THE DAIRY.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 283, 9 December 1901, Page 3

THE DAIRY.

BREEDS AND MANAGEMENT OF COWS. (By “ Crossbred,” in the Pastoralists’ Review.) Any farmer who is commencing a dairy farm in a new district has generally to make up his mind as to what breed of cows he will adopt. A great many squatters influence this selection, hut the one that will carry the most weight witli everyone is the particular breed which he has been used to most of his life. It hardly needs explaining that the treatment necessary for the different breeds will vary to a certain extent, and this variation, perhaps, amounts to a good deal more than those who have not had much experience would think. For instance, the kind oi treatment which would go down with a Shorthorn would never go down with an excitable and nervous Ayrshire. WHICH IS THE BEST DAIRY COW Taking the show of the British Dairy Farmers’ Association as some sort of a guide, we find that the breeds recognised there are the following Shorthorn, Jersey, Guernsey, Ayrshire, Red Poll, Kerry and Dutch. Of course, it may be added that in any given district the breed native to that district should, if possible, be the one adopted, unless the farmer has grave reasons for a change in this respect. There are various influences bearing on the selection of the breed in addition to those already mentioned,

i-)!'. instance, a-, the sort of dairying that is ;mn; v> be curried on, whether butter, 111 i 1 k, or el.' ese trade, as noose, would keep a Dutch cow lor but ter- j making. 01 a .Jersey cow for selling | new 1111!k, hut would, if possible, adopt j a Jersey or Guernsey for butter and l cream, and a Shorthorn or Dutch, or j Ayrshire for the milk trade Attain, \ Ihe Avrshire has shown itself exteediinrlv adapted for cheese-making, the | ■ explanation being given that while the 1 milk by analysis may be similar in i composition to’that of another breed, yet as the butter globules are comparatively smaller than in the ease oi the .Jersey or Guernsey, they are more easily entangled in the curd in the process of cheese-making, and thus the cheese is more easily made, and oi a more even quality than with the former. This particular item is largely due to skill, for we read oi trials held at the last Chicago Exhibition Unit the best cheese was made from Jersey milk, but it took a great deal more skill to make this cheese than would have been necessary with Ayrshire milk. For general purposes, and taking England as an example, probably the Shorthorn cow is the best, as it, yields a fairly large amount of fairly rich milk, while the animal fattens after use, arid can easily be made ill lor the butcher. As a matter oi fact, the ultimate (lest ny of the old cow is important, because old cows are a byproduct of a dairy farm, and the ability to sell them for a good price materially affects the sum total of the receipts. No one would propose to do much in fattening a Jersey, but on the other hand, Ihe fattening of the Shorthorn is quite a feasible process. A STANDARD OF MILKING POWER.

It, may be interesting to some to know file standard of milking power that has been proposed for the different breeds by the British Dairy Farmers’ Association, and I therefore give it below

Supposing, then, that a certain breed is in use, it ought to be the object of the farmer to try and improve the quality of the individual animals of his herd, and the first thing to do is to select a good bull. By the term “good bull” is' meant a good deal more in the case of dairy animals than merely having one of the proper symmetry and the proper points recognised as belonging to his breed ; for his progeny, or. at, any rate, the female part, of it, is intended to he reared for the milking of future fields, the milking quality of tiie strain to which he belongs is of the first importance, and, therefore, his pedigree in this direction must be satisfactory. A bull from a herd noted for good milking power, and the son of a dam which is also a good milker, is likely to leave progeny behind him with the milking power transmit ted ; therefore the farmer who proposes to rear his own stock—and every farmer should do this as far as possible—will lake great pains to make certain that the milking pedigree ot the hull lie employs is satisfactory, as well as the appearance of the animal itself. Many dairymen make a great mistake in this —they use any breed of an animal, so long as it proves to be a bull.

