SUPPLEMENTARY FORAGES FOR DAIRY COWS.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XXV, Issue 1, 20 July 1922, Page 12

SUPPLEMENTARY FORAGES FOR DAIRY COWS.

A SUGGESTED CROPPING SYSTEM.

P. W. SMALLFIELD,

B.Ag., Assistant Instructor in Agriculture, Auckland.

.. . . [The substance of this article , was given as a lecture at the recent Farmers’ School at Ruakura, and was addressed primarily to Auckland District dairymen. With certain adaptations, however, the system outlined is applicable. to other parts of the Dominion.—Editor.] • - ' It is becoming generally recognized that in order to obtain the maximum production of milk from a dairy cow adequate feeding is necessary, and that the feed produced by permanent pastures should be supplemented with hay and roots in the winter and green forages during the summer and autumn. The general trend of grass farming is in the direction of the substitution of long or short rotation grassland by more or less permanent pastures; which are kept in a productive state by judicious stocking and regular top-dressing with phosphate manures. The haying of permanent or long-rotation grass pastures is a bad practice, since it tends to destroy a close turf by eliminating much of the white clover and encouraging a tufty habit in cocksfoot. The . system of cropping here described includes special hay crops, and aims at concentrating the cropping on a portion of the farm and keeping the rest under permanent pasture. The rotation is as follows —- First year : Italian rye-grass and red clover. Second year : Italian rye-grass and red clover. Third year : Roots and green forages. Fourth year : Oats and vetches for hay.

In the plan the areas under the different crops are intended to be approximate, and are based on the assumption that there are 60 to 65 acres of good average permanent pasture available for the, dairy herd. ITALIAN RYE-GRASS AND RED CLOVER. The stubble, after oats and vetches for hay, is ploughed in January and worked down to a fine, firm seed-bed for sowing 25 lb. of Italian rye-grass and 5 lb. of red clover per acre in February or March. In the first. year the field produces a large amount of winter and early spring feed. The field is cut for hay in December, yielding about 2 tons of hay per acre. During January the red clover comes away well and can be utilized for grazing, or a cut of red-clover hay can be taken. In the second year the field is shut up as for hay, and the growth being mostly red clover the crop can be held over for feeding in January, which is often a critical month. Part of the winter hay and roots and most of the green feed should be fed out on the rye-grass and clover fields, so as not to exhaust the soil of plant food and vegetable matter. The rye-grass should not be allowed to grow too rank in the winter, or the red clover will be partially smothered. ROOT AND GREEN FORAGE CROPS. Preparation of Land. On heavy land the rye-grass and clover pasture is best ploughed in the early winter, thus allowing it- to weather and break down during the cold months, then cross-ploughed in the spring and worked down to a fine firm seed-bed. The spring-toothed cultivator is one of the best implements in obtaining a good seed-bed on heavy land, as it brings the clods to the surface where they can be dealt with by the Cambridge roller, and at the same time it shakes the fine soil to the bottom, where it makes a continuous layer with the unmoved subsoil, through which water from the moister layers can rise to the surface. On a lighter soil the deep ploughing can be left till the spring, but the turf should be broken up a few weeks before the deep ploughing, either by skim-ploughing or a heavy disking. Mangolds. Mangolds can be grown on most soils other than those of a thin hungry nature, but do best in deep loams well supplied with vegetable matter. They give a higher yield and better food value than swedes keeping well on into the spring, and providing an excellent feed for cows to milk on when grass is scarce. Sow in October 4 lb. to 6 lb. of seed per acre, in 28 in. drills, either on ridges or on the flat. Mangolds respond well to intensive intercultivation with the horse-hoe, and when grown on ridges the work can be begun much earlier than when they are planted on the flat. The Long Red variety is a heavy cropper and is suited to heavy land ; also it is the hardiest sort, but does not keep as well as the Globe varieties. Yellow Globe and Prize Winner Yellow Globe are standard sorts, giving good yields and keeping well Jersey Queen is a variety that is becoming fairly popular.

