IN-BREEDING FOR MILK

Stratford Evening Post, Volume II, Issue 240, 11 May 1933, Page 2

IN-BREEDING FOR MILK

An in-breeding experiment has recently been carried out at Senle- | Hayne Agricultural College with Foreman II!.. the well knowu dairy cow. This cow, which i.s not a pedigree South Devon, has been extremely successful at shows, especially at the London dairy show in 1928. She has also bred regularly every year, and the year before last was the first South Devon cow to give, over 2000 gallons in the lactation period. The experiment took the form of crossing her with her own son, and the result has produced a strong bull calf, born last July. Her next call wi.il' also be of similar breeding, and it will be interesting to see whether the milking propensities of the dam will be particularly evident hi these two examples of in-breeding. Value of Thrice Milking The college has also carried out some experiments comparing twice milking with three times milking, and conclusions arrived ai ■■■ r v<'- that there was generally about a 10 per cent,, increase in cow's milked three times a day. Since this experiment we have milked all our cows thrice daily, ex cept for those giving less than about two gallons. The, milk records obtained by the college herd have been very satisi'ae tory, and in the South Devon Milk Recording Society competitions of which the results were published last December, this herd has not only the heaviest milking cow with 1747.6 gallons but also the three best cows in a herd with 1019.5 gallons average, the best large herd with 1144.5 gallons average, and the best first-calving heifer with 1300 gallons, which latter includes heifer bonus.