MILK PRODUCTION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9503, 28 May 1913, Page 7

MILK PRODUCTION.

' J.'. EFFECT OF CHANGE OF i . PASTURES. As showing the importance of an entire change of feed and a complete change of pasture to the milking herd the following experiment conducted at the Ruakura Farm of Instruction and recorded in the Agricultural Journal is of interest: From the New Year until the 27th March the dairy herd at this station received, in addition to pasture grass, a liberal supply of forage in the form of chou moellier, millet, millet and peas, maize, maize and peas, etc., but, despite this fact, by the latter date tho milk yield had commenced to go down very rapidly. A fine paddock of green barley and tares being then available the herd was moved altogether from the pasture, and was confiucd to the barley and tares. The crop was really meant for ploughing under, the paddock being naturally a very poor one. These results were all the more remarkable seeing that the majority of the cows were nearing the end of their period 'of lactation. It was recognised by all dairymen that adverse circumstances would cause a cow to decrease her milk yield much more quickly than she; would increase . tho yield under the most favourable conditions, particularly towards the end of the milking season. It was also freely admitted that an increase in the milk yield often meant a decrease in the percentage of butter fat, yet the results showed a very decided increase of butter fat as well as j nilk yield. Taking a Shorthorn as an ex- ' ltriple: A two-year-old heifer which had [been milking for nearly eight months, showed an increase on the week of 58.51b of milk and 0.3 per cent of butter fat, j -vhile a cow also showed an increase of 52.41b of milk and the abnormal increase of 1.4 per cent of butter fat. The milk j was weighed with every care twice a day, md the tests were semi-official. There jould be no mistake in the latter, the increase over all the cows being too consistent. The .weather previous to the cows' removal to the tares anil barley was close and hot, but was now much cooler, and rhis would be a factor influencing tho yield 'of milk and fat to some extent. The crop of tares in question was stocked eight weeks after the date of sowing. There can be no doubt that, a complete 1 change for a dairy herd as well as for j sheep is conducive to better results; and if the cow paddock were divided into small areas, so that the cows would be conI tinually moving on to clean ground, the J increased milk yielel would soon compensate for the outlay in extra fencing. | It, might be mentioned for the first day ,or two the cows did not seem to relish Cape barley, which was coming into ear, 1 but they soon settled down to" their new [conditions. A further benefit will accrue from the resting and cleaning of the cowpastures which will again form an agreeable change when the barley and tares ar<consumed. Any of the crop the cows waste makes the best of manures when ploughed under.