EFFICIENT MILKING.

Southland Times, Issue 19464, 31 January 1925, Page 13

EFFICIENT MILKING.

UDDER MANIPULATION. INCREASING THE YIELD. Tn his book •‘How to Feed the Dairy Cow,” Mr Van Pelt makes reference to the method of udder manipulation practised with different herds in different countries. He says: “The results of the experiments show conclusively that it is profitable to manipulate the udddfs methodically of all cows at every milking, and very apparently it is absolutely essential in order to secure more than 28 per cent, of the production certain cows are capable of making. So fully is this recognised in Denmark, which country is noted because of the large average production secured from the cows, that oneweek short courses are held for the specific purpose of teaching how cows should be milked. Women, boys, and girls attend these short courses by the thousands, because they are the ones who do most of the milking in Demark. The result is that, instead of being considered a necessary task and irksome duty, milking there is considered a most honourable mission, and those who milk cows pride themselves in doing so efficiently, scientifically, even artistically. Education in milking cows, which is so generally given in Denmark, accounts largely for the “extra production.” It is pointed out that the manipulation can be done by rubbing and applying pressure to the different quarters. Pressure should be applied gently and yet be sufficient to massage thoroughly the entire udder, which stimulates the glands to further action and causes a secretion of additional milk. Some may say this takes too much time, but if the aim is to get all the cow will produce and to stimulate persistent production, anything which a person can do is not time wasted. From the viewpoint cf udder troubles. Mr Van Pelt says: “As a rule, the majority of udder troubles are due to inefficient milking. Blind quarters, uneven and unbalanced udders, as well as those diminutive in size, are caused by careless, haphazard milking. Very seldom indeed do udder’ troubles occur when cows are thoroughly milked and the udders massaged twice or oftener a day. As a matter of fact, it is well known that the best treatment that can be afforded an udder troubled with garget or other infection is thorough massaging and frequent and thorough milking.” It is just possible that the average milker does not take pains enough to extract all the milk, or to stimulate further production. When the cows are on test the milker spares no effort to extract the last drop, but it is possible by proper massaging more and richer milk could be obtained. It would seem that this is very important in order that the milk flow be kept up during the lactation. It is just possible that many heifers are ruined through careless milking, and others never give the amount they are capable of. owing to the failure of the milker to completely empty the udder or stimulate further production by massaging. It may take a little time, but if it is going to give a larger and richer milk yield, and make a more persistent milker of the heifer, surely it is time well spent. I NIFORMITY IN WOOL. POINTS FOR FLOCK MASTERS. The increase in the price of wool realised during the present season emphasises in the strongest possible manner the necessity of the wocl-grower adopting every possible means of increasing the uniformity of his fleece and the eradication therefrom of all that which depreciates its market value. The result of the sales that have been held confirm to a very marked extent the greater value of the more even fleece. How is it possible to secure this desirable fleece ? This is a query which many a flock-master will ask. It is a matter of patience, care and close attention. The first essential is to go through the flock systematically, drafting out ail those ewes which have uneven fleeces, more particularly those that have coarse breech wool tending almost to hair, and also every sheep, no matter how’ good in other pointe it may be, that has kemp intermixed with the wcol. Haring thus thoroughly and systematically gone through the fleeces of his ewes, the selected sires must be of equal merit in that respect. Herein lies one of the values of pedigree sfock; the selected sire, if it has a full individual pedigree, both of its sire and dam, can be valued more nearly at its full worth, provided the purchaser can ascertain the quality and quantity of fleece of its sires and dams. Like produces like, sires and dams with uneven fleeces produce uneven fleeces, and the same result fellows tho«e that have uniform and even fleeces, i