-THERURAL WORLD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25090, 4 December 1942, Page 6

-THERURAL WORLD

By Rustlcu*

WHEY FOR CALVES In many districts where dairy farmers supply cheese factories it may be difficu't for them to rear sufficient calves to maintain the herd. Calves can, however, be reared successfully on whey and meal meal. Since whey is not commonly used for feeding calves, the Canterbury Agricultural College carefully collected information on the subject and as a result of its investigations recommended the following quantities:—

A salt mixture consisting of equal parts of slaked lime and ordinary salt added to the whey gives good results when fed at the rate of half a teaspoon per feed for the first three weeks, gradually Increasing to two teaspoons per feed at five weeks. SHEEP TAKE TO WATER An unusual incident occurred in the vicinity of Taylorville when a flock of sheep took it into their heads to swim the Wanganui River, states the Wanganui Chronicle. The fiock was being driven along the road by a drover, assisted by one dog. when one of the sheep broke away. In a few minutes the mob was at sixes and sevens, and when near Hatrick’s slip two of the sheep careered down the river bank, entered the water, and began to swim to the other side. It was not long before the whole flock followed the leaders, and the drover was at his wits’ end to cope with the extraordinary situation. Rowing boats, canoes, and other craft were pressed into service in an effort to drive the sheep back, but a swift-running tide made the task difficult. Two or three sheep eventually swam to the city side of the river, two others were drowned in the attempt, and the remainder were finally driven back to the shore. TOO MANY BREEDING EWES The fact that an increasing number of breeding ewes are being slaughtered at the city abattoir caused comment at the meeting of the Invercargill City Council recently, and it was decided to draw the attention of the Minister of Agriculture to the report. It was stated that the council had already suggested to the Minister that the grading and branding of meat for human consumption in the Dominion should be made obligatory. The abattoir manager. Mr C. H. Wilson, stated in his report to the council that out of 2723 head of stock slaughtered at the abattoir during October 1110 were breeding ewes. In October, 1941, the head of stock slaughtered totalled 2804 head, and of these 1093 were breeding ewes.

Whole Meat Age Milk Whey Meal Days (Pints) (Pints) (Ozs) 2 . .. 2i 0 0 4 0 0 6 0 0 8 . .. 3J 0 0 10 . . . 3 i 4 12 . .. 3 14 I 14 . ..24 3 n 16 . .. 14 4 21 18 5 24 20 6 3 22 64 34 24 . .. 0 n 4 26 . .. 0 9 4 28 9 4 30 9 4 Weeks 5 to 9 .. . . ..0 10 5 10 to 11 . . . 0 12 6 12 . .. 0 10 5