Any well-rotted stable manure that is available should be spread on the land before ploughing. Apply artificial fertilizers at the rate of 4 cwt. to 8 cwt. per acre. The mixture should depend to some extent on the class of soil, though it usually is a complete manure that gives the best results. For a deep loam well supplied with vegetable matter the following general mixture is suitable : Superphosphate, 4 parts ; sulphate of ammonia, | part ; kainit, 2 parts. On light soils superphosphate could be replaced with basic super, or part of the super replaced by rock phosphate and the sulphate of ammonia with blood-and-bone. If kainit is not used, 3 cwt. to 5 cwt. of agricultural salt should be applied before sowing. Before feeding, mangolds must be lifted and stored in a clamp to ripen. If fed while still growing or in an unripened state they are liable to cause scouring, and many instances of tympany and abortion have occurred through feeding green mangolds. If they are not stored in a pit they must be pulled and allowed to lie a fortnight at the very least before feeding. ' It is advisable to pull the tops off and leave them in the field, as they are of poor feeding-value, though they contain considerable amounts of manurial constituents. In feeding, 40 lb. to 50 lb. per beast per day, together with hay, is a sufficient ration. In the spring, if mangolds in the pit happen to be growing, they should be fed carefully. An average yield is 35 tons per acre, but witffi=good cultivation and liberal manuring the yield should be 50 to 70 tons per acre. Carrots. Carrots make a splendid forage for milking-cows in the late autumn and early winter. Best results are obtained from a deep sandy loam with a -free subsoil. Sown in 14 m. drills and unthinned, 1 lb. of seed is sufficient. In 21 in. or 28 in. drills sow 2 lb. to 2| lb. of seed and handthin. It is a good plan to mix the seed with damp sand several days before sowing, in order to induce the seed to germinate and so get ahead of the weeds. Sow the crop at the same time as mangolds, substituting | cwt. of sulphate of potash for the kainit. The red varieties are slightly more nutritious than the white, Sinclair’s Champion and Magnum Bonum being the varieties usually sown. White Belgian is a heavy elder and grows high out of the ground. Matchless White is a heavy yielder and easily lifted. Crops of 20 to 25 tons can be easily grown on fairly poor light soils with moderate. manuring, while on good soils much larger crops can be produced. - A ration of 30 lb. to 35 lb. per day is sufficient. Swedes. If time cannot be spared for the cultivation. of mangolds or carrots, swedes will have to take their place. Swedes are of slightly lower feeding-value than mangolds, and even when they keep through the winter cannot be fed when the cows come into milk in the spring. The Purple and Bronze Top varieties are considered to produce the largest yields, while the Green Top varieties are said to be of the higher feeding-value. Of the Purple Top varieties, Garton’s Superlative has given excellent results; Crimson King, Magnum Bonum, Monarch, Elephant, and Best of iAll are good varieties. Phosphatic manures are

