WINTER FAT SHEEP

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 20150, 19 May 1928, Page 10 (Supplement)

WINTER FAT SHEEP

EXPERIMENTS IN ENGLAND CONCENTRATES FOR RESULTS. Recent investigations conducted under the auspices of the Leeds University, England, into the comparative values of fattening sheep in winter by the use of roots, hay, and concentrates should have a particular interest for the New' Zealand small holder. Local consumption of meat in this country must be increasing annually. The rapidly growing populations of our cities are making increased calls upon the farmer and dealer to provide them with choice meat throughout all seasons of the year. Just before the experiment the sheep were on turnips, and were allowed “seeds” hay, but nothing in the way of concentrates. On October 27, 1925, they were divided into five lots so that the total live weight in each lot was about the same and the various crosses equally represented in each. Briefly, the scheme of feeding carried out in the experiment was as follows: — Lot I.—Roots alone. Lot 2. —Roots and “seeds” hay. Lot 3.—Roots and “seeds” hay and a relatively cheap mixture of high protein content (not including linseed cake). Lot 4. —Roots and “seeds” hay and a mixture of low protein content. Lot s.—Roots and “seeds” hay and a mixture of high protein content, including linseed cake. The roots and hay were fed “ad lib,” a record being kept of the amounts consumed in each case. Turnips were fed from October 23 to December 6. and swedes from that date onwards, the change over being spread over a period of three weeks. Lots 3, 4 and 5 received IJlb. a head a week (fed at one meal a day) until December 6, when the allowance was increased to 3Alb. (fed morning and evening), the mixtures being made up as follow: Lot 3. —One part decorticated earthnut cake, three parts palm kernel cake. Lot 4. —One part decorticated earthnut cake, three parts palm kernel cake. 16 parts rolled wheat, 16 parts rolled barley. Lot s.—Equal parts linseed cake and palm kernel cake. There was no difficulty in getting any of the lots to take to the rations, although during the spring it was noticed that, the decorticated earth nut cake and linseed cake was preferred to the palm kernel cake and linseed cake. In no case, however, did the sheep fail to clean up their concentrates. A few' sheep in Lot 5 scoured a little at the start of the trial, but they soon became normal, and no further trouble was experienced in this direction, and the general health of all the lots was generally good. In regard lo the consumption of foods, that of turnips was markedly greater than the consumption of swedes, and naturally Lots 1 and 2 consumed more of the bulky food than the others. Lot 2, although receiving Lay, ate rather more seeds than Lot 1, which had only roots. The consumption of roots by Lot 1 also varied greatly and fell off, it was observed, during wet and snowy weather.

During the latter part of January a selection was made of the sheep fat enough for slaughter. This selection was made by an independent person when all the lots were running together. It resulted in six being drawn from Lot 1, nine from Lot 2, 12 from Lot 3, nine from Lot 4, and 10 from Lot 5. The whole of the remainder of the sheep were sold on April 9, although many had become fat enough for sale before that date. The average live weight increases and the cost a lb. increase are set out below:—

N.B.—Material values of the foods have been allowed in caculating the above costs. The cost a lb. increase was arrived at on the following costings of the foodstuffs a tun: — Bused on Cost of At YTarkct Prices

from the table it will bo scon that Lot 5 showed the greatest increase in weight, and. that this was obtained at the lowest cost a lb. Lots 2,3, and 4 did better than Lot 1. but the cost a lb in the case of the last mentioned was not high, in spite of the low* rate of increase in weight. In regard to quality of the carcasses, Lot 1 had rather less internal fat, but two buyers, who reported on the carcasses, did not consider that there was any difference in the values to be placed upon the respective lots. The results of the experiments show that concentrate mixture of a low protein content (e.g, what and barley) do not give such satisfactory results as foods of high protein content (linseed cake, decorticated earthnut cake, and palm kernel cake) when used as a supplement to a basal ration. It is also indicated that to maintain live-weight increases over a long period the ration should bo progressive. For example, loots and hay give quite good results in the early stages, but a high rate of increase is difficult to maintain on these foods alone. The tests show that roots alone may suffice for giving a degree of fatness satisfactory to the butcher. Evidence, too, is afforded that hay has a value in preventing a falling-off in consumption during wet weather, and also that “seeds” hay is capable of producing bigger Jive-weight increases than meadow hay.

Average live Cost Weight of food Increase per lb. a head Live-we ight Per. a week. Increase. cent. iOt. lb. <1 Carcass .1 . . .. 1.15 10 0 49.6 — . .. 1.31 9 7 50.1 o • . .. 1.41 9.5 49.7 -1 . .. 1.30 11.6 50.4 «> . .. 1.73 8.1 49.9

Product ion £ 3 d £ s d Decort. Turnips 0 17 0 earth nut Swedes 0 IS 3 cake 12 .10 () i L Heeds '" Linseed hay 3 7 7 cake 13 Palm kernel 0 0 cake 7 .10 0 Boiled wheat .1.1. Boiled .10 0 Vrnm flin fnlili barley 9 i ♦ w 111 1»rt con 0