MAIZE AND MILLET FOR LAMB-FATTENING.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XXVII, Issue 4, 20 October 1923, Page 254

MAIZE AND MILLET FOR LAMB-FATTENING.

J. W. DEEM,

Fields Instructor.

In many districts of recent years the growing of rape for lamb-fattening has become a very uncertain proposition ; in some parts, indeed, there is nearly 100 per cent, of failures. For this reason many fodder crops have been tested to ascertain if a substitute could be found.

Peas have proved themselves useful, but are rather expensive to sow, and late in coming into a proper condition for feeding. Tares and clovers are also useful. From the experience at the- Moumahaki and Marton Experimental Farms during the last two seasons, however, it would appear that Japanese millet and maize are going to rank among the best crops as substitutes for rape in districts where the latter cannot be satisfactorily grown. While it must be recognized that neither of these crops will fatten as many lambs per acre as a good crop of rape, quite good results may be looked for. '

In a feeding-test conducted at Marton in 1922 lambs gained 7-41 lb. per head in fourteen days on millet, and 16-5 lb. in thirty-seven days. At Moumahaki this year they gained 6-88 lb. in fourteen days on a mixture of rape and millet, and 7-04 lb. on millet alone in the same number of days. Maize for the same period gave a gain of 5 lb. per lamb.

Sowing.— Both maize and millet require sheltered warm positions to do their best, and should not be sown until warm weather sets in. In the Wellington west-coast district from 20th November to the middle of December is early enough, the first week in the latter month being very suitable. The millet sown at Moumahaki on 7th December last season was ready to feed early in January, and when stocked on 3rd February it was nearly 3 ft. high. Millet should be sown at from 16 lb. to 18 lb. of seed per acre, through every coulter of the drill. Where millet and rape are being used i|lb. rape and 12 lb. millet is a suitable mixture. Maize should be sown at the rate of 2 bushels per acre. Superphosphate, or two parts superphosphate with one part Ephos phosphate or basic slag, at from 3 cwt. to 4 cwt. per acre, according to the condition of the land, will be found suitable manures.

Feeding.— In order to get the best out of millet it should be divided into several breaks, and feeding started when it is from 6 in. to 9 in.

high. It may be left until much older, howeversay, 2 —but the subsequent growth is not so good. If' allowed to flower there will be very little second growth. Maize is best fed in the flowering stage. If allowed to get much older the stems become rather tough for lambs, and they have difficulty in cutting them down.

Casein. The manufacture of casein in the Dominion was extended during the season of 1922-23. Some 2,100 tons, most of which was lactic casein, was graded for export. The quality of lactic casein showed improvement, and the quality of some 100 tons of rennet casein which was manufactured was of a very high standard.