THE DAIRY HERD.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1311, 14 December 1911, Page 8

THE DAIRY HERD.

: PROCESS OP BUILDING UI". ' ..-In' building .up'a' dairy herd;-the selec-(ian'-or'a si re :' is CQii'SKlernnpj), says II r. A.' Coition, Government Dairy liistrtietor,' writing in' tlio ''Agricultural Gazette" of Tasmania, The choice -.of breed" will depend upon the• particular, fancy of the dairyman, as with any of tho orthodox dairy breeds'' success 1 vis. niore likely to follow,on the'selection-.of one-for which lie has a partialitybut: .environment must' be,' studied ' with • a ■view-to choosing'n breed suitable.to'the local conditions of .country .and methods of.' fariniaff- • When, a particular line of diirving is followed, such as cheese-mak-injr or milk-selling, further, consideration is .necessary,-as. it is obvious that under such- circumstances quantity.. of . milk rather-than high percent-ages of fat will bo the object in view. Having chosen a breed—and by way of illustration'say the.-- ■'Ayrshire'"'lias been decided' 'upon—: ;tlie 'dairyman should;- if not already anexpert,', carefully study,. <all .availably .literature on the subject qf'/Ayrsliires' with a view of acquiring a Knowledge of tho main: points which go . to.-; form > the; ".'ideal- type, of : tho breed. Conformity to:, type is of the greatest. importance where. :purebrcd animals are concerned, and obviously . with respect to sires which are intended:- to be used , for the purpose of grading up a herd to' the typo' selected. Nonconformity, to' typo':- suggests -a :wan.t v of p.urity.in "breeding; and.as a..cor-, olla'r.v, a lack of-.prepotency—that liere-;' ditary.-; power' :of . .his-,.' own; ,;chnr'aeteristics to- his: progeny, which all." .well-bred sires-; should- possess. ' A'care- . M stu'dy;-should..'nqst- ,bc. 'made.- of the' ' niilltingipedigree of'the: animal clectcd.': .'lnquire closely into the : performance .of* .[lis dam as a'deep and persistent milker,' • a.?cei't!ain fi\im the records- both' the'iium-" '.bei'Vof'-gaildn.i'.and -the- average" test of. .Ihe'. niilk l.'required for. tho . season.': Eolv low; this lip' by ; a .scrutiny of what •sire's: dam '.could N do, and should' there:be liny" difficulty .'in - this (should jio /-rer; have no hesitation--..in! 'passiiig qii-.to the. selection of. another tuii--nia 1. The, j'ip-to-datc 'breeder is keeping: ij'eMrds;.i(leali;ivitli. him . • alone.,V.By., so : fddiiig;j-b.ii'Hvillib'e 'nssisUiig^the-good -work,of, ■:preventing breeders 'focussing the .sfcw..«rih(f:'.t6' the' detriment 'of..the milk-ing-qualifications, of'the animals'bred.-.,; ? ■: "Conforniation.aiuU .milking--.'pedigreef-ibe-' ing, satisfactory,> the animal' should now; be examined;,with; a-view -to gauging, -bis' excellence-or othei'w'ise.hi"those external: pqiuts-aiet -'-generally;; included; under ..the above»terms. ■'. ■ •

Tho ,ey«s, should-bo.'.wide set, bright,. aiid~~prominent;,'. The.' false,'or rudiineniarj l tpats sliould'\lx!..:>vell ' developed.'in ;frdnt-'pf'-.the. scrotum; tlio skill yell.bwj soft,- :.a'iid: elastic, •' Snth- '.lio; 'suspicion of:' harshness when .handled. Finally, the' 'liniiiial -should be': constitutionally' 'sound, 'especial; bare .being .'taken ';. to vjiiake; Ceris frce-froin .tuberculosis.''■ '' .'.'■-. Having; taken - : every "...possible , precaution in the. '.selection •ot lie bull,\ and being quite satisfied with his purity of. breed, .ancestral 'records, Conformity '•:■ to. iihe ; flaij-yinan'.,;wiU; -watch with' anxiety Ulie gradual .'development of the .animal's ,| fe-, male/:, progeny.: until they, mature and ■jqiii''the herd;as milkers, .as it is, ' tunatcly ' only too. true:'that this■ is .(lie! psriod.'at which' he will be ablc'ffarlthc first -time tb gauge the true lya'lu6,"6T,,tli'e; 'kninial.''s'clec<ed/.''lvbtw)thstandii)g,....,,that.' ; be. taken; 'the'"final. result is.'always. soniething of-'a lottery;but'tho winning chances; aie greatly ohJiancedi'ihi the'; case.'of', a .pure-bred bull ■owing;tarihis.'greater prepotency;, thai 'qualification'/which', ho has inherited through.'a' long .line of ancestry..'; ' '■•■.'From what'has been statijcl it'is,obvious that the agc ; pf the bull shouldibe closely- ■ considered.rbefore filially, deciding -to. purchase'.- Many dairymen deprecate : the lise'.of aged' bulls, but many- of the best .of>'every "'breed'-have/ lived in full vigour. until 10 or'l2 years; bid. lii purchasing .'an'-'-animal"'five jicars old-or' over': the dairyman has-the advantage of being- ablo. to.-vicw- the bull's'-feinale .progeny,!'and ithcir milking qualifications;' ;.whereas iii .-the'./case' of' a' young animal, being purchased his true value will only,bo: known when'. his progeny, ■" mature, but should he prove to, be.a successful sireit is. satisfactory .''tq. knfcw..that with due precautions used' the owner, can, reckon on' a 1 good few-years! service, and with the-full" knowledge, that -the longer l'heis' kept the- better it ; :will be forV-tlie-herd. ; , ' .'. V- '■'.■;;'':/'■:.' • -'■■'• ••'•

■Jt, will be , readily..-understood, ■ fronu .be'eii:said"-with respect '.to.'tlio, prepotency' of, ; purebred; i'rmiiilals, : ' .that with:'such a. sire.'andVcrossbred;.cows; of good inilkin-j■ qualifications, should'.' ba possible,'to.ntt!iiu>the'result' ! looked-fpr.'' iniQra ■ even'."than' if the'.'females' were themselves•'• pure-'. bred; as.- under those circunistahcesVitlierc might'bo'. "a strong.prepotency :'in.'tho : females,' which' might: act' in the .(.opposite i'direction.i : tb: that dcHred/ .T!io. : ;a.bsencp::'df : "'siich-char-, acteristics. in the',! feinales./'of /crossbred; cvißfn.' must'' add'-, tb'-ihe/ceita'inty ■of •the desirable" traits ofrthe/sire;jani!','li.is.au-. •cestry.-.beiiiir reproduced; iii 'the',-;progeny.