Cite: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1013418

Tags (Keywords)

Add New Tags

Comments

No comments yet.

Add New Comment

No corrections yet

i* « 4'TVVV%TVV*i*,î','i**J*,î,,?Î,'î''î'^'î,*î*'*1

MINERAL ÖEFICIENCY

Its Dangers ana Its Correction.

Numerous reports are. being receiv- ed from stock inspectors.of the south- ern districts of mortality such as is usually described as being due to "dry bible," writes the v Chief Veterinary Surgeon of the Department *of Agri- culture in a recent report, but whilst these deaths are certainly related to the very- dry seasonal conditions, it is possible that disease associated with mineral deficiency is the basic cause. The writer also states Unit several cows have died in the south" from car- rion poisoning, due to Hie animal suf- fering from ii mineral craving and eating undesirable mateNnl, and that if inquiry is made in these cases of mortality It is invariably found that the stock are not receiving a satisfac-

tory lick.

The toregoing should serve ns a re- minder to the dairy-farmers ol' the seriousness of mineral deficiency in animal diet, and the importance of correcting it. The relation of mineral deficiency to disease is a matter which is still engaging those occupied in ve- terinary research, but bone-chewing, rickets (in association with other causes), partial paralysis of pigs (in some cases at least), and sterility have all been traced to it, while it is also responsible tor a lowering of vitality and consequent loss of production. The two most important constituents of animal food are so'diutu chloride and calcium phosphate, and it is to satisfy the instinctive craving for the latter-ingredient that a cow on lithe or phosphorous-poor pasture will'

chew bones.

The depraved appetite manifested by bone-chewing Iii cattle may evid- ence itself in the. chewing of stones,

bricks or concrete, sticks, pieces of leather, cloth, and even metal. Gen- erally speaking, an animal that chews sticks 'and stones will prefer bones If such are available, and these gen- eral rubbish eaters are probably exhib- iting a soyere form of the .deficiency. Probably (he animals most severely affected by the deficiency are those which prefer, not bleached bones, but .rotten bones, pieces of hide, and rab- bit carcases.. If such material has been infected with a toxlcogenic or- ganism Hie animal is liable to ingest the toxin, the result being sueh a mor- tality as those« referred to in the first

paragraph of this article.

% Mineral deticiency may bo corrected in .the case of hand-fed cows by the addition or two or three tablespoons

ol' sterilised bone-meal to the food daily. Whore the cattle are not hand fed, a lick should bo provided in troughs in the paddocks or in boxes in, the milking sheds or feed stalls. This lick may* lie simply sterilised bone-meal itself, or if it is desired to provide the animals with other in- gredients us well, including salt, the following mixture will be found of value: 40 parts salt, 1 part sulphate of iron, 10 to 40 parts bone-meal, according lo the requirements of the

cattle.

Feeding the cattle on food grown outside the bone-chewing areas, or on

el inside, which has been manured with animal manure, bonodust, or su- perphosphate, will be found beneficial. The addition ol' bran or oil cake to the ration and the feeding of lucerne hay will all be valuable, rossibly the best ration from the point of view of this condition is a mixture of bran and

lucerne chaff.

"Rone-chewing country" is essen- tially starved country-land from which the elements of nutrition have been removed in the form of milk, meat, or crops, and into which nothing I has boen put back. Top-dressing if

therefore of benefit to it and indirect- ly of benefit to the cattle grazed on

ii.

Zoom

plus
thumb
minus
left
thumb
right
up
thumb
down