BUTTER-FAT V. BREEDING POWER.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1235, 18 September 1911, Page 8

BUTTER-FAT V. BREEDING POWER.

AN INTERESTING EXPERIMENT. In regard to the matter of tho elTect of excessive butter-fat production on breeding power, Mr. 1\ Le Patourel, of tho Minneston Experiment Station, has worked out a very interesting calculation from 1208 cows in tho Guernsey breed, which qualified in the Advanced Registry. Tho calculation presents the following summary:—. 1. 4.9 per cent, of the cows in tho Advanced Register were not in calf during test. - 2. 2.06 per cent, of the cows that produced over -1001b. fat wero not in calf during test. 3. In Class A C.7 per oent. of cows ware not in calf during test. In Class B 4.5 per cent, of cows were not in calf during test. In Class C 2.3 per cent, of cows wero not in calf during test. In Class D 4.4 per cent, of cows wcro not in calf during test. In Class E 5.1 per cent, of cows wero not in oalf during test. In Class F 3.5 per cent, of cows were not in calf during test.. ■In Class Cr 4.6 per cent, of cows were not in calf during test. 4. Of tho cotvs that produced 4001b. or more of fat: Class A 4 per cent, were not in calf during test. B 2.2 per cent wcro not in calf during test. C All were in calf during test. D 1.1. per cent, .were not dn calf during test. E 2.02 per cent, were not in calf during test. F all were in calf: G 7 per cent, were not in calf during test. 3. Of tho cows (irrespective of age) that made from 600 to 6501b. fat 4.3 per cent, .were not in calf during test. Of. the cows (irrespective of age) that produced above 6501b. fat 10 per cent, wore not in calf.' (This looks rather too bad,, but it is corrcct.) 6. Of the cows (irrespective of age) that were not carrying calf for two months: 0.5 per cent, of tho cows yielding from 400 to 1501b. of fat-were not two'months in calf. 1 7.8 per cent, of the cows yielding from 450 to 5001b. fat were not two months in catf.. 9.2 per cent. «f tho cows yielding from 500 to 5501b. of fat were not two months in calf. 14.6 per cent, of the cows yielding from 550 to COOlb. of fat were not two months in calf. ' . . ' 8.3 per cent, of tho cows yielding from 600 to -6501b. fat wcro not two months in calf. 21.0 per cent, of the cows yielding 6301b. and above were not two months, in calf. . _ .. Mr. Le Patourel, in conclusion, says:— "This soems almost incredible that 21 per cent., or one out of five cows, are not safely in calf whilo making an cxcep- •' tional record." There has been an abundance of proof !in all tho dairy breeds that crowding .cows to make high records js a disastrous course to their power to breed, and in many instances has resulted in very j serious derangements. It is a goo<l tiling to take cows , through tho Advanced Registry, but this should bo done for tho purpose of determining the natural, not forced, ability of the cows to produco milk and butter-fat. Such knowledge is valuable to the breeder for ho then knows clearly which are his best cows and which are tho most promising to select bulls from for it is the mother that niakivs tho bull. • If, however, the mother hiisi bteii crowded linduly her breeding' porter hits been impaired and often totally fetroyed.