NON-STOP PRODUCER

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30413, 11 April 1964, Page 8

NON-STOP PRODUCER

This 20-year-old FriesianJersey cross cow is a most unusual animal. For the last 13 years she has not had a calf but has given a daily supply of milk ranging from a gallon in the winter to two gallons and a half in the flush of the season. Since she was bought as a fifth calver in 1951 by her present owner, Mr J. E. Clark, of Woodlands, Southland, she has given milk daily without a break and though she has now reached

an advanced age she is still in good condition and seems likely to go on providing milk for a few years yet. She sounded like the ideal house cow, said Mr M. G. Hollard, senior lecturer in the animal science department at Lincoln College, this week, but had the real disadvantage that it was not possible to breed cows like her. Odd cases of similar cows had been reported over the years, apparently due to some

kind of hormonal maladjustment, so that it was not possible to breed from them. One such cow in the Waikato about 20 years ago ’ was known as “Sucker” because of her continued unbroken production. When she had eventually died people had descended on her to extract her endocrine glands in an attempt to discover the cause, but there had been no apparent reason.