SELECTION OF COWS. Next to the selection of the hull, comes the choice of the cows for milking power, and it is here timl, milk records and tests are of value. It is generally acknowledged that every dairyman who wishes to keep the average yield of his herd up to the mark, and wishes to try and improve the same, ought to lest the animals periodically as regards their milking power. In practice this is most conveniently done by weighing the milk of each cow morning and evening once a fortnight. Dairy tests are unnecessary. Weekly tests are as good if one can" spare the time, but as far as useful and practical tests are concerned, fort,nightly is quite sufficient. From this test the best milking cows arc found out, and it is wonderful how animals are discovered to lie goodmilkers when a whole twelvemonth is taken, which yet have never yielded a very large quantity at one time, while on the other hand animals that have yielded an enormous quantity over a short time, and have great notice taken of them, are rcafiy poor milkers when their total yield for twelve months is summed lip. The cow that yields a moderate quantity over nine, or eleven mouths is tile sort to have and breed from, and it jx r.uiy by a record that this is found out. In addition to this the quality of the milk must be taken into account also and if, is desirable to test this from time to time also.

IMPORTANT POINTS IN MANAGKMISNT. In order that a cow may give the greatest quantity of the richest milk it is necessary that she should be sub-

jected to gentle treatment, never he hounded by dogs, never struck with sticks, never even be roughly spoken to, but petted and made much of as far as possible. A cow differs from a child ; the more you pet a child the more you arc likely to spoil it, but a cow cannot get too much petting. Rough treatment of any kind, which upsets the nerves, has a reflex action on the milking power. We know fl , . the power to secrete milk ■; ly connected with Vne nerv'ons ogga.m sauo k (u the animal, and that anything which disturbs her, or mflles her temper, has an adverse action on the secreting power of the udder, whereby if she is unduly excited in any way (he forming of the milk in the vesicles is greatly interfered with, and if had treatment is persisted in the cow will prematurely go dry. Another point connected with the yield is the milking of the animal. It is a job that must be done every day, morning and evening, week day and Sunday, without intermission. It is not work that can be left over till next week. It must be done at a certain hour every day, or else disastrous results will ensue, and, indeed, the mtlking of the cows is the greatest ‘limitation connected with a dairy larm. Good milking should be quick, in fact, quick milking is always good milkimr. It, has been shown by"experiment that quick milking will 'not only extract, more milk from the udder, bin the milk will he of better quality than that obtained by slow, drawing work. There arc practically four different ways of milking a cow—the tugging versus the squeezing, and "the wet versus the dry. The cow with strong, large teats may stand the strain put on her by the tuggers, but not those with delicate sore teats, and in any case it is a most objectionable system. The gentle squeezing, which never injures a sore teat, and permits the cow to chew her cud all the time, is the one to encourage. Naturally, a cal sucks with a wet, mouth, and it is a great deal easier to milk with a wet teat, and more comfortable for the cow. Squeezing with a wet hand k ttic best method to adopt. Of course the cow must be' milked out, clean ever) time, and, belter, still, “ stripped."

Immediately connected with the for illation of the milk is the temperature and general comfort of the animals. 1 they are too cold in winter, or tm hot- ill summer, it operates against tie milk yield, and therefore the arrangements of the buildings should be o such a. nature to as far as possibh keep the temperature comfortable. 1 summer the hot winds are much against the cows ; therefore plantations are very necessary, which conduce very much to their comfort. It is a very good thing in summer to wash their backs over witli.a c-c.ncoc - lion of sheep dip. as this tends to keen awav the dies, which torment the! . so. Kven a water-can can be lille 1 with water, to which a little sheep-dip is added, ami the mixture sprinkled, over their backs as they stand in their stalls, will be most beneficial and the trouble is not very great.

Weight of Butter Milk. Fat. lbs. lbs. Hhorthorn ... 8500 1.25 Jersey . 0000 1.25 Guernsey ... 6000 1.25 Ayrshire . 7500 1.00 Red i J oll ... . 7000 1.00 Kerry and Dexter. 4500 .75 Dutch . 8500 1.00 SKLUCTING A BULL