Stud Cattle Breeders’ Page.

Southland Times, Issue 20615, 13 October 1928, Page 15 (Supplement)

Stud Cattle Breeders’ Page.

WORLD’S AYRSHIRE RECORD I

OFFICIAL HERD TEST

OFFICIAL HERD TEST

PUREBRED DAIRY COWS.

SURVEY OF FIRST SEASON’S WORK. In the current issue of the New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Mr. W. M. Singleton, Director of the Dairy Division of the Department reviews the first season’s work of the official herd-testing system as follows ; The official herd-test has now’ completed its first year of operation, and an examination of the year’s results reveals some interesting features. The support accorded the scheme has been gratifying, and sufficient to signify that it has met with the approval of the majority of our Certificate-of-Record testing breeders. All new ventures experience a share of adverse criticism, and all constructive criticism is always appreciated. It is pleasing to be able to state that breeders as a whole have found very little fault w’ith the O.H.T. rules, and that some have submitted suggestions of a helpful nature. At the height of the 1927-28 season the number of cows on official herd-test was approximately 1,550. For summarizing purposes, however, it has been found necessary to consider July 31, 1928 as the close of the season, all cows which had completed their 305-day test at that date, or had been previously dried off or withdrawn, being included in the summary. Needless to say, however, some later-calving cows had not completed their testing-period at that date, and consequently are omitted from this survey. From a summarizing point of view the official herd-testing presents much the same difficulties as the ordinary herd-testing, inasmuch as cows are withdrawn at varying stages of the lactation period of ten months permitted by the rules governing the test. C.O.R. cow r s are, of course, classified on the basis of certificates gained, but with the O.H.T. there are no requirements in this connection. A study of the year’s results suggests that a classification on the basis of all cows on test six months — 180 days or more—is perhaps most fairly representative of the position, and this demarcation has therefore been adopted as the principal basis of summarizing. As persons interested in the O.H.T. are aware, the system is, broadly speaking, confined to registered purebred dairy cows. In one or two instances, however, and subject to special circumstances, the O.H.T. has been extended to the testing of a few cows other than registered purebreds. In the accompanying tables cows other than purebreds have been omitted. It may be stated for general information, however, that eighty-seven grade cows were included in the herds on which this summary is compiled. Table 1, which is computed on the basis of all cows on test 180 days or more, and, as with all tables in this survey, is complete to July 31, 1928, provides an indication of the general position regarding the number of O.H.T. cows tested during the season.

In connection with this table it may be mentioned that although the total number of cows appears as 1,127, there were 133 cows withdrawn or finished up prior to the 180 days, thus making a total of 1,260 cows. Had this table been based on cows on test 100 days or more the number would have been 1,207, indicating that 80 cows dropped out between 100 and 180 days. On the other hand, some 164 cows had not concluded their testing-period at July 31 and some 126 grades have also to be considered, so that the maximum number of cows on test in any one month during the year was, as previously stated,

Table 2 which also includes all cow's tested 180 days or more during the period under review, shows the average production for each breed, and for all cows combined. This table is self-explanatory, but some interesting comparisons are provided by certain other figures which have been taken out. An average compiled on the 100-day basis, as used for ordinary dairy-herd testing, gives a result of 274.421 b butterfat in 259 days, which compares favourably with an average yield of 240.481 b in 236 days for all cows on heed test in New Zealand in 1926-27. Then again, if the O.H.T. cows are summarized to include only those which milked seven months or more it is found that the average yield is 290.231 b butterfat. While the O.H.T. average yield may not be as high as some have expected, the fact must not be lost sight of that the system has been made made use of to try out untested cows rather than animals specially selected for the purpose of making high records. Moreover, the shortness of the average lactation period must also be borne in mind. The average C.O.R. cow in 1927 gave 469.561 b butterfat.

It will be observed that the margin between the highest and lowest average yields is in most instances considerable, but it will also be apparent that where the differences are most marked the actual average yield variation is largely accounted for by the difference in average days on test. It may be mentioned that the highest Friesian herd included is that of the Agriculture Department’s Central Development Farm, at Weraroa. The highest Red Poll herd is also that of the same farm. Table 4 summarizes the highest and lowest individual cow for each breed.

When the length of lactation period is taken into consideration it must be admitted that this table records some creditable yields. In fairness it should be stated that the lowest yields for the Friesian, Milking Shorthorn, and Ayrshire breeds were two-year-olds. Nevertheless, despite this fact, the yield shows considerable room for improvement. It may also be mentioned that the leading cows for the Friesian and Red Polls breeds are from the Central Development Farm. Table 5 provides a more detailed classification of production. In this tabulation the various breeds participating in the O. H.T. are subdivided acording to age. Table 5. Jersey.

