I UK FEEDING OF FARM STOCK. ' s ~> 



It will be noted that the great majority of the diseases of catt'e which 

 are associated with feeding — a few of which are mentioned above — are real ly 

 deficiency troubles in some form or other, and this is the main point it is 



desired to urge in connection with cattle. It is not necessarily hulk weight 

 which is deficient — it may be nutritive constituents. The scrub-fed cattle, 

 which cannot travel without breaking up, the bone-chewing dairy cow of the 

 t, and the unthrifty pot-bellied youngsters, are all affected in different 

 ways by some variety <>f the same thing, and these conditions and the 

 many other diseases which come more or less directly as sequels to these — 

 can all be prevented by attention to feeding. If grazed continuously and 

 never manured, the natural pastures cannot provide the necessary food 

 material in sufficient quantities during the whole year -certainly not in time 

 of drought. A gradual impoverishment of many of the grazing lands is 

 thus taking place, and with that impoverishment will come an increase in 

 disease. 



The addition of artificially-grown food to the natural pastures must he 

 made if this is to be prevented, and will be required sooner in some parts of 

 the State than others, according to the natural fertility of the country, and 

 the length of time it has been grazed. Those food constituents which are 

 most likely to be wanting are the proteins and mineral salts, and in 

 supplying the former the very great value of the legumes —lucerne, clover,, 

 trefoil, and peas— should always be borne in mind. The mineral salts most 

 lacking will be lime salts and "phosphates. For the former the leguminous 

 plants are again of high value, and for the latter bran and the oilcakes and 

 meals are useful. 



It will be remarked that these diseases are really in contrast to the 

 diseases in horses, which are nearly all due to errors in methods of feeding. 



Poisoning. — Although often reported, poisoning in cattle is seldom proved, 

 but a few of our native and introduced plants must be held responsible for 

 mortality at times. As instances, sorghum, blue couch, rosewood, and 

 possibly others at times kill by the formation of prussic acid ; certain types 

 of Darling pea cause the well known symptom of a pea-stricken animal ; 

 burrawang leads to a peculiar nervous condition commonly, but erroneously, 

 called rickets ; the cape tulip will at times kill cattle unaccustomed to it, 

 and there are many plants which require further investigation before definite- 

 pronouncement can be made as to their toxic properties. 



Prevention in all such cases is the obvious course, but this is at times 

 impossible, or nearly so. Only with regard to the prussic acid forming 

 plants can effective measures be taken. If cut and dried they are practi- 

 cally harmless, whereas they are most dangerous in young, quick growth, and 

 when stunted and growing up after once being eaten off. 



Indigestion in Calves. — Owing to the artificial manner in which most calves 

 in dairying districts are reared, indigestion and its consequences, general 

 unthriftiness, diarrhoea, and stunted growth are very common ; these troubles 

 may he due to any one or combination of the following causes:— -Overloading 

 the very young animal's stomach through endeavouring to give sufficient 

 nourishment to cause it to thrive in too few feeds ; replacing full milk with 

 skim milk or milk substitutes too early or too suddenly ; giving the feed cold 

 or only slightly warmed instead of at the normal temperature of niillc fresh 

 from tlie cow ; sudden changes of food, as from skim milk to substitutes, and 



