FOOD FOR SHEEP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21115, 24 February 1932, Page 11

FOOD FOR SHEEP.

ATI AM URI EXPERIMENTS. SUCCESS WITH LIMONITE. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT. 1 ROTORUA. Tuesday. A visit was paid on Saturday by over 50 farmers from Tokoroa, Waotu and Fuketurua to Messrs. R. H. Hill and Sons' station at Upper Atianniri. They were much impressed by the condition of sheep which had been under experimental treatment with different iron compounds, the objective being to overcome unthriftiness in stocks. The experimental work is being conducted by the Department of Agriculture under the supervision of Mr. C. R. Taylor. The work was commenced in May, 1931, and to date results have proved most encouraging. At the commencement of the experiment, 50 average ewes between the ages of two and three years, which bad been on the property for not less than two years, were selected for each of three trial groups out of a flock of 2000 as under:—(l) C-ontrol (no treatment) group; (2) iron ammonium citrate group; (3) limonite or iron oxide group. Iron ammonium citrato was supplied in a salt lick. Limonite was used in equal quantities with salt and no difficulty was experienced in getting the sheep to take this mixture. Tho limonite group of 45 ewes and 44 lambs was an outstanding feature of the experiment, the ewes being bright and healthy, while tho lambs wore robust with a healthy bloom in wool. The total cost of treatment, including limonite and salt for a nine months' period was slightly over sj-d per head. The no-treatment group of 16 ewes were poor in condition and unthrifty. I lie iron ammonium citrate group of 24 ewes showed an improvement over the notreatment group, but still much below the standard set by the limonite group, tho cost of this treatment being slightly above 3d per bead. Judging on tho results experienced with limonite, it would seem that there should be no difficulty in rearing healthy sheep Oil this class of country by methods which are both economical and practical.