This table reveals features common to most classifications of the kind. For instance, the most heavily represented classes are the two year-old and the mature. Then again, the four-year-old class is in all cases a weak one numerically. It will be observed that with the majority of the breeds the production trend from the lowest-age class to the highest is a normal one, although the Jerseys and the Milking Shorthorns are exceptions. With each of the latter breeds the production for the average mature cow is lower than that for the average four-year-old. In the Milking Shorthorns the three-year-old and four-year-old classes are sparsely represented, and possibly the influence of individual records is considerable This, however, can scarcely apply to the Jerseys, and there is no apparent explanation beyond the fact that the mature class appears to have been a somewhat weak one in comparison with the other classes for this breed. A further table shows that two cows averaged between 50 and 100 lbs butterfat, 58 from 100 to 150 lbs, 135 from 150 to 200, 194 from 200 to 250, 278 from 250 to 300, 232 from 300 to 350, 134 from 350 to 400, 67 from 400 to 450, 16 from 450 to 500, seven from 500 to 550, three from 550 to 6001bs, and one from 600 to 6501b5.

important one, because it indicates clearly where the cows which are lowering the average lie. As to be expected, the most heavily represented classes are those round about the average yield, and particularly where the average itself falls. One or two interesting comparisons are relevant here. In the first place, if we take for a basis the production of the average New Zealand cow for last year—namely, 2001 b butterfat—we find that 932 of the cows under review equalled or exceeded that production. Moving a step further, and taking as a basis last year’s average ordinary herd-tested cow, with 240.481 b butterfat, we find that over 800 of these O.H.T. cows exceeded that yield. The highest number of cows placed under O.H.T. in any one herd was fifty-nine; the lowest one. For the period under review there were altogether one hundred and eight herds on official herd-test out of a maximum of approximately two-hundred on certifi-cate-of-record test. At the peak of the year there was an average of 3.2. C.O.R. cows per C.O.R. breeder, as compared with 3.4 for the previous year, so that when all influencing factors are taken into consideration, the O.H.T. apparently has not adversely affected C.O.R. entries. We are now launched on the 1928-29 season, and prospects for O.H.T. entries are satisfactory. Breeders appear to be realizing that this system has been instituted for their benefit, and that it'must ultimately result in improvement of our dairy herds. IN EXTREME CLIMES SUCCESS OF RED POLLS. An agricultural writer in the Natal Mercury, who has been detailing his own experiences with Red Poll cattle, in the course of an interesting review in which he features the value of dual-purposefulness, makes this interesting announcement. “To my mind the biggest unpublished advertisement the breed has ever had happened in the Free State during a very severe drought. It was asked to get some cattle as near fat as it was possible to obtain stock . After searching most of the country, the only animals I could get were Red Poll steers. They had never been fed but carried three times the condition of any other breed or cross—Sussex exeepted—but including pure Afrikanders. Of all the cattle, numbering many thousands, I saw some of the ‘ranched’ dairy breeds, particularly tried grades, were in a deplorable state. Any cattle with deep red coats appear to be particularly successful in hot climates. On the other hand, they are well known to endure the severe climate of Canada and Alaska as well as most other breeds.” Ayshire cattle are very consistent breeders. Even heavy production at the milk pail does not interfere with their reproductive capacity. A notable case is presented by the cow Millantae Mayflower, of London Dairy Show’ fame. Recently she calved twin calves —a bull and heifer—for the second time in succession, and the third time in all. At ten years old she has produced eleven calves. Guernsey herds on the island now number about 6000 head of all ages, and of these about 3000 are cows in milk. Allowing for a certain number to replenish stocks, there is an exportable surplus of about 700 to 800 annually. About one-half of these go to England, where the demand is rapidly increasing, and the remainder go mainly to the United States, although there is a call for a few to all parts of the world. The United States is now exporting many Guernseys to New Zealand, Australia, Japan, the West Indies and the islands of the Pacific,

