Grass Comes First

Te Ao Hou, March 1963, Page 59

Grass Comes First In this country we are grassland farmers, and our first consideration is to have pastures capable of producing as much palatable feed over as long a period as possible. The quality of the pasture determines the amount of stock a farm will carry and hence your potential income. The dominating factors in pasture growth are climate, soil fertility, drainage and the composition of the sward. Northern Advocate Photo Mr W. Maki of Takahiwai, Whangarei, who won first place in the dairy farm section of the 1962 Ahuwhenua contest. Commenting on Mr Maki's win, the judge said that he was a natural stockman, who had already achieved the high average of 289lbs of butterfat per cow, with the likelihood of even greater returns in the next few years. The winner of the sheep and cattle section was Mr Kingi Grace of Tokaanu, a thoroughly experienced stockman whose work showed many interesting features. Second place in the dairy section was awarded Mr & Mrs C. Rutledge of Te Kopuru, Dargaville, and third place in this section went to Mr J. W. Hedley of Hoe-o-Tainui, near Morrinsville. In the sheep and cattle section second place went to Mr J. J. Reid of Kaikohe, and third place to Mr A. Whata of Rotorua. Consideration should be given to the suitability of the pasture species in relation to the climate and soil type. Perhaps the most important item in the farming budget is manure and it is essential to apply the correct amount of the best fertiliser for your kind of country. You should seek expert advice on this. After pasture production, the next logical consideration is stock. Good quality stock are essential, and they must calve at such a time as to allow a

full season's production. Late calvers, ‘slips,’ empty cows and short season producers are uneconomic and cost money. It is useless spending money on the one hand growing grass and losing money on the other hand feeding it to unproductive stock. It essential to be correctly stocked and stock carried should be such that there is sufficient feed for late autumn and winter period. Replacements should be at least 20–25 per cent of effective herd numbers and well grown well bred 2 year heifers are is essential to be correctly stocked and stock carried should be such that there is sufficient feed for late autumn and winter period. Replacements should be at least 20–25 per cent of effective herd numbers and well grown well bred 2 year heifers are is essential to be correctly stocked and stock carried should be such that there is sufficient feed for late autumn and winter period. Replacements should be at least 20–25 per cent of effective herd numbers and well grown well bred 2 year heifers are essential if per cow and per acre production is to be of a high level. It is no good paying high prices for well bred pedigree bulls unless their progeny are well reared. This is essential to avoid a heavy death rate, or undersized yearling and 2 year-old heifers which achieve half the production of which they are inherently capable. On farms where A.B. is used good rearing of young stock is a must, as the outlay is considerable and increased production must more than cover cost. When you are reviewing the season's production, it is a good idea to plot the total butterfat at the