NETHERTON AYRSHIRES AND HERD-TESTING.

Otago Witness, Issue 3334, 6 February 1918, Page 8

NETHERTON AYRSHIRES AND HERD-TESTING.

The Netherton Ayrshire annual sale of pedigree Ayrshire stock invariably evokes keen interest among Ayrshire breeders the world over. Netherton is situated on the main road between Glasgow and Kilmarnock, and the dispersal at auction of 23 head of bull calves of famous ancestry makes history in the breed. Interest is centred in the fact that all these bulls have been tuberculin-tested successfully, particular attention being drawn to the statement that the sires of the young bulls offered "are out'of cows giving over 1000 gallons per annum. The sires which have been used in the herd vouch for the standard quality and breeding of the various youngsters to be offered (says the iNorth British Agriculturist). At the head of the list stands Howie's Sir Hugh (9026), a bull which has won all the honours open to an Ayrshire. The sire of a large number is Holehouse Sunrise (11044) a son of Holehouse Sir Thomas, which has for sire Nethercraig Silver Crest, which in turn was from a- daughter of the noted Not Likely. Holehouse Sun-, rise in a bull which shows grand milkyielding in his ancestry. Another of the sires is Netherton Dayspring (13814), the dam of which, Dallibble Showfiake, has a record of 1193 gallons of 3.95 per cent, butter-fat in 48 weeks. The first lot offered (states the Scottish Farmer) is out of a cow which gave in her first lactation period 902 gallons at 3.6 per cent, in 48 weeks. The second animal's dam in her first lactation gave a yield of 702 gallons at 3.97 per cent, in 47 weeks. Lot No. 3's dam recorded 1015 gallons at 3.56 per cent, in 52 weeks in her fourteenth year of age. The fourth animal to be offered is out of Torr's Betty, who ha 6 a milk record of 1158 gallons at 3.67 per' cent, in 48 weeks. And so it goes on—the sires descendant from dams of great milk-yield-ing capacity and the dams of the present lot of calves under review all great yieldere. Yields ranging from 700 gallons to well -over 1000 gallons in the year are the terms in which buyers at Home like to see dairy cattle described, with, of course, as high a percentage of butterfat as possible. The value of herd-testing is too little appreciated by our dairy farmers generally, and we would emphasis© the importance paid to it at Home. The sale will be over ere this is in print, but / the writer will be surprised if the prices realised are not on a very high level indeed. Some of the animals sold we may be able to reproduce in the Otago Witness later, with particulars as to prices realised. Attention is drawn to the sale merely on account of the importance attached to milking pedigree in a bull. Something can be done in feeding dairy cows generously to increase the yearly output of butter-fat, but it is a mistaken idea held by some people that the butterfat test can be affected for long periods by feeding a well-conditioned cow some extra rich food. A number of costly and elaborate experiments have been made in different sections to feed fat into milk (reports Field and Farm). With few exceptions the experimenters have arrived at tho same conclusions—that the fat in milk depends more on the individuality and quality breeding of the cow, apd can only be slightly altered .by the feeding. Any increase in the fat in milk arising from feeding rations rich in fat will continue only from. four to 14 days, after which the cow gradually falls back to her normal standard of fat although the richer ration is continued. The rise in the percentage of fat in milk, as well as the length of time it takes to come back to the normal standard, depends on the adaptability of the animal to accumulate flesh. There will be little difference in the richness of the milk, and 10 days will cover the period of variation; but while neither rich nor excessive feeding will continue to maintain a higher standard, it must not be supposed that poor feeding will pay, and it is all right to feed liberally. The value of cow-testing associations should be furthered in season and out of season by the responsible officials of the Department of Agriculture. In 1917 there were 455 active coAv-testing associations in the United States. This is a 30 per cent, increase over the number operating the previous year. These associations' are located in 34 different States, and include 11,720 herds, totalling 211,966 cows. In Wisconsin alone are 81 associations, testing 2387 herds, with a total of 39,334 cows.