OUR CATTLE HERDS

Northern Advocate, 5 June 1920, Page 1

OUR CATTLE HERDS

BEST DIETARY FOR CALVES

NOTES OF EXPERIMENTS

THE VALUE OF UNSEED

For some tim e past the Government has been faced with the possible depletion of the cattl e herds of the Dominion, a depletion likely to be caused by the indiscriminate slaughter of young calves almost at birth. With a view to finding a remedy for this state of things, the Agricultural Department has been endeavouring to evolve a scheme for rearing calves on a modicum of milk supplemented by other foods, and it is satisfactory to note that the experiments which have been carried on simultaneously both at the Ruakura and Weraroa State farms have proved successful. AN INTERESTING ARTICLE

Mr J. L. Bruce (superintendent of experimental farms) has a most interesting article on the result of the experiment in th e last issue of the New Zealand Journal of Agriculture." He points out that th c present development of the dairy industry in New Zealand on lines which absorb the whole of the milk or involve the extraction of practically all feeding matter thertefrom is bringing about a position which threatens both dairying itself and beef production. The l-earing of calves is now one of the main problems confronting our dairy farmers. With the dimunition in the supply of skim milk and even ordinary whey, it has become more and more necessary to turn to other foods. The present high prices of such feeding stuffs, if all purchased outside, may make rearing with their aid comparatively expensive, but a great many more dairy farmers could and should grow the necessary farm crops, such as oats, linseed and beans for use on th e farm. The dairyman must consider his future herd, and as a rule it will be sound economy for him to save and rear well at least Ws best heifer calves. The ordinary run of calves could also be profitably reared by the system of feeding here dealt with, but in their case the feeding seems likely to develop in the near future into a special and separate business on large-scale lines. With th e object off obtaining reliable local data regarding the extent to which supplementaiy foods (mainly home-grown) can be profitably substituted for milk and whey, a schem c of feeding tests, combined with the best practice in calf-rearing generally, was undertaken at the Department's experimental farms during the past season. In each cas c 16 calves, most of which would have otherwise been slaughtered for their skins, were purchased soon after birth, divided into four groups of four each, and fed strictly on the respective dietary assigned to each group, th c period of the test being 17 weeks. The results of the test ar e instructive, and go to show that the produce of the dairy can be very largely. eliminated from the dietary of calves. There have been no deaths, and at the time of writing the calves are in excellent health and compare well with others reared mainly on milk.

In regard to general rearing practice, the writer is more than ever convinced that the "ancient ealfpaddock" has been responsible for more ailments in cattle than possibly [any other cause. It is essential that it be abolished, and replaced by clean new grass pasture, preferably limed when sown down, no matter what the dietary of the calves may be. RUAKURA TESTS

The calves used for the tests at the Rutvkura Farm of Instruction at Hamilton were 16 non-pedigree heifers under , a week old, purchased in the local saleyards at a cost of a few shillings each, and representative of the ordinary grade stock which came into the market. Theycomprised !2 shorthorns and four ahort-horn-Jersey crossbreds. All the calves were weighed on the same day, and then divided into groups of four according to their weight. The variation in the total weights of the various groups was only 21b, so that all lots commenced practically at the same mark. For the fi r3t month the calves were shedded at night, find were fed three times daily in separate bails. They had a clean run on fresh pasture composed of I Western Wolths ryegrass and red clover sown the previous season, and clean water and a salt-lick were always within their reach. The calves were first given one teaspoonful of castor-oil, and for the first two weeks were fed on new mi!k, and at the end of that period on the dietaries which follow: — I Group 1: Whole milk 81b per day

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for two weeks; whole linseed, Boz., flour 2oz, plus skim milk 151b per day for 15 weeks. The result was that the weight of the four animals increased from 3011b to 10711b in the 17 weeks, which represented an average daily gain for each calf of 1.61 lb. The total cost of food per head during the testing was £1 14s lid. Group 2; Whole milk 81b per day for two weeks; linseed mal 7ioz., bean meal 120z., plus skim milk 81b per day for two weeks, after which this was replaced by water for th e remainder of the 17 weeks. The total gain in weight of the four animals was 650 lb, an average daily gain of 1.361b per head, the total cost of food per head being £1 8s lid. Group 3: Whole milk 81b per day for two weeks, oatmeal Boz, crushed linseed 4oz, plus skim milk 151b per day for 15 weeks. The four calves gained 733 lb in weight, an average daily gain of 1.54 lb per head, the total cost of food per head being £1 19s 6hd. Group 4: Whole milk 81b per day for two weeks, crushed linseed 9oz, plus skim milk 151b per day for 15 weeks. The total weight gained by the calves was 8471b or a daily gain by each animal of 1.771b the total cost of food per head being £1 14s 6d. The above shows that dry crushed linseed added to skim milk gave the best results. This ration requires no preparation, and consequently requires less labour. The calves carried good condition throughout, but the others did not have the glossy skins no noticeable in group 3. There is not the least doubt that the oatmeal and crushed linseed porridge gave the calves a better appearance. WERAROA TESTS

The results of the tests conducted at the Weraroa Central Development Farm, where the calves were treated under practically similar conditions, were as follows:—Group 1: Whole milk 81b per day for two weeks, skim milk 161b per day for two i weeks, flour 4oz, and lmseed 3oz. I per day for 13 weeks. The total gain in weight was 7181b, or an average daily gain per head of 1.5 4b, the cost of food per head being 17s Shd. Group 2: Whole milk 81b per day for two weeks, skim milk 161b per day for two weeks, crushed oats lib per day for thirteen weeks. The total gain ;in weight was 8221b, or an average daily gain for each calf or 1.71b, the cost of feed per head for the period being 19s IOJd. Group 3: Whole milk 81b per day for two weeks, skim milk 161b (plus 1 quart per day of linseed gruel) for 15 weeks. The total gain in weight was 7701b, average daily gain of each calf, 1.61b. Total cost of food per head, £1 7s 3d. Group 4: Whole milk BMb per day for one week, skim milk 161b per day for one week, bean meal 9oz, linseed meal 6oz, well cooked and fed with three quarts warm water per day for 15 weeks. The total gain in weight was 10771b or an average daily gain for each calf of 2.31b. The total cost pf feed per head was 18s lOd. The calves used were crossbreds, comprising (Friesian-Jersey, ShorthornsfJersey, Ayrshire-Jersey, Friesian-Shorthorn and Guernsey-Jersey, also grade Jersey. The substitution of the vari ous foods which finally replaced the milk ration was brought about gradually. Thus before th e end of the new-milk period a little skim milk was introduced, and increased until the ration was all skim milk, Other food changes were made similarly, and the animals at no time suffered

In summing up, Mr Bruce claims that it was clearly demonstrated throughout the tests that the most important and essential factors in calf-rear ing (apart from the dietary) were (1) a clean new grass paddock, (2) a good supply of fresh drinking water, and (3) clean feeding utensils. There was no doubt that absence of scour among the calves was largely due to the latter precaution,