14
B.—REPORT BY Mr. R. BRANFORD, SUPERINTENDENT, CATTLE FARM,. HISSAR.
1. The farm was under my charge for the whole of the year.
2. The year was one of the worst on record for stock; practically no
useful rain fell within the farm area during the whole course of the year.
As is usual even after good seasons stall feeding on green jowar began
in June; and there was never sufficient grazing available to allow of its
ceasing till the end of the year. For short periods in September and October
a few individual herds managed to maintain themselves, but before the end of
October practically the whole head of stock was being almost entirely main-
tained by stall feeding.
3. Such a condition of affairs is almost unprecedented. Years of poor
rainfall are common, but there is almost always sufficient good grazing to last
a few months, and to allow of the stock getting into good condition before
stall feeding has to begin. But this year stall feeding had to begin with the
stock in the rather poor condition usual at the end of the hot weather.
The farm cattle, which have been accustomed for many generations to
subsist mainly on natural grazing, do not do well when entirely stall fed, unless
the fodder used consists entirely of farm-grown produce to which they are
accustomed.
On this occasion they did comparatively well so long as their feed was
mainly farm-grown, i.e., up to about the middle of February. From then till
the end of March they lost condition rapidly. At the end of March, farm-
grown bhoosa and oats became available, and their condition began to
improve.
4. During the year 14,931 maunds of jowar kirby and 45,714 maunds.
of hay were purchased. I think on the whole the fodder was as good as can
be purchased in India, where grass and fodder crops generally are not cut for
hay till much too late in the season. One of the difficulties experienced in
feeding it to stock was that I found it impossible to get sufficient of any one
sample. By the time the stock had become accustomed to one kind I had
to change to another, which the cattle often took some days to get accustomed
to.
The best hay obtained came from the Jhansi Division of the United
Provinces and from Central India. I found that the farm cattle would die
of starvation sooner than eat the samples of coarse hay obtained from Dehra
Dun and Pilibhit.
5. Contagious diseases.—Fortunately the farm was unusually free
from contagious disease during the year. The following occurred :—
(a) Black-quarter.—19 animals died from this disease as against 7 last
year.
(b) Equine contagious abortion.—During the year there were 6
cases of abortion among pony mares, probably 2 of which
were non-contagious, as against 14 pony and 4 donkey mares
aborting last year. Compared with other recorded outbreaks
the percentage of losses from the outbreak on this farm have
been small. Great efforts to limit the outbreak by means of
careful segregation and disinfection were made, apparently
with some success.
(c) Sheep scab—Has now, I think, been definitely got rid of; there
have been no cases since May 1915.
(d) Navel ill.—Has given more trouble than usual.
(e) Hæmorrhagic septiæmia.—No cases or deaths occurred during
the year, as against 57 deaths last year.
(f) Rinderpest.—No cases or deaths occurred, as against 14 deaths
last year.
(g) Strangles —No cases occurred.
(h) Foot and Mouth disease.—Only one mild outbreak of this
disease occurred.