Herd Testing Successes

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 7294, 2 August 1930, Page 14

Herd Testing Successes

GOOD AVERAGE PRODUCTION The best group performance in the New Zealand Co-operative Herd Testing Association territory for the 192930 season was at Ngarua, near lo Aroha. The 1113 cows tested in the group gave an average yield of 318.42 lb. of fat for 281 days. There are 1900 acres in the Ngarua district, and the total butter-fat produced was 354,4071 b., which is equal to 1861 b. of butter-fat per acre. These figures arc claimed to be a Tecord for cite Dominion. One farmer in tho district. Mr. F. Bay ward, secured a return equal to 2501 b. of butter-l’at per acre from, his herd, while anothei, Mi. J. F. James, whose herd, which averaged 379.61 b. of fat for 86 cows in 292 days, was the highest in the group. Ngarua was the highest group in the association for tho 1928-29 season, tho average yield being 304.171 b. of fat for 954 cows. Manawaru, which was runner-up for the 1929-30 season, was the leading group fot three previous seasons in succession. In 1925-26 tho Manawaru group yielded an average of 283.811 b. of fat per cow for 1323 cows. In the 1926-27 season Manawaru created a Dominion, and probably a world, record with 317.831 b. of fat per cow for 1581 cows in 258 days. Manawaru’s average for tho 1927-28 season was 287.011 b. of fat per cow for 1470 cows. During the past season Manawaru averaged 311.111 b. of fat per cow for 1257 cows in 269 days. Where cheeks havo been made between the herd testing returns in the Ngarua and Manawaru groups and the factory figures, the records havo been remarkably close, thus proving the efficacy of the group herd testing system.