FRIESIAN CATTLE

Taranaki Daily News, 11 March 1933, Page 20 (Supplement)

FRIESIAN CATTLE

PRODUCTION OF MILK. 2000-GALLON COWS. British Friesian 2000-gallon cows appear with extraordinary frequency. The November issue of the British Friesian Journal chronicled several such performers. Captain Frank Heilgers, M.P., reports from Suffolk the fifth such performer in his Wyken herd. She is Wyken Eclipse 2nd, that has given to date with her second calf 2061 gallons in 326 days. ' Her sire is the Register of Merit bull, Wyken Trevor, whose 2000-gallon daughters total three, and her dam is a member of the Terling Eclipse family that has previously distinguished itself with 2000-gallon incidents.

Mr. Walter Hale, of Tewin, in Hertfordshire, has developed his second 2000galloner. She is Tewin Jewel, that produced, after her third calving, 2140 gallons in 365' days. Her pedigree shows her to be exclusively bred from animals in Mr. Horace Hale’s Silcock cup-win-ning Kingswood herd. Her sire was a son of the Register of Merit bull, Hadges Second Series (himself the son of a 2000-galloner and the sire of four of those milking marvels), while another Register of Merit sire, Kingswood Ynte, appears in both halves of the pedigree of Tewin Jewel.

That old-established Essex breeder, Mr. Alfred Blomfield, announces his third 2000-galloner, Brook Blackle, that gave the big yield when five years old. Her sire,- an Iken Pel Beatty bull, was by the son of a 2000-gallon imported cow, and was out of a daughter of the bull that sired Britain’s latest 3000-galloner. Messrs. E. R. and H. Willetts, the Silcock cup winners from Derbyshire, have added two to bring their total of 2000galloners to nine, not yet the record number for one herd. Both these latest chum-fillers are daughters of the bull, Moordale Dutchman, who has now sired five 2000-galloners. Through their dams, these two Chaddesden charmdrs trace to Lochlands President, who left two 2000galloners, and whose side, Hedges Tatton King, begat this country’s first twice 2000 r galloner. Mr. Edwin Fairhead, of Essex, reports that his cow, Covenbrook Lively 2nd, now rising seven, has given 2031 gallons since her calving last April. The importthird generation of the pedigree of both side and the dam of Mr. Fairhead’s phenomenon. Lord Rayleigh’s Terling Breeze 22nd, that won the butter tests at the Dairy Show last year, is the latest British Friesian 10001 b. butter cow, of which there are now 39. 'Her 2202 gallons of milk averaged 3.87 per cent, butterfat. POTATO MANURING DEPARTMENTAL EXPERIMENTS. VALUE OF VARIOUS MANURES. I A detailed description of the potato manuring experiments in the South Island is published in the February issue of the Journal of Agriculture. The report is too lengthy for republication in full, but a summary should be informative:— The average increase in yield due to super 3cwt an acre, was, in four experiments. 16cwt of table and 15cwt. of seed potatoes. The average increase due to the use of super 3cwt in 48 experiments conducted since 1925-26, including the above, is 19cwt table and 6cwt seed potatoes. In one trial where super scwt. was compared with super 3cwt., there was an increase itl favour of the larger quantity by 1.6 tons table and 4cwt. seed. This trial was on better-class potato soil. The use of sulphate of/ ammonia at lewt an acre as an addition to super in five trials shows a general average increase over super alone "of about Bcwt. table, 9cwt seed, and 22cwt total potatoes. When used with super plus potash, the effect of sulphate of ammonia is slightly less. In 41 trials conducted since 1925-26 the average increase due to the addition of lewt. of sulphate of ammonia to super has been lOcWt table, 6cwt. seed, and 18cwt total potatoes. The average increase when lewt. sulphate of ammonia has been added to super plus potash in 42 experiments conducted to date has been 9cwt. table, 4cwt seed and 17cwt total potatoes. The relative large increases in seed and small-grade potatoes resulting from the use of sulphate of ammonia in the 1931-32 season is no doubt largely due to the extremely dry conditions experienced during the growing season. Sulphate of potash was effective at one centre (Gore Experimental Area), although in another trial at Gore while there were no significant increases, small but consistent increases in table potatoes with, increased quantities of sulphate of potash suggested that its effect was definite. At Kimberley both sulphate of potash and sulphate of ammonia added to super had the effect of increasing yield to a significant extent. However, the combined addition of these to super, giving a complete mixture, resulted in a lower yield than either super plus sulphate of ammonia or super plus sulphate of potash. On the other hand, at Tuatapere, sulphate of potash added to super caused a significant depression in yield of table potatoes, but when sulphate of potash was used as an addition to super plus sulphate of ammonia the yield was increased above that of super plus sulphate of ammonia or super plus sulphate of potash. NEW ZEALAND POULTRY MEN. “NOT KEEN BREEDERS.”. Some time ago an Auckland opponent of the wheat duties considered that in Auckland they had the best hens in the world, and he. instanced the case of a hen that laid double-yoked eggs. It will be rather an insult, therefore, to this enthusiast to read what a Victorian visitor (a member of the farmers’ party) had to say the other day. Mr. B. Mitchell, who is superintendent of the Bendigo egg-laying competition, said, in addressing a meeting in that cijy last week, that he had been surprised to notice that the New Zealand poultrymen did not place the same reliance on accurate breeding as did the dairymen and sheep breeders. Most of the male birds were in good condition, but the females were a mixed lot. When he made a comparison with the Victorian egglayer, he felt that the New Zealand poultryman was not a keen breeder. Evidently the New Zealander did not make the same study of the hen as the dairyman did of the cow. New Zealanders had far too many coarse birds, and did not carry out culling to any degree of determination. The coarseness was especially noticeable in the head of the layer, which was much larger than the average Victorian fast layer. As the Victorian visitors were allowed to see little else but Auckland, it has to be accepted that the remarks apply to that province.

