FARM AND DAIRY

Taranaki Daily News, 27 August 1930, Page 16

FARM AND DAIRY

HERD-TESTING MOVEMENT. VALUE OF SYSTEM IN WAIKATO. The New Zealand Co-operative Herdtesting Association’s 1930-31 season is now well under way and although the number of farmers taking advantage of the association’s scheme ■ has decreased slightly, the number of cows being tested°this season will be as large as last season. In other words, there are fewer herds under test this season, but the average size of the herds is larger than last season. ■ ; ‘ Mr. S. J. Sheaf, general manager of the association, has prepared liguies illustrating the increased production which follows herd-testing. The foilowih<t are the details for 1!)’29-00, those for the 1928-29 season being given in parentheses: — . Number of cows giving up to uOOlb .butter-fat. average production, 20,692 (22,967); percentage of total tested, 22.77 (29.60); from 201 to 3001 b production, 40,518 cows (35,543 cows),; peicentage 44.G0 (15.81): 301 to 4001 b production, 24.534 cows (16,588 cows); percentage, 27.00 (21.38); over 4001 b production, 5116 cows (2493 bows).; percents, "c 5-63 (3.21); total niimber of cows tested,' £0.861 (77,591) . Number of herds giving up to 2001 b butter-fat per cow, average production, 172 (284); percentage , of total, 9.33 (16.59); from 201 to oGOlb production, 1262 herds (1200 herds)* percentage, 68.44 (70.44); over 3001 b-production, 410 herds (222 herds); percentage;. 22.23 (12.97); total number of herds tested, 1814 (1712). THE SHEEP FUTURE. AN ENGLISHMAN’S VIEW. " ’ According to Mr. Alfred Mansell-, an English' authority, the future of the meat industry is bright.. Speaking at the conference, at Manchester of the National Sheep Breeders’ Association he said: —. ~ ■ “It is difficult to forecast, the future, but over an average of yeaas I look for fair prices. It is true that the United States of America have nearly 49,000,UOO sheep, as compared with 38,000,000 in 1925, and that Canada sho.ws an increase of 1,000,000 sheep since 1925 and that New Zealand and Australia show considerable increases, but taking the fittest available’ figures of the International i Yearbook of Agriculture Statistics, 1928-29, iesued by the International Institute of Agriculture, Rome, the number of sheep in the world now as compared with ten to fifteen years ago shows a loss of many millions. ‘“As to our overseas supply of mutton and lamb, the 1929 figures were 4,290,468 carcases'of mutton and 11,762,734 carcases of lamb, representing a decrease of 15% per cent, of mutton and an increase of 10 per cent, in lamb. Messrs. Weddel call attention to the rapid growth that has taken place in the export of lamb from South America in recent years. Since 1924 the number if lambs received from the Republics of Argentine, Uruguay and Chile has increased from 2,079,968 carcases to 4,289,338 carcases, which means that 36 per cent, of our overseas supplies comes from South America, whereas four years ago it was only 26 per cent. Messrs. Weddel rather think there will be some falling off in shipments from overseas. Australia may send us heavier supplies of mutton and lamb, but the Home market is rapidly taking increased quantities of lamb each year. The other exporting countries, Patagonia and Uruguay, are not expected to make the great ’Strides they have been doing since 1925, and South Africa will be many years before they send us substantial supplies.

“If we are to believe what our leading purveyors of meat emphasise very strongly and which I have every reason to believe is true it is quite apparent that our future aim should he to produce small, or at any rate medium sized sheep, from w'hich the public can be . supplied with suitable joints. It is a fact that the small and medium sized sheep commands a much higher price per lb than the larger sheep, and it appears to me that those who raise the .larger breeds ■will be compelled to market their sheep as lambs instead, of carrying them on aS hitherto to the. autumn or early spring. This again raises another difficulty on land which it is still desirable should bo sheep folded. Can a small type of suitable lambs be purchased which will not exceed market requirements when fat?

“In summing up the situation one cannot overlook the great shortage of cattle throughout the world, which must tend to bring' about an increased consumption of mutton and lamb, and this .will undoubtedly be brought about should beef- become scarce and rise substantially in price. From a consumer’s point of view mutton is more easily digested -than, beef, and it has the advantage of being procurable in small joints suitable for the majority of households. Wool has a strong competitor in artificial silk, and I am inclined to think that ' the low. prices now prevailing are likely to continue in the near future. kiw _- . MILK FEVER. ' SYMPTOMS OF THE DISEASE. Milk fever is an ailment that can be prevented if proper precautions are tak- ' en. Also, if a cow comes down with it she can be saved by prompt treatment, There is no fever with this ailment, the cow. really, having a lower temperature while afflicted. Instead, it is caused by a lack of sugar in - the blood. It occurs shortly after, freshening, and heifers with first calf are never troubled. High-producing cows are most subject to its attacks. With this knowledge,' says an English authority,'it has been found that liberal feeding of sugar or glucose for a while before freshening is a help in prevention. Another preventive measure is to draw only a part of the milk from the udder at a time for several days after freshening, milking several times a day if necessary to relieve the tension. An animal which is suffering can be’ helped by inflating the udder with air. A special, though inexpensive apparatus is used for this, which makes it possible to sterilise the air before pumping it into the udder. Also, extreme caution must be exercised so that the tube which is inserted.' in- the teat during the operation, i is sterilised so as to prevent infection;*;' After inflating it isusually necessary to tie the teats to pre-