WORLD’S RECORD

MILK AND BUTTERFAT. BROKEN BY NELLIE OSBORNE. Another world’s Ayrshire record has been made, or rather two world’s records have been broken by one cow —Nellie Osborne of Elm Shade 16th.-71910-bred and owned by W. C. Wylie, Elm Shade Farm, Howick, Que. By producing 27,1981bs milk, 12571bs fat in 365 days (from August 16, 1927 to August 14, 1928), she beat the record of Garclaugh May Mischief, the Ayrshire world’s champion milk producer by 1,869 lbs milk and of Betsy Wylie, the Ayrshire world’s champion butterfat producer by 154 lbs fat. For the benefit of our new members and readers we may state that Nellie Osborne has already a number of spectacular production records to her credit and that she sprang into prominence in November 1924 by finishing up a 365 day record of 22,566 lbs milk, 901 lbs iat. This made her Canadian record holder for both milk and fat, and entitled her to rank as the fifth highest milk producer and the third highest Ayrshire fat producer in the world. She was then 6 years old, but prior to that, had made an unofficial three year old record of over 10,543 lbs of 4.6 per cent milk and an official four year old record of 10,557 lbs milk, 444 lbs fat in 282 days and under ordinary farm conditions. Not content with this, however, she came back again as a seven year old and gave 21,241 lbs milk, 909 lbs fat, average test 4.28 per cent in 305 days and then went on and completed her 365 days with a total production of 23,223 lbs milk, 1003 lbs fat, average test 4.32 per cent. This latter achievement once more put her in the position of being Canadian champion for both milk and butterfat production and also gave her the lead over Briery Lass, who had for a short time replaced her in that position, by 1188 lbs milk and. 24 lbs fat. Moreover, her Honor Roll or 305 day record had made her Ayrshire world’s champion for both milk and fat and that by a margin of 2,975 lbs milk, 171 lbs fat. She also broke all former Ayrshire world’s records for butterfat and by virtue of that record became the first lOOOlbs Ayrshire butterfat producer. Further this latter record and her previous record gave her an average for the two lactation periods of 22,8951bs milk, 952 lbs fat and constituted another world’s record. It was then decided that she had done her part and was therefore deserving of a long rest from efforts to make further high records and so during her next year’s lactation period she was only milked three times a day for 62 days and the remainder of the time twice a day. During the months of July and August of that year, however, she gave a total of 4,321 lbs milk and finished up her record in 343 days with 15,587 lbs of 4.05 per cent milk. However, when she freshened in August, 1927, three months later, she was in such good condition and fit that it was decided to give her another try at showing what she could do. She was put on four milkings a day and the result was the spectacular record quoted below and the beating of the long standing record held by Garclaugh May Mischief as world’s champion Ayrshire milk producer and the regaining from Rosebank Pride the Canadian milk championship and from Betsy Wylie the world’s Ayrshire butterfat championship. Nellie Osborne’s production figures month by month.

During the period of this test Nellie Osborne was tested on 12 different occasions by Inspectors of the Record of Performance, Dominion Department of Agriculture, and the above figures were given- out by C. 8. Wood, Chief Inspector of R. O. P. Breeding counts they say, and whilst the care which Herdsman Tom Bott has given her and the feed he has fed her under Mr Wylie’s superintendence (for Mr Bott has given- her his personal attention all through the test) counts for a great deal one must needs give credit to her ancestry as well and to Mr W. C. Wylie and his late father, Wm. Wylie, for their judgment in selecting the sires which figure at the top of her pedigree. The late Wm. Wylie carried on a herd of Ayrshires on Elm Shade Farm the old Wylie homestead, which is but a short distance from Glen Elm Farm of W. C. Wy. lie, for upwards of 40 years and was, they tell me, a man who knew his Ayrshire full well and who carried on a definite breeding plan- in his own quiet and unostentatious way. Just as his son, W. C., is now doing in his own day. He made several notable importations from Scotland which did much towards the furtherance of the Ayrshire breed in Canada and in the pedigree of Nellie Osborne 16th there figures Duke of Clarence of Barcheskie, Imp., a bull selected in Scotland by him and the late Robert Ness, Sr., of Howick, Que., also White Glen of Holehouse imported by Mr Wylie. Nellie Osborne 16th., however, descends through her great dam Nellie Osborne of Barneide -8507-, whom the late Mr Wylie purchased at the Dan Drummond sale of 1899, to the celebrated Nellie Osborne, Imp.-5358- champion at the Chicago World’s Fair.

Nellie Osborne of Burnside was herself a noted first and champion prize winner at the leading fairs of her day and, mated to Duke of Clarence of Barcheskie, Imp., added Nellie Osborne sth of Elm Shade to the herd.

