PREPARING SHOW STOCK

Taranaki Daily News, 14 October 1933, Page 11

PREPARING SHOW STOCK

IMPORTANT POINTS STRESSED. ADDRESS BY MR. E. GRIFFITHS. With a view to creating more interest in the activities of the club the New Plymouth Jersey Cattle Club has decided to hold quarterly meetings of members at which addresses on subjects of interest would be given, followed by discussions. The first of these meetings was held yesterday and proved very interesting. An address on preparing stock for show was given by Mr.’E. Griffiths. In fitting cattle for the show the great objective must be to get them so well and looking so well that it would assist them to gain the highest place in the judge’s estimation,- said Mr. Griffiths. There were limitations in preparing an animal for show. One could not convert a bad animal into a good one, but one could give a good animal every opportunity of appearing at its best before the judge. The education of an animal for the show could not start too early. From the start calves should be got into the habit of being controlled and led. A calf could be taught to lead early, but it was difficult to do it later. Indeed, unless a calf was taught to lead early he favoured teaching it to be driven. After education as to handling the next feature was condition. That did not mean carrying the greatest weight. Animals should not be too fat but should, have a fresh bloom. To obtain that it was essential to hardfeed the animal with a mixture of bran, ground oats, pollard and linseed meal for a few. months, the quantities depending on the ages and the animal, but with the majority, say, from 31b. to 61b. a day. It was advisable to feed twice a day. Grooming also was an essential. The oval brush with the hair not too hard was the most suitable. It paid well at the outset to give the animal a good washing with some mild disinfectant and soap. That improved the hair and skin. An animal could not be groomed too much. Near show time a certain amount of olive oil could be absorbed by the hair with advantage. Tire necessity for clipping had to be taken into account. Clipping all over was simple, but he doubted if it was warranted. Generally it was sufficient to clip the head, the back of the head and the tail. In tail-clipping a mistake was made in clipping higher than the pin bones. It was essential to clip inside the ear. In feeding the only real rule to follow was the mle of the eye and noting the effect of what was being given, as the food depended largely on how the animal was looking. Some animals required building up and others bringing down. Some people thought the successful exhibitor had some secret condiments, but he had none. He believed in adding a little salt to the food, and occasionally it might be advantageous to give a little cod liver or linseed oil. Some people found difficulty in getting the animals to take hard food, but he had never had any trouble in that direction. In any case, the addition of a little treacle proved a great Inducer. Feeding and heat were of great assistance in the shedding of coats. To bring the animal to the highest peak of perfection it would be necessary to stall, but that was seldom done in New Zealand. Prior to a sale or show he took his animals for a walk of about a quarter* of an hour daily with a view to getting them used to being led.

Replying to Mr. G. H. Bell, Mr. Griffiths said that preparing the horns was an important feature, the most useful instrument being a cobbler’s rasp, which had four different rasping surfaces. They could follow that with glass, and then emery cloth of various degrees of fineness, finishing, if a polish was desired, with some preparation rubbed on a cloth. A little olive or some vegetable oil was an advantage. It was also necessary that the horns should be trained, starting early. Calves should be kept separate if the best results with the horns were to be obtained.

Mr. H. Sal way suggested the most effective time to start training was before the horn was set.

Mr. P. J. Petersen agreed that it was advisable that calves should be kept separate. Mr. T. W. Telford held that horns should not be interfered with as under those conditions a man might buy a bull with ideal horns that actually came from a bad-horned family, and he naturally had bad-horned stock. Mr. Bell strongly recommended starting to train the horns very early. Mr. H. C. Sampson stated that in starting too young there was a danger that horns which would naturally be correct might become incorrect. Mr. A. J. Luxton pointed out that there was a Bill coming before the House making dehorning compulsory. Mr. Sampson said he did not think that would interfere with stud cattle. Mr. Luxton thought that if all cattle were dehorned all would be on the same basis. It would, however, interfere greatly with the export of pedigree cattle. Mr. Petersen agreed that in time they might get used to cattle being dehorned if it were brought into general operation, but of course the export trade in pedigree cattle would be ruined. Mr. Griffiths said linseed meal was generally preferable to whole linseed for feeding stock, though in some cases whole linseed boiled into a jelly was useful for improving the bloom. The chairman considered that ground linseed created a bloom quicker than anything else. Mr. Griffiths was accorded a vote of thanks, the chairman remarking that his address had opened up a field for discussion which had not been as exhaustive as he had anticipated, possibly, however, members did not wish to give away their own particular secret methods.