SEASONAL WORK ON THE FARM June to August

Te Ao Hou, Winter 1954, Page 48

SEASONAL WORK ON THE FARM June to August Care of livestock. It should be realised that good feeding of dairy cows over the winter months has a definite effect on the ensuing season's production. Poorest quality hay should be used first. Depending on the seasonal conditions, winter crops (either chou moellier or swedes) should be break-fed in June and July, helped out with good quality hay, preferably fed in a run-off paddock or one in which it is intended to renew pasture, and on which pugging will not matter. Springing heifers should get the best treatment possible, and cannot be fed too well. Calves should be getting good pasture pickings and good hay, and a careful watch should be kept for any drop in condition. Careful management in the first year will pay dividends; good initial growth is essential. If silage has been saved this can be fed from three weeks before calving, and should be used to supplement autumn saved pasture at calving. Use the electric fence if you have one, and get the utmost benefit from your saved pasture. Make sure that the herd is placed on breaks as quickly as possible after milking, avoid having the cows hanging around the shed. This is a predisposing cause of bloat. When fencing off breaks be sure that the herd has access to water. Use the harrows after feeding off paddocks—this will spread fertility, and allow pastures to come away more evenly. Rearing of Calves. It should be unnecessary to point out the very high cost of buying replacement heifers. Don't do it! Select your highest producing cows and keep the early heifer calves from them. Resist the natural tendency to sell the good heifer calves as bobbies even if cash is short at this time, for well reared calves are valuable assets and something that can be shown with pride. Here are some simple guides for successful rearing: (a) Cleanliness: Keep your buckets clean, scald and leave in the sun. (b) Calf sheds, unless exceptionally clean, breed disease organisms. Draughty sheds are dangerous; it is better to have a good shed, a well sheltered calf paddock for night grazing and to graze calves on pastures that have preferably been spelled during the day. (c) Feed regularly twice daily. (d) Do not overfeed—this is a primary cause of scouring. The guide to feeding is: 3 weeks on whole milk, increasing from 6–8 pints a day, with gradual substitution of skim milk or skim milk powder in the 3rd week. Feeds can be gradually increased to 2 gallons a day at 3 months. Gradual weaning on to a full grass diet with no milk should be carried out at 16 weeks. Calves should be rotationally grazed, and have access to good hay over the winter months. Pig rearings: If possible, have sows farrowing 4–6 weeks before calving time so that skim milk can be fully utilized by weaners in the flush of the season. Early litters mean heavier pigs and allow a second litter to be taken during the season, and as many later litters as possible taken to the porker stage. The average would be one sow to 8–10 cows; with good management at least 6d per lb of butterfat can be obtained from pigmeat production. If skim milk is available do not throw money away. Maintenance Work Over Winter Months: Take the opportunity of attending to repairs of fences. Are drains working efficiently? Attend to tracks, culverts and hedges and all general maintenance work. Attention to cowsheds at this period of the year is most important. Consider the time spent in a cowshed over the season, and you will see that the time spent repairing floors, painting walls and generally improving conditions is well worthwhile. Perhaps the most important job before the start of the new season is the overhauling of machines and separators, and checking vacuum, etc. Rubberware should be renewed. Inflations should be adjusted every 3 weeks during the season, and renewed in 6–8 weeks. Good inflations plus a well adjusted machine assist in efficient milking out of cows, particularly in January-February when it becomes harder to obtain a complete let down of milk.