essential for swedes,, and. at least part of the phosphates should be soluble. On good loams use 2 cwt. to 3 cwt. of super, basic super, or a mixture of equal parts, of super and rock phosphate or super and slag. On pooier soils use a mixture of super and bonedust or blood-and-bone. On many light soils swedes do not do well, and soft turnips can take their place for autumn and early-winter feeding. Imperial Green Globe is one of the best soft turnips' for late use, as it keeps well and yields a good crop. In choosing the most suitable root crop for winter feeding the farmer will be guided by his type of soil, climate, and the labour available for handling the crop. Where time can be spared for the thorough cultivation of root crops, mangolds and carrots should be grown. By mixing | lb. of carrot-seed in the mangold crop fair results are obtained. The carrots can be used for autumn and winter feeding, and the mangolds for late winter and early spring. Soft Turnips. In districts where soft turnips are allowed to be fed to milking-cows in February and March, sow about the first week in November an area of Purple Top Mammoth, Lincolnshire Red Globe, or Devonshire Greystone for early use, and Imperial Green Globe for late feeding. Drill in 14 in. rows, using 8 oz. to 12 oz. of seed and 2 cwt. to cwt. of the same manures as for swedes. When feeding turnips to milking-cows they' should be pulled the previous day, allowed to wilt in the sun, and fed out in a clean grass-paddock immediately after milking. A ration of 30 lb. to 50 lb. per cow is sufficient. Where turnips are not used the area in maize or millet should be increased, and feeding commenced about the middle of February. Maize. From the beginning of March to the end of April green maize is the best cow-feed that can be used. Sown towards the end of November maize is ready for feeding out towards the end of February, although not mature until about the middle of March. Hickory King, Ninety Day, and Early Red Hogan are suitable varieties. The crop may be planted in rows, a few seeds at a time, 2 ft. 6 in. to 3 ft. apart ; 30 lb. to 40 lb. of seed is sufficient to sow an acre. The crop should be - horse-hoed at intervals until the plants are too high for the horse to get through. Maize may also be sown in 14 in. drills, using about 120 lb. of seed per acre, or in 28 in. drills, using 50 lb. to 90 lb. of seed. An average crop produces 20 to 30 tons of green feed. The weight of forage and feedingvalue of maize can be greatly increased by sowing 30 lb. to 40 lb. of spring tares with it. Japanese Millet. , For cutting and feeding out in March and April millet is not so useful as maize, as it only produces 15 to 20 tons of green feed per acre. It has the advantage that it can be grazed by cows earlier in the season. Millet sown about the middle of November reaches maturity towards the middle of March, when it attains a height of 5 ft. to 6 ft. The field, however, can be divided into breaks and the millet fed off when it is about loin, to 12 in. high. . ; It will usually produce three

consecutive growths. The herd is allowed to graze on the millet for about two hours morning and evening. Sow 15 lb. of seed in 7 in. drills, mixing the seed with 2 cwt. to 3 cwt. of equal parts of super and blood-and-bone. If broadcasted 20 lb. to 241b. of seed is required. Sorghum. . The sorghums are suited to a warm climate, and as a feeding-out crop are not as suitable as maize. The immature and second growth after cutting is dangerous to feed on account of some liability to prussicacid poisoning. The crop is sown towards the end of November, using 25 lb. of seed in 28 in. drills, and harvested when the crop is in full bloom. An average yield is 20 to 30 tons per acre. OATS AND VETCHES FOR HAY. As the turnips are pulled and the maize cut and carted out, the land should be ploughed and worked down for sowing oats and vetches. The first sowing on the land occupied by soft turnips and early-fed maize should be made in April, and a later sowing in early May. Sow one bushel of Algerian oats and one bushel of winter vetches, with 1 cwt. to 2 cwt. of superphosphate .or basic super. The crop should yield 3 to 4 tons of hay per acre. . ■ iAny portion of the field not sown in the autumn could be sown with oats and spring tares in August for hay, or in October for green feed in January. FEEDING THE CROPS. Of the 40 acres under crops in the plan, 16 to 20 acies are temporary pasture. The rye-grass and clover pasture in the first year should yield 20 tons of hay, and the area in oats and vetches 30 tons of hay. The mangolds should yield 100 to 150 tons, the carrots 25 tons, the soft turnips 120 tons, and the maize 120 to 180 tons. The feeding of hay and carrots should be commenced in June, with a ration of 30 lb. of carrots and 10 lb. of hay. In July, August, and September, and during cold wet weather in October, the supplementary ration should be about 14 lb. of hay and 50 lb. of mangolds. From the middle of October to the end of December feed is plentiful. During January the grass commences to dry off, and the red clover in Field 2, which has been shut up during the late spring and early summer, is available for feeding out, giving a ration of 30 lb. to 35 lb. per day. Where soft turnips are allowed the feeding should start early in February with a ration of 40 lb. to 50 lb. per day. During March turnips and maize are fed together, and in. April and early May maize alone, giving a ration of 60 lb. to 90 lb. per day, depending on the feed available. Where softturnip feeding is not allowed the whole area of Field 3 should be put in maize or, millet, to be used from the middle of February to the end of April. The clover in Field 2 should be used for January feeding, and the aftermath of Field 1 retained for early February feeding. Towards the middle of May carrots can be used for any supplementary feeding necessary. ' SOME VARIATIONS. • . ; The rotation given must,. of course,- be adapted to individual farms. Great variation in climate obtainsj. in dairying districts, and only crops suited to particular localities |j should be grown. Only general