The latter was in turn mated to Wee MacGregor of Elm Shade and the result was Nellie Osborne 9th of Elm Shade, the dam of Nellie Osborne of Elm Shade 16. Incidentally this mating also made Nellie Osborne 9th a double grand daughter of Nellie Osborne Imp. This because the sire of Wee MacGregor was a son of that well known sire of his day Uncle Sam of Trout River who in turn was a son of Nellie Osborne, Imp. On the sire aide Nellie Osborne 16th traces through her sire Burnside Langemarck Masterpiece -46650- to Hobsland Masterpiece, Imp on the male side and through Burnside Sensiers Lucky Girl, her sire’s dam to Morton Mains Sensier, Imp. Barcheskie King’s Own, Imp. and other noted animals.

Hobsland Masterpiece has at least 30 qualified progeny with 44 records and holds the distinction of being the only bull in the world that has qualified in the Advanced Registry in three countries. Burnside Sensier’s Lucky Girl had herself a splendid record to her credit and came from a long line of high producing high testing cows which made their records on twice a day mflkings and under ordinary conditions,

Morton Mains Sensier has 6 qualified progeny with 7 records and Barcheskie King’s Own has 18 qualified progeny with 24 records to her credit. Nellie’s Production figures in 6 years. R. O. P.

Total 109,674 *4237 ♦The total fat production made cannot accurately be given since she was only tested three or four times during this period. However, the average of these tests was 4.6 per cent. PROMISING THREE-YEAR-OLDS TWO GOOD PERFORMANCES. FRIESIANS’ RECORDS. Two excellent performances during the 1927-8 season stand to the credit of the pedigree Friesians, Bainfield Sylvia Princess 2nd and Livingstone Lady Wakalona, who have just completed records of over 7001 b fat, under semi-official test, as three-year-olds, says the New Zealand Farmer. Bainfield Sylvia Princess 2nd is owned by the Piri Land Co., and was tested in their Totara Park stud of pedigree Friesians at Orini, Taupiri, where she made 19,621./lb milk and 736.871 b fat. What is more, she calved 20 days after finishing test, and should be Dominion gold medallist in her class for this year. Bainfield Sylvia Princess 2n(Fs monthly

Bred by Mr W. D. Hunt, Bainfield Sylvia Princess 2nd is an aristocrat as far as • breeding is concerned. Her sire—he is now in the same herd as his daughter —is the ' renowned Rosevale King Sylvia, who is de- : scribed as the most prepotent bull in New | Zealand. Rosevale King Sylvia is a son | of the world’s champion “long distance” j cow, Burkeyje Sylvia Posch (imp.), 9831 b : fat in one year, and although he is now over 13 years of age, is still in active service in the Totara Park stud. He has sired 14 C.O.R. daughters in New Zealand, including three with records over 8001bs fat, and 5 daughters in Australia, while his sons and grandsons are leaving remarkably high producers all over the country. The dam of Bainfield Sylvia Princess 2nd is Westmere • Netherland Princess, who has a record of I 878.611 b fat, and who is a daughter of the ; ' imported bull, Woodcrest Pietje Pontiac ; (who has 10 daughters in New Zealand, in- i eluding 2 with records over 8001 b fat, and • , also 14 daughters in Australia, including two with records of 986 and 9331 b fat as , four-year-olds), and of Westmere Princess Pietertje, who holds the junior four-year-old . for all breeds in New Zealand with 939.781 b i fat. It will therefore be seen that Bainfield ■ Sylvia Princess 2nd is the last word as far j as breeding is concerned, and she is proving j herself to be a producer. Livingstone Lady Wakalona was tested j by her breeder, Mr W. J. Eames, of Hunter- | ville, and she produced 724.601 b fat from ' ; 18,302.31 b milk. She is descended from i American blood on all sides, and is a double ■ i descendant of the noted Canary Paul Fobes i \ Homestead, as well as being descended from the famous De Koi strain through every c ancestor. This strain is to be found in the pedigree of a very large percentage of the world’s record holders. The sire of Livingstone Lady Wakalona is Lakeside Canary Paul 2nd, who sired Livingstone Lady Mierlo, 7961 b fat at four years, and is a son of Canary Paul Fobes Oak and Pontiac Burke De Koi. Both these parents were imported and are rich in the De Koi blood. The dam of Livingstone Lady Wakalona is Livingstone Princess Mary, a daughter of Marquis Piebe De Koi, who is descended from the famous Sarcastis Lad, who is described as one of the outstanding animals of the breed and the nearest approach to the True Type that is known. The maternal grand-dam was Kainga Pai Kingsbrook Princess (Dominion Netherland Prince —Princess of Kingsbrook) whose parents are > of the Homestead and De Koi families.

