Interesting Cattle Experiment

NZ Co-Operates With Fiji in Interesting Cattle Experiment

AN experiment unique in animal study is to be carried out in Fiji and New Zealand to determine the effect of tropical climatic conditions on dairy cattle of European type.

Eight sets of identical twin calves have been selected by the Ruakura Station, NZ. Eight of these calves will remain in New Zealand, at Ruakura, and their twins have been sent to the Sigatoka Experi mental Station in Fiji (they arrived in the March Matua). Both sets will be reared in exactly the same way— food will be grown in New Zealand and shipped to Fiji so that the only difference in the r upbringing will be the influence of the climates of Ruakura and Sigatoka.

The rates of growth of the twins will be studied and they will eventually be brought to the stage of producing milk.

Then their milk yield and butter-fat production will be carefully recorded, and the results cf the sets of twins in New Zealand and Fiji compared.

If both sets of animals perform equally well, the effect of tropical climate will be ruled out and the spot-light will, there fore, be thrown upon the nutrition of cattle in Fiji as the most obvious cause of present low production of milk.

Identical calves have been selected be cause research has shown that twins are more efficient as experimental animals than cattle selected at random as they possess exactly the same inheri tance due to their mode of development.

The Shell Company’s tanker, Cyrena, arrived at Honiara, BSI, on March 15.

After discharging 2,130 drums of petro leum products, she sailed for Lae on March 17. She arrived at Honiara just in time, as stocks of petrol were almost exhausted.