End Of Herd Visits

Press, Issue 32333, 26 June 1970, Page 10

End Of Herd Visits

In contrast to the first day of herd inspections held early last week in association with the sixtieth anniversary conference of the New Zealand Friesian Association, which was favoured by almost spring-like conditions, the concluding round of herds last Friday saw the visitors in rain soaked paddocks, occasionally in showers, and dodging puddles and mud near saturated milking yards. The second day began among the Lucernvale herd of E. J. Stalker and Son, of Greenpark, milking at the time about 75 cows. Last season this herd had its best performance yet with an average for 85 cows of 12,6881 b of milk and 5321 b of fat at a 4.2 per cent test, with Lucernvale Thynne C doing 8021 b of fat in 305 days as a nine-year-old. In the latest season, with the most recent report showing 5081 b of fat in 268 days for about 82 cows, it is expected that the end result should be similar to last season's or even better. In the Romanac herd of T. H. and B. M. Jones, at Springston, milking 30 cows, the party saw St Winnow F. Snowflake, V.H.C., which last season had an official performance as a nine-year-old of 22,4531 b of milk, a 4.1 per cent test and 9231 b of fat in 305 days. This

good cow, however, went on to do 25,0581 b of milk and 10521 b of fat in 362 days. This season she has not long; calved and at 71 days had 3271 b of fat to her credit. The herd average for the! 1968-69 testing season was 14,2541 b of milk with a 3.9 per cent test and 5491 b of fat in 294 days. In the afternoon the party moved to Waikuku to the property of Mr C. W. Humm and his sons, where up to 110 cows including heifers are milked. Mr Humm, sen., retired last week frbm the council of the association after serving on it for more than 30 years. The most recent average for the herd was 5271 b of fat under a 4.2 per cent test, with the heifers in the group doing! better than 4501 b. The final call was to the Ashley herd of G. P. Mclntosh and Son. close by, with about 80 cows, where the latest herd average is 5301 b of fat with a 4.1 per cent test in 296 days. The previous season the average for 109 cows was 5011 b. A third of this herd was; moved about 18 months ago to a 160-acre property which Mr Mclntosh has at Waiuku in the north, where he now runs most of his young stock.