quantities of seed and manure can be given. A heavy seeding, often gives much poorer results than a light one, as the plants, being too close together, become stunted. In a loose seed-bed more seeds become buried and fail to germinate than in a well-consolidated one. Heavy land as a rule requires more seed than light., P asp alum Farming. There are many places where the system of crop rotation outlined is not applicable, the most typical example being the North Auckland peninsula, where on many farms the principal pasture grass is paspalum. On such farms (when situated on heavy flat land) the usual system of management is to allow the rank summer growth of grass to remain in the fields and to winter the cows on dry paspalum, with usually a run off on to hill country either in mixed grasses or danthonia or browntop. The essential feature of this class of farming is understocking gauging the carrying-capacity by the feed produced in the winter together with the old paspalum growth. When a paspalum field becomes sod-bound it is usually broken up in the autumn, fallowed in the winter, and in the spring sown in maize for grain. The high growth of paspalum and the dry maize are fed off in the winter and early spring. The field is then either left to go back to paspalum pasture or it is sown in rye-grass and cocksfoot in the autumn. two dr three crops of maize are taken. On the lighter soils and loamy clays the sod is sometimes broken up in the early autumn, and sown down to Italian rye-grass and red clover in March or April. Such a method' of farming is fairly satisfactory where the farmer has plenty of land and understocks ; but calving must necessarily be late and the milking season shortened. As the land becomes more closely settled proper provision of feed for winter and early spring will have to be made to obtain adequate returns. The first step in this direction is the cutting of the excessive summer growth of paspalum for hay for winter and spring feed. By keeping the rank growth cut the maximum summer production of grasses is obtained, and the cows have always the fresh young feed to graze on. The next step is the systematic rejuvenation of paspalum fields with rye-grass mixtures, and the provision of a small area of mangolds for late winter and early spring use. On farms in the North Auckland district in good cocksfoot, rye-grass, and clover pastures very little supplementary cropping is necessary if a specified area is devoted to paspalum. By keeping the paspalum low by grazing, or mowing if the growth is excessive, the grass does not spread to any extent, providing a close turf is maintained on the other pastures by chain harrowing and top-dressing. In most inland places 80 to ioo miles south of Auckland City, and in the coastal regions of the North Island generally, paspalum could also 'be utilized for part of the summer feeding. Green Cereals, and Lucerne. Cereals for winter feed : With an adequate supply of roots and hay, and temporary pastures of Italian rye-grass and red clover, green cereals for winter and early spring feed are not necessary. Under certain systems of cropping where, swedes are the chief root crop,

however, Algerian oats sown in .April are a useful crop for supplementing pasture in the early spring. Lucerne : Where the land is really suitable lucerne should be grown for green summer feed and hay. On very small farms an area of lucerne is almost essential for successful dairying. CONCLUSION. The exact ratio of the area of land under supplementary crops to that under permanent pasture will depend on many factors—such as the area of the farm, climate, and the price and fertility of the land. The final determination can be made only by the farmer himself. The aim of this article is merely to show approximately what amount of supplementary cropping is necessary, under ordinary conditions of season and climate, to enable the carrying-capacity of average permanent pasture land during the months of its greatest growth to be maintained throughout the year.

Note.Mangolds and carrots could alternatively be grown in Field. 3 along with soft turnips and maize. • . v.» ■

Field i. — acres. Field 2.- —-io acres. Field 3. —10 acres. Field 4. —10 acres. Red clover (6 acres) Soft turnips (4 acres) Italian rye-grass and red clover Oats and vetches Mangolds (3 acres) Maize, millet, &c. (6 acres) Carrots (1 acre)

Cropping Plan for a Herd of Sixty Cows (Area, 40 Acres).