GROWTH OF HEIFERS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19864, 11 June 1927, Page 21 (Supplement)

GROWTH OF HEIFERS

WEANING AND RATIONS EFFECT OF DEVELOPMENT The effect of early weaning an i d different rations on the growth of calves in body weight, height at withers, and heart girth was recently investigated j by Messrs W. M. Regan, S. W. Mend. 1 and J. W. Bartlett, of the New Jersey ; (U.S.A.) Experiment Station. They , tested three different methods of feed- 1 ing. “Group 1. which consisted of three j Jersey, two Holstein, arid- two Ayrshire calves, were weaned when from 30 to I 40 'days of ago, and placed on a ration of alfalfa meal and a grain mixture i of four parts of yellow corn meal,; three parts later being changed to two parts of old process oil meal, one part of wheat bran, and two per cent of ’ salt plus a mineral mixture of raw rock phosphate and raw limestone, which was mixed with the grain during part J of the experiment and later self-fcid'. j Group 2, which consisted of three Jersey, one Holstein, two Ayrshire, and • two Shorthorn calves received similar I treatment, but the calves were weaned I i when 10 days old. Group 3 consoled I of six Holstein, three Jersey, two Ayrshire, and one Shorthorn calves, which ■ were fed and handled, similarly to i group 1, except that 10 per cent, of i black-stray molasses was added to the ! grain and 20 per cent, to the alfalfa , I meal.

‘“The weights and measurements of the calves were recorded to about two years of age for most of the animals in groups 1 and 2, but the calves in group 3 had not attained that age at the time the report, was written. The authors state that, though the calves were surprisingly healthy, they wore thin and below the weight soon after weaning. A little scouring occurred iin group 1 before reducing the amount lof oil meal, and the molasses caused ;some scouring in group 3. The time ■ required to return to normal weight 1 depended upon the extent of the cheek dn growth at weaning. The Holstein ! recovered more rapidly than the other breeds, attaining normal weight nt an I average age of 200 days in group 1 ;as compared with 360 days for Jerseys j and 760 days for Ayrshires. The. skelei ton measurements usually became nor- . mal at an earlier age than the body • weights.” I MEVERALS FOR PIGS EFFECT ON LITTERS. | An investigation was recently reported (says London Live Stock Jour- ( nal), in relation to the effect of minerals in overcoming breeding difficulties in certain sows. At tin* farm wlter • ’this investigation was carried out. trouble had been experienced in rating litters to Ihe weaning stage, an [ this was attributed either to the >fi fects of in-breeding or to the boar, '•'''rials, however, showed that sows in the neighbourhood produced good litters by the boar, and equally bad lit tors wore obtained when an outside , boar was used. Before the system of ! feeding a mineral mixture was tried, the sows were on pasture with a small : addition of a ration consisting of maize ' meal, pollards, and meat meal. From seven of the sows only 49 young pigs were obtained, an average of seven per litter. Of these 49, only >26, or 3.7 per sow. survived at live ; weeks, and only 17, or 2.4 per sow reached the weaning stage. Before the next farrowing these sows received, as ' part of their ration, a supplementary i mineral mixture, consisting of ground limestone, steam Lone oflur, salt, iron oxide and sulphur. They produced 73 young pigs, or an average of 10.4 per : «ow, of which 50, or 7.1 per sow, were ' -live at five weeks and at weaning. : This shows an increase of 48.5 per cent. I in the average number of pigs at birth, i and an increase of 19.58 per cent, in j the average number alive at weaning. I The field in which the sows were run ! was excessively sour with a very high | limo requirement, and it appears probable that calcium and phosphorus were the limiting factors in the mineral deficiency of the sows. STOCK AND STATION AGRICULTURAL JOTTINGS ! In various 'districts mangotid-s are still comparatively neglected by dairy farmers (says a writer in the Journal of Agriculture). When it is considered that an acre of mangolds is capable of producing 60 to 70 tons and more of feed, the labour and expense involved by the crop do not amount to very much per ton. At the rate of 401 b a day per head, together with 201 h of hay, a 60-ton crop will feed a herd of 40 cows for about three months. Often it is a good plan to have two sows farrowing at about the same Lime; then if one has a small litter they may be equally divided. A sow is not as a rule particular about having strange pigs put on her when they are transferred after farrowing. .in such cases it is advisable to transfer the strongest ones. They will be better able to look after themselves, whereas in the case of a weakling he will probably be kept away from the teats by the stronger ones. I Several remarkable crops of mani golds have been grown by the young- !: bers of the primary schools of South (Taranaki. Guy Putt (Otakeho) secured equal to a yield of 124 tons 11 cwt. per acre; W. Laursen, 10S tons; Betty Laursen (both of Manaia), 105 tons S cwt.; and Harold, Wills (Matapu), I'l tons lewt. In each case the area was one-eighth of an acre. Still, they arv •all dwarfed by the wonderful crop .grown by Miss A. Ward (Okaiawa) some years ago, which was equal to iu.bont 145 tons per acre. ! Each year the progressive breeder ’’selects his best calves to keep to fill the gaps in the herd caused by culling ■and other causes. In choosing calves !to raise to keep up or increase the dairy howl the. progeny of the best {cows only should be selected, and these .only if they are well-developed heifer?. | Many good calves from good cows develop into inferior dairy animals. This I may be due to one single cause or to |a, combination of causes. The cow should be kept in goad health and in i'-Gcd condition while carrying a calf. | Particularly is this true during the six jor eight weeks immediately preceding parturition. The mature cow should be dried off at least six weeks previous to dropping her next calf, then put in good flesh. In the case of the heifer with her first calf sho should have