HERD-TESTING SCHEME.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 8 September 1924, Page 10

HERD-TESTING SCHEME.

A co-operative company —the Great Southern —whose sphere of operations is in South Gippsland, has come forward with a testing scheme designed to improve materially the dairy herds which serve their factory. The letter sent to district farmers characterises herdtesting as the first step towards putting the dairying industry on a really payable basis. The second step, is most certainly feeding, which always follows when testing is adopted; and, as far as many of the older parts of Gippsland ire concerned, the third step to prosperity niay be stated to lie shelter. The circular letter points out that the miy herd-test worth anything is one carried out each year providing a test nice a month, together with weighings of milk and a complete season’s records of every single cow in the herd. Culling, breeding, and feeding are urged as measures calculated to bring a herd >ip to a profitable standard. The board of directors of tlie company offer to carry the boxes of samples of milk free u- rail or cart to the testing centre. They propose to charge eaeli member £1 per annum as herd fee-and 2d per ‘ow per month (approximately Is 6d per c-o.iv per year). The first year a member will be required to pay for box, butties, sampling, and weighing outfit, which will run to about £2 10s. This remains his own property and will hict for some years, so that only renewals are chargeable each year. For a herd of 20 cows the cost for the first year will be £5, and for each year afterwards £2 10s. Each member will he required to weigh the milk of each cow in his herd night and morning on two following days in each month, and to take samples. From the results of ec-.'li month’s tests the testing officer will supply each member with the total number of pounds of milk and butterfat of each cow in his herd, and the total of his herd for the month. At the end of the milking period a full statement of the output of each cow will be supplied. At the testing station a register will he kept, and a member can obtain at any time full ‘'■'■tieulnrs of any or all of his own cows’ returns. In order to carry out this scheme the directors consider that 109 members are necessary. ' It is to he hoped that dairy farmers will he alive to the advantages offered, and that sufficient members will join.' Fail'n<r the full number, the scheme should ■-till be launched. If carried on at a 'oss for a short while, it will really pay the conipanv eventually- in increased •u'oplies, and additional members will fall into line as the scheme proves * tself.