“STOCK LICKS”

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 23 April 1934, Page 4

“STOCK LICKS”

CAWTHRON INSTITUTE REPORT 111 response to inquiries from farmers for information concerning the use of stock “licks” in the Nelson district the following statement summarising the experience of the Institute in their investigations relating to mineral 'deficiencies of pastures and stock health is forwarded for publication. During the last six years very detailed investigations have been conducted by the Institute to determine the mineftil status of Nelson pastures. The work of the Rowett Institute, Aberdeen, and the Animal Nutrition Station, Cambridge, Inis shown that on certain pastures high mineral deficiency especially of phosphate is responsible for the ppor health and condition noted in the ease of stock grazing particular pastures. lu South Africa, Sir Arnold Theiler and his colleagues have clearly shown that the widespread mortality of stock grazing veld pastures is associated with great phosphate deficiency in those pastures. While in this ease death is primarily due to a bacillus acquired by stock chewing bones, yet the provision of steamed boneuical licks by satisfying the phosphate requirement of stock, overcomes all the dilßculties which have been experienced. The investigations of the Cawtliron Institute have shown that lime and phosphate deficiencies do occur over large areas of our poor Hill pastures. The Moutere Hills pastures extending from Tasman through Dovedale, Stanley Brook and Motupiko to Glcnhope, are marked by lime and phosphate deficiencies of which phosphate deficiency, is probably the most important in militating against stock health. Stock on this country frequently show a craving for bonemeal and good results have been obtained from the provision of salt ancl bonemeal licks. Mixtures of steamed bonemeal with rock or dairy salt in equal proportions, placed out "in covered troughs on different parts of the hill pastures, have been found very satisfactory. It must, however, he clearly stated that an inadequate food supply of low value on such hill pastures, during the winter months is even a more serious factor than low mineral supply in the production of the poor results not infrequently encountered with stork on such pastures. Until better provision is made for winter feed, mineral supplements in tlx; form of “licks” will uot very materially improve the stock results obtained bv a large number of fanners on this poor country. On the granite-hill pastures of the Sherry Valley, Glcnhope, and Kaitcriteri another type of stock ailment lias been found by the Institute to respond to-administration of certain iron-con-taining compounds. Sheep which are held too long on these pastures develop anaemia, the symptoms of which arc very similar to those found in the case of bush-sickness in the North Island. Tlie experiments of the Institute have shown that this ailment can lie successfully combatted by drenching tlie sheep with Nelson soil taken from the grounds of the Institute. Licks of powdered Nelson soil mixed with an equal quantity of dairy or rock salt would in all probability prove as successful as the drench treatment which has given such good results at Glenhope. The Institute is not interested in the sale of any proprietary stock-lick and lias no evidence that the more expensive proprietary licks now on the market will prove any more successful in combatting mineral deficiencies in the Nelson district than simple mixtures of bonemeal and sail in the case of Moutere Hills pastures niul drench treatment with Nelson soil in the ease of granite-hill pastures.