. For the three or four days before and after calving, she should be given frequent opportunity to' drink water which has had the' chill taken from it. Twelve to 24 hours before calving, it is well,, unless the bowels are already loose, to give a physic of a pound of Epsom salts. Do not draw any milk from the bag for 12 to 24 hours after calving, and feed light for live or six days.

As a precaution against a possible bad case of milk fever developing in spite of these precautions, the owner should either provide himself with the outfit for treating milk fever by the air method, or else should make sure that the local veterinarian can give the treatment. The milk fever outfit costs very little, but as a rule it is best to have the veterinarian do the work, as there is some danger that an inexperienced man will infect the udder whi'" injecting air.

CROWING RAPE. Rape is a deep-rooted plant sendin its roots well down into the subsoil and obtaining its plant food from the lower part of the surface soil. This

i fact makes it especially valuable fo; withstanding periods of drought, as tin [ roots being well down in the soil, tin ' plants are able to obtain a supply oi ; moisture, when more shallow-rootec plants would be suffering. Rape thrive? • best in a deep alluvial soil which if I well drained, and which contains plentv of decayed vegetable matter, but the plant is capable of adapting itself to more adverse conditions. The land should be deeply ploughed and well worked, and brought to as fine a tilth as possible, but if sown on stubble land it would be sufficient on light soils to • thoroughly stir the surface with a disc harrow, although ploughing and harrowing would be preferable. Should the paddock be in a weak condition, give it fully scwt. of animal manure per acre, or failing that, a special rape manure can now be obtained. The seed may be sown from the first autumr rains to the end of September, but tin best results are obtained from the early-sown crops. It may either be drilled or sown broadcast, but the former metho'd is much to be preferred, : as it permits of cultivation, which insures conservation of moisture in dry seasons and the destruction of weeds. If sown, in drills 41b. to 61b. of seed per acre will be sufficient, but if broadcasted half as much again should be used. The drills should be 18in. to 2ft. apart. Rape grows very rapidly if kept clean, and an early hoeing, either by hand or horse hoe, benefits it wonderfully. In chemical composition and feeding value, rape resembles clover. It is even richer than clover in fleshforming constituents, and is exceedingly succulent. For fattening sheep and lambs, and for feeding cattle, dairy cows, pigs, etc., it is now recognised as being one of the best green feeds. For sheep and lambs green rape is rich in flesh-forming constituents as well as fatty matter, but the sheep must be turned in carefully at first, for if the hungry animals are allowed to fill themselves upon young rape plants, and these alone, inflammation is apt to ensue..