GOOD HERD AVERAGE

Te Aroha News, Volume XLI, Issue 6599, 14 May 1925, Page 8

GOOD HERD AVERAGE

314.57L8 FAT FOR LARGE HERD It was stated recently in these columns (says the Matamata Record) that the herd of Mr J. Smylie, of Matamata, had an average for the season 1923-24 of 2851 b of butter-fat. In compiling this average an error was made in taking the figures on butter-fat supplied during the glaxo season, from the beginning of September to the end of March, without the addition of the butter-fat supplied during the other portions of the dairy season. The glaxo season supply totalled 18,247.691 b, and the total for the whole dairying season 20,447.451 b, which, with a total of 65 cows, makes a herd average of 314.571 b. Mr Smylie is milking 76 cows this season, and has 60 under test, the latter averaging over 3001 b of fat for the present season. However, he does not expect the factory average to be as good as the previous season’s. The reason he gives for this is because he has, grown no turnips or green feed for his stock.

According to . testing returns his April herd average was 231 b of fat, and the average test 5.1, the highest test being 7.8 for a cow which is credited with 411.121 bof fat for 262 days, and 37.441 b for the month. The best cow in the herd has given 509.08 lb of fat on 247 days, the April test showing a test of 5.1 and butter-fat totalling 32.891 b. An interesting summary of the herd’s performance to the end of April is as follows: Number giving over 5001 b fat, 1; over 4001 b, 2; over 3501 b, 10; over 3001 b, 23; over 2501 b, 11; others, 13. It will be seen that well over half the herd, three-fifths to be exact, have given over 3001 b of fat to the end of April.