vent the escape of air, for which narrow strips of cloth should bo Used. Syniphoms of this disease are staggering, a dull eye, and then a paralysis which forces the cow to lie down on her chest with the muzzle turned back on the flank. It comes on suddenly and unless prompt relief is given death is probably within a few hours. Medicines are not only useless but dangerous, as the medicine may get into the lungs, due to the paralysed condition of the throat. .. BREEDING OF PIGS STAMINA IN THE LITTER. The stamina and size individually of a sow’s litter will often to a considerable extent depend on the way she is kept and fed • during pregnancy. At this period, writes “J.W.” in London Live Stock Journal, her -food should consist very largely of fresh, succulent, green stuff, or raw roots, and not too much feeding meals. She should be allowed room for exercise on grass land or stubble, waste or wood land, where she may root and plough up’the sods to her own satisfaction. There is little need for ringing a sow, except, perhaps, to prevent her from tearing up the floor of her sty, undermining the walls,' or otherwise causing irreparable damage. If a sow cannot be let run out of doors on grass land or the like, but must be confined to a sty, the utmost cleanliness must be observed. There should be a small, open-air yard or pen attached to the sty, so as to afford the sow some exercise in sunshine and shower. Generally in such out-runs -we see an accumulation of mud and filth. That is not as it should be.

Let the place be cleaned out regularly ami a ’barrowful of fresh cartit ami grassy sods thrown into one corner of the pen. This will afford the sow some rooting exercise, and the earth will absorb some of the liquid manure that tends to collect, 'for even in the bestdrained sty and pen there will sometimes gather unsavory pools. In the absence of some sort of fresh, gritty soil a few shovelfuls of coal cinders will be beneficial for the sow. She may also enjoy a mouthful of small coal. . Though most pig-keepers are wisely careful to avoid- feeding salted dairy swill or any sort of food that has been salted too much, it is by no means advisable to let the pigs have absolutely no salt in their food. Even little piglings, which arc beginning to eat a little oatmeal gruel or porridge and milk, must have a pinch of salt in their food, say, just slightly less than is appreciated by the average human palate. Some pig breeders actually keep a piece of rock salt in a small trough-, where the pigs may take a lick of salt when they choose.

If the pigs are not thriving as they ought to be witli good feeding, clean and comfortable housing, a small pinch of sulphur or black gunpowder mixed With the food will.often effect a marked improvement. Charcoal, it need hardly be said, is. also a good corrective. Lime sprinkled freely after cleaning out the sty will help to dry up and disinfect the floor.

Provide plenty of clean, dry bedding, especially during cold weather. Most pig-breeders are careful not to litter the farrowing sty with long straw, but the floor should be covered with a good depth of cut stray or short litter. After the piglings- are able' to scamper around there is little risk of their being overlain by tlie sow, even ' should they snuggle under a wisp 6f long, fodder. If the pigs are comfortable in the sleeping quarters and have plenty of room for exercise outside ‘ the sty, as in an adjoining open yard, they will escape most of the maladies and ailments which young pigs less comfortably housed are apt to contract. i ■ ~ ■ Short, dumpy sows may be very docile and tolerably good breeders and suckers for their young, but sows of a lengthy and well-developed type are invariably the most prolific, and the most thrifty. The t short class of pigs make good small porkers, but for good bacon, pigs of a lengthy kind, with good backs and hams, are what is wanted. A sow must be a good breeder and a good mother. If she possesses the one qualification only, whether it be prolificacy or docility, she will not be much of a success. It matters little how many pigs a sow may produce if she fails to rear but a few of her litter. Farrows of four to six, or even seven, arc hardly worth while. Any sow which does not produce eight to 12 more piglings, and rear at least eight of them, will not earn very much profit as a rule. If a sow has heavy casualties ,at her second farrowing, and was as unlucky with her first litter, she should be fattened and got rid of as soon as possible. Usually an experienced pig-keeper can perceive at her first farrowing whether a young sow is to be a successful breeder or not.