DAIRY STOCK LOSSES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18283, 29 December 1933, Page 5

DAIRY STOCK LOSSES

INTERESTING EXPERIMENT j PREVENTION OF BLOATING I The daily dosing of drinking water with one ounce of hydrochloric acid per 100 gallons of water has prevented bloating among dairy cows in the O'potilci district. Gisborne dairy farmers have not boon troubled with bloating this season as seriously as in some past years, nor has the position here been as bad as reported from Opotiki, where it appears to have been a long-standing source of loss to farmers. Nevertheless, Gisborne farmers will lie interested to learn of experiments that have been the means of 'preventing bloating on some properties where this condition caused great concern and often serious loss. The trials were carried out originally by Mr A. | ■ \V. J. Kemp, Opotiki, at tho sugges-; thin of Dr. Annett, Hamilton, who is j well known to farmers throughout New Zealand as an authority on grassland fertilisation and management, j At Dr. Annett’s suggestion, a small quantity of liydroehlorc acid was addled to the drinking water on Air I Kemp’s farm. An ounce of the acid was given to each 100 gallons of water nl the outset, and when this was seen in lie effective the dosing of the water 1 was limited to every other day. Since i he has started the treatment, Air Kemp ihurt Tint had a single ease of bloat,i while other farmers in the district !|mve had one of the most anxious j j times with bloating that they can remember. Some of Mr Kemp’s neighbors have tried the experiment with J i just as encouraging results, hut the

bloating recurred on one farm when 1 the dosing of the water was discontinued. Despite ■ the encouraging results secured already, Dr. Annett regards the matter as being still in the experimental stage. The Department, of 'Agriculture has been advised, and no I doubt, official trials will be made, but in the meantime the hydrochloric, acid prevention method will be popular among Bay of Plenty dairymen, j Cream quality has not suffered from the dosing of the water. There has been no evidence of taint in Mr Kemp’s cream, which continues to bo gnulod superflnQ,