RECORD RETURNS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 25 June 1927, Page 4

RECORD RETURNS.

WAIKATO DAIRY HERDS. GROUP TESTING RESULTS. OBJECT LESSON AFFORDED. The advisability of extending the testing and culling system until it embraced every herd in the dairying lands of South’ Taranaki was urged -strongly by a promineut personality associated with the industry, who, in conversation with a "Hawera Star” reporter, instanced the remarkable results realised in the Waikato district where, in the last three years, the application of the principle had given aiu~ oreased returns, the value of which wa® now estimated at approximately £200,000 a season. , “Surprise is continually being expressed at the comparative lack. in South Taranaki of organised effort by means of herd testing associations to improve butter-fat production,” said “The Star’s” informant. “In the Waikato district herd testing for some years has been established on the group system, which has been productive of astonishing results. Taranaki dairy farmers are usually to the fore in regal’d to improvements in farming methods, but in respect -of herd testing appear to be -sadly behind the times. “Recently at Manawaru, hear Te Aroha, a function was held to celebrate the record established by the Man-a-waru group of the N.Z. Co-operative Herd-testing Association. There was a large gathering of farmers and others on Mondav last, and particulars given y of the results showed that 1581 cows, comp-risin'r 29 herds, averaged 317.83 lhs of butter-fat in 258 days, this being equal to lflbs of fat per cow daily. “The averages for the group represent an increase of over 751bs of butterfat per cow since- the 1923 season, .the details being:—

Season. lbs fat. days. 1923- 242 247 1924- 257 245 1925- 283 260 1926- 317 258 “These figures have been checked up against factory returns—the members having given written authority to do so—and the result proves that the herd testing figures are an authentic record. Of the 1581 cows tested 673 produced less than 3001-bs of fat, showing that with further culling and replacing by heifers with butter-fat backing the average for the group is still capable of considerable improvement. “The highest herd in the group in herds comprising not more thah 50 cows was that of Mr. AAtoston Hughes, whose 21 cows averaged 402.541bs of fat- in 277 days. “The highest herd- in the group in herds comprising more than 50 cows in the herd was that of Mr. R.. Koch, junr., whose 101 cows averaged 367.93 lbs of fat in 262 days. “The highest cow in the group was owned by Mr. A. Elliott, and she- produced 593.761bs of fat in 353 days. The highest heifer in the group was owned by Mr. J. E. Parker, her production being 446.141bs of fat in 284 days.

“The averages quoted are all for normal cows. It is- the usual practice to test only normal cows. During the past- season, however, all cows in the herd were tested, sick cows. etc., being tested in Class- B. Even including Class B cows, the Manawaru group average is over 307ibs per cow. SIXTY THOUSAND COAVS UNDER. TEST.

“The Co-operative Association average also shows marked improvement,, being 255.491 b of fat in 250 days for 60,507 cows. A return of over lib of fat per cow per day for such a large number of cows is an exceptionally fine performance, and indicates that farmers in South Auckland are within measureable distance of the objective of a Dominion average of 3001 b per cow. The Association average has steadily increased from 2071 b to 2271 b, to 2321 b, and on this, the fourth year, it is 2051 b, an increase of 481 b per cow during the past three years. This increase is encouraging when one remembers that the Dominion average to-day is well under 2001 b of fat per cow.

“These results show that the average of the association has increased from 2071 b to 2551 bin three years. This represents to the district an increase of about £200,000 per annum, with the prospect of a further advance each year

“A similar effort in Taranaki, would no doubt bring about a corresponding result. Farming, outside the technical knowledge required, should be treated from a commercial point of view, and one of the most important factors in any commercial business is turnover or output. The farmer’s turnover is his butter-fat output, and the success of his business is closely associated with the improvement of his herd by means of systematic herd-testing.’’

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