DUAL PURPOSE CATTLE

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4467, 21 September 1901, Page 6 (Supplement)

DUAL PURPOSE CATTLE

In a recent article in the “Field” on arttle breeding, the improvement ot the 'general herds of the country is ably dealt, with. The beef breeds Of British cattle are of such great exceilehce 'and so admirably adapted to the conditions iof life in districts that the stock; farmer has but little difficulty in making a selection, as . long as his purpose is'to cultivate: any one function in the animals he intends; to raise. It is when the farmer desires to uroduoe cows that will give good returns in the dairy and steers that will realise good prices iu the store cattle market that the problem become s , difficult to solve. The best of all dual purpose cattle are the milking families of the shorthorn breed and the red polls. Outside of these, it is usual tp have recourse to cross breeding. Cross-breed-ing for milk, and beef is a. comparatively new branch of rural industry, and is not yet thoroughly understood. If the calves are raised to be •old »s calves it is plain sailing. A sire of any one of the most puitable.of the beef breeds will serve; the purpose, but if the heifers are destined v itb take their , plfwse; in the dairy herd; it is-another, matter. To carry on the bilking faculty in the herd it is absolutely necessary that the bill! no matter of what breed—should be of a good milking family; for it is a wellknown fact that the milking quality is more surely inherited through! he sire l than it is through th© dam. Wheti it is sought to raise dual purpose cattle Sires from the milking strains of shorthorn ..and red.poll breeds will be found to answer all. requirements,, but. other breeds have occasionally been used with advantage. '“Bruin” h»s known excellent ’results ’.follow;, the . introduction of Devon and sWest Highland. hulls into a milking, herd, hut in both instances the bulls came of milking families. - The cross-bred heifers gave not only a large ..quantity:, of milk, but it was extremely rich in.butter fat, and the steers of both' crosses were excellent. The writer in ' the “Field” ■ makes , th* following statement on the. subject of crossing to;produce dual purpose cattle: —“lt cannot bo too widely, or -.well known that merely by the simple expedient of employing a bull of a beef breed the revenue from the dairy;, herd may be substantially increased without the .sacrifice of a pound of milk.” . That is'not our * experience in Australia. I have known a<herd of ’ very .bjgh-claja milking shorthorns seriously by the • use of a .well-bred shorthorn bull that,oame from.a poor milking family. The writer of- the article . referred to gives -an ■ illustration in support of his statement,-in the visit of the-British Dairy- Farmers’ Association to thefarm of Mr John - Speir, near Glasgow. Mr Speir kept Ayrshire cows, but as the calves, by, a .bull of the breed; were of little value,,.he > adopted ,th*'Blan of using an. Aberdeen Angus hill. The pure; Ayrshire' calves usually sold, at 10s each at ten days old, while the; crossbred calves’ by. -polled Angus' bulla -.: at the same age realised from 90s to ‘ 50s: In'this case apparently no female* were Wept to take the plate of their-dams.in the dairy.