HIGHER PRODUCTION COWS WITHOUT FORCING.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 29 April 1922, Page 3

HIGHER PRODUCTION COWS WITHOUT FORCING.

"The fact .that the average yield of a dairy .cow in Canada is only Around 40001b for :a year has impressed me greatly," said J. R. Mercur, .Mercroft Farais., Derval, .Quebec. ''What every breeder sfcould aim. for is the improvement of the dairy stock, .and consequently the raising of that .lowaverage record."

Mr. Mercur has s, yery fine herd oi Holsteins, and is making a effort to produce a type of animal adiich, br normal treatment and without- forcing in any way, will give a high annual production. "I have often been struck," continued Mr. Mercar, "'with th© poor quality of a very large proportion of the offspring of dams which have made high seven-day records. It is my .firi« belief that, if a cow has been abnormally forced for short-time records it is bound to have a deteriorating effect on her- prtfgt-jny. I am trying to get all my cows' *>**. to uniform breeding times, so as io &aye as far as possible every single coa"V fi- long-period, highproduction one."

A bull with lots of pCV and hh and females with big quarteils, 4'*>od milk development, ancl vigour arO* r- Mer-

cur's ideal male and female types of Holsteins. "To my idea a big, rugged, straight-backed cow with a good capacity is invariably a good producer," he told us. "We never milk our cows three times a day except where one is , a heavy milker. The average farmer ! cannot afford to clo so or have them in j box stalls, and he is the man we have jto cater for and are trying to serve." Andrew Gray, his manager, believes in a ration the composition of -winch may be of some interest and is mixed in following proportions; Bran 1501b, oat provender (ground oats) 1001b, oil meal 801b,* cotton seed meal 1001b, hominy or corn meal 501b, salt 101b, charcoal 101b. These are mixed thoroughly, ancl each cow, on an average, gets 41b for every 201b milk produced twice a day, in addition to 401b corn ensilage. The salt is considered by Mr. Gray to be a relish, and the charcoal is a good regulator of the stomach. Additional salt is also within easy reach of all the cows.