“EARLY MATURITY.”

Otago Witness, Issue 3662, 20 May 1924, Page 12

“EARLY MATURITY.”

“ Early maturity ” is the slogan which arrests the attention of the epicure who appreciates quality in meat, and can pay for it; although in New Zealand we are prone to be neglectful of this fact. Only in a spasmodic way do our various agricultural arid pastoral associations encourage the breeding and fattening of young stock. We notice, however, with some satisfaction that the Otago A. and P. Society at their coming Winter Show have two classes for steer and heifer under one year old. Rather young, perhaps, but an encouragement of the right class of animal. They should, we suggest, while catering for young stock, take their courage in both hands and award a championship in the fat cattle classes. We can imagine the interest which w mid be created if one of the youngsters secured the champion ticket in the fatcattle section against all-comers. At the great Smithfield market in 1923 the 14months’ baby beef steer of the red poll breed scaled 7£cwt, live weight, and, dressed, just upon 4£ewt; the 23-months’ first prize steer, weighing 13cwt Oqr 151 b, and the carcase Bcwt Oqr 181 b. “ A firstclass body of beef, which' gave great satisfaction,” was the report of Mr E. Chapman, of Pangbourne, Reading, who purchased Captain B. P. Reale’s red poll 14months’ steer, which scaled 9cwt 151 b alive; its carcase weight was 78st (81b to the stone), weight o>f suet 391 b 20oz, hide 701 b, offal 27Jslb, head (tongue in) 251 b. This steer was the first prizewinner in the baby beef class, the average weight of the steers in which was the average age being 13 months 4 weeks. In the carcase competitions the first prize in the under 15-months’ steer or heifer class went to Mr A. Carlyle Smith - —a 13-months’ steer by Aspall Eros VI (11926), with 6cwt Oqr 21b as the live weight, 50st (81b) as carcase weight, hide 221 b. One of the most interesting a.id instructive features of the Smithfield Show is what is known as the carcase competition. Prizes are offered for the best types of animals on meat points and early maturity. At the Dunedin Winter Show there is a class for fat lambs, which are judged on tlveir merits—the meat, skin, and fat being taken into consideration. They are killed while the show is in operation, and the carcases, etc., judged for quality by experts at the freezing works. The carcases are never seen once taken from the show. Surely to complete this educative section, the bodies should be on view, if not in the show itself, then somewhere near at hand, so that competitors could see hew their entries compared one with another. This section, indeed, might be still further elaborated, and the costs ot production stated by the various competitors. At Smithfield, where the world’s meat standards are on evidence, tb°re are classes for cattle, sheep, and pigs divided up into age sections. For instance, in cattle there are divisions for steer or heifer not exceeding 15 months and not exceeding two vears old, steer above two and not exceeding three years old, and for heifers not exceeding three years f id. It is of interest to learn that the champion shin was awarded to an animal i year 10 months and 3 weeks old, the carcase of which weighed ]l2st lib. This coes to show that the finest type of beef animal can, and should, be finished off at about two years old. Tn pigs the weights were astonishing. The carcases best suited for bacon were from animals ranging between five months and three weeks old to five months four weeks and one day old, and ranged 18r-t to -23st, while several four and a-half months old carcases weighed from list to 14st. Why keep on feeding stock if it is possible to get them away prime at an earlv age? The folly of keeping and encouraging the keeping of cattle for several years is surely obvious enough'. Cattle '•osi so much for their annual keep, and do not make the extra money entailed, warranted by any extra profits. As a matter ->f fact, if cattle are done well from their birth they will practicrdly be cut of hand at trvo years old. Any extra weight due to increasing age is secured at relatively far greater costs. An extract which we cull from an authoritative source is lhmiinating. It reads as follows:—" M--nv cattle have been raised in New Zealand wmch, at a year old, have weighed from 5001 b

to 6001 b, and many two-year-old have weighed from 8001 b to 9001 b, out there is no record of any animals at four years old weighing from 16001 b to 18001 b. One of the heaviest beef animals ever raised in New Zealand was the famous bullock raised at Kaitaia on papsalum grass by Mr Evans, and sold to Mr Hayr, of Auckland, after being awarded numerous prizes as a champion beef animal. It was sold as an eight-year-old for £2/ iOs, when its carcase weighed 19631 b. Mr Hayr estimated that particular oullock cost him £150.” Tt is estimated that well-fed oeel animals nearly double their value oetween one year old and two years old, but between three years and four years they nearly double Their cost of keep, and inly increase in selling value in a minor degree. Once an animal is kept beyond its period of maximum gain in weight and quality it is a losing proposition. Tt is like tinkering with a dairy cow yielding, say, 1601 b of butter-fat per annum, when one might graze an animal, costing no more and eating no more feed, than one capable of yielding twice the amount of butterfat. Of course, to do fattening stock properly one has. to feed something more than the ordinary pasture, which at the flush season may do the animals all that is required, but this must be helped out in times of scarcity with forage crops and various artificial foodstuffs well known to the comparatively few fattenersr, who realise the absolute necessity in the present time cf insistent demand for quality meat to get their stock away when young.