DAIRY SHORTHORNS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20823, 16 March 1931, Page 15

DAIRY SHORTHORNS.

POPULARITY IN ENGLAND,

Tho Dairy Shorthorn is England's leading dairy cow. It is on record that no less than 62 per cent, of all tho oflicially recorded cows in England aro of Shorthorn typo, while no other breed has a higher percentage than 15£. The latest volumo of the British Register bears testimony to the excellent basis of merit upon which tho popularity of tho Dairy Shorthorn is founded. No fewer than 15,065 cows of all breeds qualified for inclusion in tho Register by attaining tho standard of milk yield for their respective breeds In tho enso of Shorthorns tho minimum yield is 90001b., and of tho cows that qualified 8299 were Shorthorns, which oxceeded tho next most numerous breed by 4922. Tho following milk records exceeded 10,0001b. within 365 days. Three cows gave'over 20,0001b: 56 between 15,0001b. and 20,0001b: 92 between 14,0001b. and 15,0001b; 198 between 13,0C01b. and 14,0001b; 458 between 12,00011). and 13,0001b; 1078 between 11,0001b. and 12,0001b; and 2179 between 10,000 and 11,0001b. During 1930 new Shorthorn records for both lactation period and 24 hour yields were established. The lactation period record now stands to tho credit of an eieht-year-old roan cow, which produced in 365 days 26,358£1b. milk, improving on tho previous highest record by 21811b. The 24-hours' record was raised to by a ten-year-old cow, which oil three occasions reached tho record yield of 11311b. in 24 hours, and it took her only 213 days to attain the 20,0001b. mark.

A pedigreo cow completed licr fourth lactation, exceeding 20,0001 hj., being the only Shorthorn in an English herd which has so far accomplished this performance. This snper-producer has now to hor credit the following exceptional records in successive lactations: —22,6so3ll"). in 326 days, in 285 days, in 251 days, and 23,0561b. in 365 days. These figures prove the remarkable milk-yielding ability of the Dairy Shorthorn.