OUT AND ABOUT

Southland Times, Issue 22993, 12 September 1936, Page 14

OUT AND ABOUT

Proved Method Of Feeding Lambs SHEEP AND CATTLE IN GOOD CONDITION “The following might be of use to many farmers for rearing lambs,” states a well-known Waipango farmer in a letter to the “The Rambler” in which he outlines a method which he has followed for years and by which he has never lost a lamb. “And I have brought them in frozen and more dead than alive,” he writes. His method is to put them near a fire, rub the legs, back and stomach as they are thawing out, and feed about a tablespoonful of cream in a “nip” glass with half a teaspoon of brand}- or whisky. If the lamb is too weak to swallow, work its gullet up and down with a finger. “I always use a ‘nip’ glass,” he continues, “and in about two to three days the lambs will drink out of a basin like a calf. I always add a dessertspoonful of cream to each feed until they are about a month old, and then they can go on milk straight from the cow. But make sure that the cow has a good test as the more cream there is in the milk, the better they will do. About every two hours they will drink about a cupful of milk. This has to be increased as the lamb grows until it will drink about a quart at a time twice or three times a day.” The only objection that some farmers might have to this method is that it could involve a certain amount of “guid whusky.” Fox- all that, it has been proved and carries a sound recommendation.

Lambing will be becoming general within the next week or so. Already there are many new arrivals to be seen about the province, but it will be the end of the month before the biggest percentage is due. A few growers have proved the value of providing for the early market and small drafts will be nursed very carefully to cater for local consumption in November and December. The stormy weather of last week gave way to warm sunshine at the beginning of this week, and if the present conditions continue there will be everything to encourage a successful season. The output should at least be equal to that of last season, when killings were about the million and a quarter mark. The firm market last year resulted in about £1,750,000 coming into the province. Ten years ago the industry was worth only about £BOO,OOO to Southland. The figures speak for themselves. The introduction of the Southdown ram made Southland’s name as a producer of fat lambs, and that name is now worth a great deal to the province. It is many years since there was as much activity in the sheep market as there has been in the past few months. Good prospects fox’ lamb and wool encouraged buyers, together with the most satisfactory feed position during the winter. Prices for ewes have been high, but expectations should be realized and they should be justified.

Sheep and cattle have come through the wixitex- in excellent condition, in marked contrast with the conditions this time last year. Then, it will be easily remembered, losses in dairy herds were startling. There have been practically no losses this year, but despite the good winter, many cows are coming into profit in low condition. Many dairymen do not seem to appreciate the importance of wintering their dairy cattle properly, and until they do they cannot expect good production in the early part of the season.

Among the impressions brought back from the visit to the annual conference of the New Zealand Co-operative Pig Marketing Association by the Southland representative of the association, Mr John Trotter, was the remarkable adaptability of the district round Hamilton to a policy of grassland farming with little or no cultivation. This was made possible by the mildness of the winter, and to demonstrate this Mr Trotter remarked to the writer that the bobby calf trade was in full swing there at the end of July. At that time, he said, there appeared to be an ample growth of fresh pasture for dairy herds, even on farms that had wintered from 10 to 15 ewes besides dairy cows to the acre Without any supplementary feeds except hay and ensilage. He found the comparative absence of root crops very noticeable to a Southlander.

Mi - Trotter was optimistic about the outlook this season for the bobby calf trade. In one locality near Hamilton there were no fewer than eight lorries, representing eight different firms, running on the same road within so many hours of each other. The competition was, in his opinion, so keen as to be ludicrous, since it was apparent that it was the producer who paid the cost of insane competition. Several times Mr Trotter heard men in responsible positions make complimentary reference to the Southland calf pool scheme, which was conducted without the high overhead costs to which competition drove other schemes.

The Lomeville market on Tuesday was steady, the beef section maintaining its values an dfat sheep selling well. Some very good wethers were yarded, Mr G. Low, of Bayswater, getting 44/3 for a small pen of big and very wellfinished Leicester wethers. Wethers dominated the yarding, there being few pens of good ewes. Extra prime heavy wethers brought up to 44, 3, prime heavyweights from 36/- to 38/9, good quality from 33/6 to 35/-, medium from 31/- to 32/6, and lighter weights from 27/6 to 29/6. Extra prime heavy young ewes made from 30/- to 34/6, good quality from 26/6 to 28/6, medium quality from 23/- to 25/-, lighter weights from 19/6 to 21/-, and unfinished down to 15/-. » * • ♦

There were not many bullocks in the fat cattle yarding, cows and heifers being in the majority. Country butchers and graziers were responsible for keeping the market firm at last week’s rates. Prime quality bullocks brought from £l4 to £l6, good quality from £l2 to £l3, medium from £lO to £ll, and lighter weights from £8 10/- to £9 10/-. Prime heavy cows sold up to £l2 2/6, prime quality from £lO 5/- to £ll, medium from £8 10/- to £9 10/-, and aged and unfinished from £6 10/- to £7 10/-. Prime heavy heifers brought up to £l2 10/-, prime quality from £lO 5/~ to £ll 5/-, handyweights from £8 10/- to £9 10/-, and lighter weights from £7 to £7 15/-.

Though beef values eased somewhat at the Bumside stock sale on Wednesday, mutton sold readily at recent parity. There Were 295 fat cattle forward, and best bullocks brought up to £lB 17/6, prime £l4 to £l7, medium £ll 10/to £l3, best heifers and cows to £l3 5/-, prime £9 10/- to £lO 15/-, and medium

£7 10/- to £8 10/-. There was a keen demand for store cattle, a line of three and four-year steers bringing to £9 5/-. The best dairy cows sold at an advance, the best sorts making to £6 17/6. There was a large entry of fat sheep and the sale was steady. Extra prime wethers realized to £2 2/-, prime £1 15/- to £1 17, extra prime ewes to £1 16/3, prime £1 9 to £1 13. There was a preponderance of porkers in the penning of fat pigs, which sold at last week’s rates, up to £4 16/- being realized. Store pigs also had a good market and were readily disposed of at recent values. The Thombury Young Farmers’ Club debated at its August meeting the subject “Can we dispense with the turnip crop?” The result was a win for the negative. It was decided to' ask Mr Storrie to address the next meeting on “The care and use of farm implements.” * * « « The Department of Agriculture advises that the closing date for application for the certification of potatoes and also for the qualification of lines on which farmers desire reports is October 3.