MOLASSES- A VALUABLE STOCK FOOD

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 63, Issue 2, 15 August 1941, Page 131

MOLASSES- A VALUABLE STOCK FOOD

For many years molasses has been widely used by New Zealand farmers, and has proved a most valuable concentrate, particularly in the winter feed-

mg of dairy cattle and pigs. It has also been used extensively as a supplementary feeding-stuff when sheep are being wintered on dry feed.

nninuoii By 1

G. A. HOLMES,

Organiser of Farm Supplies

IN pre-war years molasses was imported ; principally from Fiji in tanks on specially constructed steamers. The molasses was discharged into store tanks at Auckland, and was distributed from that centre in 45-gallon drums, in barrels, or in 4-gallon cans. The average pre-war price was about £6 per ton, and at this figure it could be considered a most economical concentrate feeding-stuff. Shortly after the outbreak of war, however, supplies from Fiji were diverted, and it has been necessary to import molasses, in drums either from Australia or from the Netherlands East Indies. This has involved an increase in the retail price to about £l2 per ton at main ports, this price including the cost of the drums. . ~ The average annual consumption in pre-war years was approximately 6000 tons, but the increase in costs and difficulties of supply at present have considerably reduced the quantity used. One difficulty experienced by exporters in the East Indies has been the shortage there of steel drums, which, of course, cannot be returnable to an overseas shipper.

What Is Molasses?

Molasses is a by-product of the sugar refining industry, the material used in New Zealand being entirely derived from sugar cane. In the process of manufacture cane sugar is crystallised out from the' cane juice by evaporation, but there always remains a dark “mother liquor” from which it is impossible to crystallise any further sugar. The “mother. liquor” is drained away from the sugar, and, 1 after • concentration, forms what is commercially known as molasses. A good sample should not contain more than 24 per cent, of moisture and not less than 55 per cent- of carbohydrates, these being principally in the form of uncrystallisable sugars. The high percentage of sugars contained in molasses makes it valuable to livestock as a source of heat and energy in a quickly available form. Molasses is comparatively low in pro-tein-content, and on that account is best fed in conjunction with materials which contain a , high percentage of protein, such as skim-milk in the,, case of pig feeding, or lucerne or clover hay in the feeding of dairy cattle. A good sample of molasses should contain over 12 per cent, of mineral matter, principally salts of calcium, magnesium and potassium, and it is considered that these being present in organic combination are therefore in a form readily available to the animal." It is for this reason that molasses is recommended l as a preventative of mineral shortage, which is a contributing - factor in certain common ailments of stock.

For Dairy Cows

In feeding, dairy cows molasses may be used in a number of ways. The commonest method is to sprinkle it diluted 1:2 or 1:3 with water over the hay. It is particularly valuable in the case of hay which has become badly weathered during harvest-time or which has become musty ' in the stack. With such fodder, the addition'

of molasses increases palatability and digestibility. In the case of musty hay, a thorough soaking with molasses and water prevents the dust from having undesirable effects. From 1 lb. to 3 lb. per day may be used as a ration for dairy stock supplementing hay or chaff, either with or without roots. _ Besides its actual value as a foodstuff and as an appetiser, molasses is of benefit to any stock on dry feed as a laxative, this being particularly necessary in the case of sheep which have to be wintered on chaff or hay only.

For Pigs

Because of its 1 high energy value, molasses has been found very suitable in the wintering of store pigs, when it may be fed diluted in the proportion of 3 lb. per gallon of , water as a supplement to skim-milk, grain, roots, or meat-meal- It is a common practice, also, to add molasses to skimmilk, whey or buttermilk which is pumped out through, pipes to pig troughs. This has the valuable func-

tion of keeping the pipes in a clean and sweet condition. An alternative method is to follow the process of pumping milk through the pipes by pumping through a few gallons of molasses mixed with water.

High Quality Silage

A noteworthy development since the outbreak of war has been the increasing use of silage in Britain to replace much of the feeding supplies which were formerly imported. Investigations have been carried out into the best method of preservation of grass silage, and it has been demonstrated that the addition of molasses has several beneficial effects. The molasses is mixed with about three times its volume of water and sprinkled over the green fodder as it is being stacked or spread in the silo; approximately 30 lb. of molasses per ton of green fodder is necessary. In the ' production of silage preservation is effected by the development of lactic acid from the sugars contained in the fodder, the higher the percentage of sugar the more rapid and even is the production of lactic acid. For this reason, green material rich in sugar, such as i green maize, makes better silage than material rich in protein, such as young grass and clover. When using the latter type

of green material for silage, the addition of molasses results in a much more satisfactory fermentation and gives a silage which has a sweeter’ smell and a higher palatability. Up to the present, this system has not developed to any . extent in New Zealand, but no . doubt, with further experience, the use. of: molasses will become more general, by farmers who make silage.

Solid Molasses

An interesting recent development has been the importation of molasses in the form of a solid block weighing approximately 56 lb. Molasses is produced in this form by evaporating the liquid molasses under low- pressure and running the . material while still hot into tins. It is probable that the scarcity of steel drums in countries where molasses is produced may necessitate the preparation of larger quantities of it in the form of solid blocks. . • Molasses in the solid i form is some- ; what less convenient to use for feeding, as it is necessary to mix the molasses with water, and the blocks can be diluted only by the use 'of boiling water. They may, however, be placed out in the paddocks in the same way as blocks of stock lick.