STATE HERO-TESTING.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 110, 30 June 1911, Page 7

STATE HERO-TESTING.

THE WORK IN QUEENSLAND. FIRST SIX MONTHS’ RESULTS. Cow-testing by the Queensland Agricultural Department on behalf of dairy farmers is thus referred to in the ‘report of the'Government Dairy Expert, the results being for the first si:: months’ operations:— The work was commenced among the dairies in portion of the West Morotou district in October last, and in that locality M 3 dairymen submitted their herds for testing in accordance with the conditions .(stipulated, by this department. The number of milch cows submitted foT testing! is shown as 8J75. The number of compositc milk samples tested is shown as -1;!20. The highest average yield of milk per diem for a herd,; “20.'lib. ; the lowest avci ag • y ieklof milk, .per diem foi ice: cl 5. db; lowest (tverc.gr, yield of milk nor diem for a herd, 10.21 b.; til3 highest average yield commercial bimer per' diem for a herd, 1.081 b.; the lowest average yield commercial butter per diem tor a herd, 0.231 b. ; the lowest average yield commercial butter per diem for a nor I, 0.061 b; the 'of a herd, 5.1 per cent.; the lowest butter fat content of the milk of a herd, 8.2 per cent. In comparing the earning capacity with the most and least satisfactory herd, it will be seen that taking the . herds of, say., 80 cows each,and commercial Irnttgr at an average price of iAI per 1D for six months, t.'edidst herd earns £2lB 14s. gross, and blilif in-' different earns £OB gross) while the average herd earns £IBB grdis. .‘ In other words, the best herd’s,earnings’ are over 10 per cent, greater!-than tiro earnings of the average and i least nouumeralivo herds taken together. If the comparison were extended over, a full period of lactation, the disparity in the earning power of the best and worst herd would be infinitely greater, but I have made a comparison,jover a period agreeing with the,length of tiie “herd testing” operations. A glance at these early results of “herd testing” cannot other than impress dairymen of the fallacy of utilising animals of low productive qualifications. The best herds Can be further improved and made more pro-, dactive while the herds below them' in productiveness should lie promptly “culled,” and the general standard of productiveness materially increased. The purebred sire descended from a family' noted for its deep milking and high productive qualities should. certainly be brought into greater demand and prominence by the early results that have reached light by the work of the herd testing officer. The work of the herd tfcstiffg l officer does not end at the costing of the milk of the Herds for the ; butter-fat contents ; in addition an analysis of. the milks iii the various districts is made, and the percentage; of. solids, not fat in the mdk is ascertained. .The average solids not. fat contained in the milks arc, well the standard, or B.o),per cent., aim of 91 samples of ynill-canalysed 8-1 ( s ( amples are higher or .equal. to the. ‘ above standard, and seven samples were just under tiro "standard. The lowest solids not fat content of the 'sum Tiles analy sed bohVg $.2 per ccivtj I ,“while the average M'd mis not fat of the whole of the milks treated "is shown as 9.2 ; psr cent. It is, howpver, worthy' of ; mention ,tge hulks wore produced during the period ex-' tending over October to April, and when natural fodders were plentiful, therefore, : it Vroilld not bo surprising to see IntcH'kdWi'e diiiiiiiuti6'n J in the percentage of -jlblicls not faUThlit may ba contained 1 in klip milks, piitjfipiilari.y as the noii-filtky ! sobers are greatly iuiir.encocl by the amount and'Waft lire of the available, 'fodders for the milch cows during Tli'c time the samples are taken for analysis.