10 March, 1916.] A Lesson on the Drought. 153 



A LESSON ON THE DROUGHT. 



B^ B. A. Barr, Senior Dairy Supervisor. 



If cows receive only sufficient fodder to keep them alive no return 

 for the feed is received beyond the prospective value of the cattle, where- 

 as, if sufficient is given to provide for milk production in addition to that 

 required for maintenance, a profit over the cost of feed will be returned, 

 provided always the cows possess milking capacity. The following case 

 illustrates the value of feeding milking cows with a full ration, even at 

 the high prices ruling for feed during the past drought. A herd of 

 twenty-nine cows, including five heifers on first calf, and cows in all 

 stages of lactation, each received as a daily ration: — 



8 lbs. straw chaff valued at £6 per ton cost 



8 lbs. bran valued at £11 per ton cost ... 



2 lbs. cocoanut oil cake valued at £12 per ton cost 



Total cost for each cow ... ... 1 6 



The return was as follows : — 

 Daily yield, 61 gallons at Is. 3d. per gallon on railway station. 



5. d. 

 Daily average return for each cow ... ... 2 7 



Daily average cost of feed ... ... ... 1 6 



Profit ... ... ... ... 1 1 



The straw chaff was steamed, and had been on the farm for some 

 years. 



The farm was in a drought-stricken area, the paddocks were bare, and 

 this return was received throughout the whole drought. If the milk 

 had been used for butter-making a profit of 4d. per day would have 

 been returned. Supposing the food provided had been reduced to an 

 amount sufficient only to keep th© cows alive, no profit would have been 

 returned, but instead a charge for cost of feed would have to be mad© 

 against the value of the stock. 



The above ration is considered neither an ideal one, nor the most 

 efficient, but it must be remeinloered that, at the time, drought condi- 

 t'ons prevailed, and bulky feeds were particularly scarce. Under normal 

 conditions, or when purchasing even in drought times, hay chaff at high 

 rates would be preferable to straw. 



R( IKNCE and pnictioc hclp.'d ])y o.xpcriciKT — that i.-^ wluit we want. 

 E-xporioncc means that wliich wp have ourselves lenmt; that which 

 ha.s been kiioeked into us so forcibly is never forgotten. This is wliy it 

 is so often advocated that "every fjirnicr should he liis own experi- 

 menter." 