CARE AT WEANING. NEEDS OF PIGLETS. Little pigs, when on the mother suckle every two or three hours. This should be borne in mind at weaning time, for it is a golden rule to feed little and often, says an overseas writer. This is- time well spent,' and makes all the difference between profit and loss. Little pigs newly weaned should be fed five times a day at regular intervals. No sudden or drastic change should be made. Continue with the feed they were having at weaning time. Above all things avoid overfeeding; this produces digestive troubles and retards growth. Warmth is essential for young pigs, but it should not be obtained by the sacrifice of fresh air, for thorough ventilation is necessary. A good bed of clesm, dry wheat straw for them to get into and fresh air (free from draughts) will not hurt them. As the pigs grow older they may be fed at less frequent intervals, but it is doubtful if it is at all economical to feed them less than three times a day. When four or five months old pigs are able to digest any of the class of foods fed to them, but it is not advisable to feed them foods of a poor composition or of an indigestible nature. Pigs have only one stomach and are omnivorous animals, and should never be given foods which are of a bulky nature or require a lot of digesting. MANAGEMENT OF PIGS. BENEFIT OF PASTURAGE. The pig which won the pork championship in the competition held by the British National Pig Breeders’ Association at Islington, London, in December had been running out at grass until a fortnight before the show. The carcase showed that the fat was firm and there was a high proportion of lean, which are the characteristics wanted in a pork pig to-day. Further evidence of the advantage of giving fattening pigs a run out of doors comes from Wiltshire, where a trial has recently been made to discover how different methods of feeding and management affect the quality of bacon carcase. Young pigs of the same breeding were fed in four different ways. One lot was fed indoors with dry food; the second was fed indoors with wet food; the third was fed outdoors with dry food; and the fourth was fed outdoors with wet food. The ration was the same in each case.

When the pigs were killed at the bacon factory it was found that the lot which had been running outdoors with wet feed were the heaviest pigs, weighing 164.41 b. and showing a. consumption of 3.91'b. of food to lib. dead-weight. The proportion of prime baconers in this pen qualifying for the quality bonus was 80 per cent., whereas only 40 per cent, of the indoor pigs fed on dry food and the outdoor pigs fed on dry food came up to the required standard.