about 1,550, Table I. Number of Number of Breed Jersey Friesian Ayrshire .. Milking Shorthorn Red Poll .. .. Breeders .. .. 73 . .. 20 .. .. 2 .... 5 .. .. 2 Cows 605 376 65 53 28 Totals .. 102 1,127

Table 2. Average Yield for Season. No. of Average cows days in ButterBreed. . Milk Milk fat. lb. Ib. Jersey .. • 605 274 5,709.9 7,526.8 305.79 Friesian .. . 376 263 264.29 Ayrshire .. Milking .. 65 253 5,712.6 232.02 Shorthorn .. 53 252 5,646.9 228.64 Red Poll . 28 283 6,254.1 267.18 All Cows 1,127 268 6,326.8 283.10 In Table are given particulars of the highest and lowest individual herd yields within each breed. This table is also based on the 180-day minimum. Table 3. Highest Herd. Lowest Herd. No. Avg. No. Avg. of Avg. Butterof Avg. Buttercows, days fat cows days fat Breed. lb. lb. Jersey 4 305 514.71 2 257 197.79 Friesian 16 290 361.33 38 220 192.65 Ayrshire 27 265 255.39 38 245 215.41 Milking Shorthorn 6 283 288.87 5 219 205.62 Red Poll 24 285 277.13 4 268 207.45

Table 4. Jersey .. ... Highest Cow Days Butterfat 305 603.60 Lowest Cow Days Butterfat 211 95.03 Friesian .. .. 305 560.53 194 106.94 Ayrshire .. .. 305 398.79 225 107.84 Milking Shorthorn .. .. 305 419.29 199 120.68 Red Poll .. . 305 447.52 254 144.82

Average Yield for Season. Class. Avg. No. of days in Buttercows milk Milk fat. Two-year-old lb. lb. and under. 219 275 5,094.8 274.32 Three-year-old 117 273 5,914.5 322.34 Four-year-old 97 277 6,206.1 331.85 Mature 172 270 6,062.5 319.23 Friesian. Two-year 121 257 6,005.1 213.78 Three-year 73 261 7,586.2 260.87 Four-year 58 272 8,363.2 292.79 Mature 124 268 8,609.7 302.24 Ayrshire. Two-year 24 235 4,192.9 169.70 Three-year 15 258 6,061.5 234.57 Four-year 6 243 6,009.0 243.07 Mature 20 274 7,435.5 301.56 Milking Shorthorn. Two-year 25 252 4,589.2 191.39 Three-year 6 255 6,890.2 280.86 Four-year 4 296 6,604.8 274.44 Mature 18 252 6,359.5 250.56 Red Poll. Two-year 3 281 5,233.4 225.04 Three-year 8 280 5,372.3 230.51 Four-year 4 296 6,924.5 297.23 Mature 13 281 6,924.5 297.23

Month Lbs. Milk Lbs. Fat. January, 1928 .. .. .. 2502.4 130.12 February, 1928 .. .. .. 2249.3 111.14 March, 1928 .. 2283.9 109.63 April, 1928 .. 2099.8 100.79 Mav, 1928 .. 2013.0 90.85 June 1928 .. 1828.4 78.01 July, 1928 .. 1785.5 83.90 August 1-14 1928 .. . .. 773.3 37.12 August 16-31 1927 .. .. 1075.4 47.32 September, 1927 .. . .. 2717.0 112.76 October, 1927 .. .. .. 2772.1 115.64 November, 1927 .. 117.66 December, 1927 .. .. , .. 2539.7 122.26 Total .. .. .. 27197.7 1257.20

Numljer Age Milk Fat % Days Unofficial 3 years 10,543 ♦ 4.60 305 392 A 4 years 10,557 444 4.21 282 2516 6 years 22,566 901 3.90 365 2856 7 years 23,223 1003 4.32 365 3517 8 years 15,587 632 4.05 343 9 years 27,198 1257 4.62 365

figures are as under: Test. Fat. Lbs. Milk. Lbs. July (24 days) 1333.8 3.99 53.21 August . . . 1969.7 3.81 75.04 September . . 1854.1 3.63 67.30 October . . . 2014.4 3.24 65.26 November . . 1891.6 3.94 74.52 December . . 1837.8 3.60 66.16 January . . 1620.8 3.56 57.70 February . . 1415.8 3.73 52.80 March . . • 1460.5 3.71 54.18 April . . . 1426.0 3.65 52.04 May . . . . 1360.7 4.04 54.97 June . . . . 1203.4 4.42 53.19 July (7 days) 233.1 4.42 10.30 19,621.7 av. 3.755% 736.87