FEED IN ABUNDANCE

Waipa Post, Volume 48, Issue 3468, 19 May 1934, Page 7

FEED IN ABUNDANCE

FLUSH CAUSES BLINDNESS IN EWES. An abundance of feed is noticeable in the Wanganui district, and stock are in good condition, according to advice to hand from, that district, and though Te Awamutu district is not really short of feed for stock there are quite a\ number of farmers in these parts who will be a little envious oi their Wanganui district fellow farmers. The recent heavy rains down there were received by a warm, dry soil, and what few frosts there have been have not checked the growth of pasture. Stock is in good condition. An unusual and pleasing feature this year has been the fattening of late lambs on grass. _ Crutching is in full swing, but few bales have reached the brokers. The tone of the stock market is steady, but the demand for fat cattle is dull. . Sheep breeders in some of the back country report that there is a deal of blindness in breeding ewes. The affliction is of a temporary nature, lasting, in most cases, for three weeks. A blue-grey film settles over the eyes, and during the period it is in existence the sheep has to be watched, particularly in rough, gorgemarked country. It is considered that the trouble is of diatetic origin, and is due to the abnormal flush ot autumn feeds. Top-dressing hill country with, superphosphate has been resorted to fairly extensively this autumn, ana such activity reflectss the trend of favourable conditions toward the sheep farmer. The dairy farmer has not top-dresesd to the same extent as in the past, reduction in overhead costs being imperative from his point of view, owing to the low state ot the butter market, but the bettei'figures for wool, mutton, and lamb have assisted the sheep farmer to improve his country to a greater extent than has been possible during the past three years. Prior to depressed economic conditions top-dressing with super was a common practice among sheep farmers, but it waned considerably when the bottom dropped out of the wool market.