THE DAIRY SIRE

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 15 February 1930, Page 16

THE DAIRY SIRE

In grading up commercial dairy herds the majority of dairymen attach more importance to improving millc production through the females than through the bull (says the farm expert of the “Australasian ”). By keeping records of each cow, weeding out the unprofitI'able units, better care, and more systematic methods of feeding the average yields of the dairy herds of Victoria are being rapidly and substantially increased. Improvement through the females is the first step necessary to bring this about, and in the selection of animals for the dairy herd it is necessary to have a standard of production, the standard being, of course, the .lowest limit for profitable production. I IJip to a certain point, however, the bull I ought to be looked upon to play a very important part in daily improvement. He should be pure-bred and descended from ancestry in which milking qualities are inherent. This is the first essential in a dairy sire when the definite improvement in production is desired. ISText in importance come constitution, stamina, vigour and size, and in a dairy herd where milk production is being forced up these characteristics must not be overlooked. The progeny of a sire is about equally divided between the sexes. Boss than one-half will be the deep-milking cows to which it is hoped to eo-nflne the herd in the future. The rest should be cailyes l that will be worth rearing to make early maturing steers ■or the finest beef. It is the bull that must bo looked to for this, 'and in choosing him a proper balance of dualpurpose qualities is of the highest importance.