Health of Stock

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19668, 9 December 1933, Page 15

Health of Stock

MAINTAINING PRODUCTION

Old and experienced farmers often maintain that farming habits and fancies run in cycles, and they can point to many instances to give emphasis to their story, says an exchange. Even in our so-called system of grassland farming we are merely adopting something which has been carried out for generations, while rotational grazing of pastures is probably centuries old. For a time perhaps there will be a swing In one direction, but eventually the pendulum usually swings back, and a normal stage is reached. In the case of New Zealand’s reliance on grass, for instance, this has actually happened. It is realised to-day that this system is ideal under certain conditions, but that it is not by any means suited for every district. The result is that in some cases where there had previously been absolute reliance on grass, there has been a swing back to roots. About four or five years ago a great deal of publicity was given in New Zealand to the science of mineral feeding, then, and indeed still, in its infancy, and within a few months dozens of mixtures were being sold on the market for the purpose of providing stock with the minerals it was shown they most needed To-day many of these have disapjjeared, but the desirability of supplementing the ration with some form of mineral Is now widely recognised throughout the Dominion. and fairly extensively carried out. Position in England. England to-day is passing through the intense stage so far as mineral feedings is concerned. I do not mean to infer that there has never previously been inst tencc on this subject there; in all probobllity It has been thrashed out in years gone by, and this is merely an intensification of interest. However, some very valuable material has been published, and some of the* opinions expressed by leading authorities on breeding and feeding are worthy of consideration and adaptation. The original work in connection with mineral feeding was carried out mainly

by Dr. Orr, of the Rowett Research Institute, and it was found that many of the most serious diseases of stock was caused initially by a shortage of phosphorous or lime, or both. Apart from the proved “deficiency diseases" as they were termed, there were other •roubles which were suspected as being due to insufficiency of minerals, and more recent experimental work ' confirmed these ideas. It is fairly certain, for instance, that there is some connection between certain types of sterility and lack of minerals, in just the same way as there is strong reason to believe that some cases of abortion are due, not to infection with the Bang bacillus, but to a calcium deficiency weakening the general structure of the animal. Mixtures Widely Used. On England mineral mixtures are very widely used, and both trade preparations, and more simply concocted mixtures such as bone meal and salt, have many adherents. In earlier years the use of these mixtures was confined very largely to the dairy herds, it being thought that dairy cows which were producing large quantities of milk would necessarily require considerable quantities of minerals, but that other stock would require very much less. To-day, however, the position has altered and minerals are being used for sheep and pigs as well, especially the latter. Quite a number of the ailments of pigs have been found to be due to a lack of minerals and when we think of the large litters that are regularly reared, and the insufficiency of much of the mineral provided as food for pigs, we can realise the need that exists for this type of feeding In New Zealand mineral supplements are widely used for dairy cows, less so for sheep, and only modestly in connection with the rearing of pigs. The use of minerals for sheep is largely confined to the drier hill country districts. such as the Wairarapa. where considerable quantities are used each vt-nr. which is perhaps one reason why the sherrp there are still so good in the bone.