HERD TESTING

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 62, Issue 4422, 7 May 1941, Page 5

HERD TESTING

A RECORD ACHIEVED. TRAINING OF WOMEN. In the course of an interview, Mr C. M. Hume, the Dairy Board’s herd recording supervisor, stated that the number of herds—s3l7—under group test this season constituted a record. The record number of cows under test was 297,647 in the 1933-34 season, but it was anticipated that the figures for this season would approximate that record, and probably exceed it. WOMEN TESTING OFFICERS. A serious difficulty, fortunately foreseen before the present season commenced, said Mr Hume, was in obtaining a staff of testing officers in order that men called up for sersent 138 women had been trained as sent 138 women had ben trained as herd testers and a further 32 would be trained at Canterbury Agricultural College in May. At least 60 of those already trained had already found employment with the Herd Improvement Associations, and Mr Hume understood that with one or two exceptions their work was proving thoroughly satisfactory. They found their duties congenial and not too strenuous.

Six'Herd Improvement Associations were operating under license from the New Zealand Dairy Board, their management committees comprising representatives from the testing members and representatives nominated by dairy companies operating within the area served by the Herd Improvement Association. The Dairy Board would be advising dairy companies early in May as to the vacancies on the committees which would be filled after the next annual meetings. Last winter there were elections in two districts and the Board conducted the ballots on tonnage basis.

In touching on the calf-saving campaign, which was carried out last spring under the guidance of the Dairy Board, Mr Hume emphasised the fact that a worthwhile movement had been started. The idea was a little late in getting under way, but the experience gained had convinced him that the work was necessary and would ultimately be of definite benefit to the industry. HERD WASTAGE.

Mr Hume congratulated dairy companies, their secretaries and suppliers on the excellent response to the Board’s request for the number of cows milked on January 15. Al! would agree that the response not only exceeded expectations but was one of which the industry could be proud. Taken on a Dominion basis, the returns submitted would exceed 90 per cent. Factory secretaries still had some details to submit at the close of their factory year. A clarifying circular which had been prepared on points of adjustment would be despatched during the first week in may.

Herd wastage returns for the 1939-40 season again emphasised that the most important causes of wastage were:—

1. Low production, 33 per cent, of all wastage;

2. Mastitis, 24 per cent, of all wastage.

3. Sterility, 16 per cent, of all wast age.

These three problems represented practically 75 per cent, of the total wastage.

Low production was being attacked by the Herd Improvement Associations through testing of the cows and through survey of the sires. This is the Board’s problem. In regard to sterility detailed data was being collected through the Herd Improvement Associations from a large number of farmers and was already contributing to the investigation of sterility and to a definition of the conditions under which it occurred. Mastitis remained to be attacked and was the subject of a scheme for 1941-42. To the extent that management factors were responsible for a high or low incidence of mastitis, so could losses for mastitis be reduced if it were known what those factors were. Calf wastage also was receiving attention and a collection of initial data had resulted in an officer of the Live Stock Division being detailed to follow this up. SOLUTION OF PROBLEMS.

The whole function of collecting statistics on diseases in dairy cattle was one which was fundamental to the final solution of such problems as a whole. It must be clear to the majority of people that there must be a proper diagnosis before any specific remedies can be recommended for practical adoption. Consequently, the herd improvement organisations through their collection of data were attempting to define the conditions under which these losses were occurring so that the research people particularly could devote closer attention to those problems which were shown to be real practical difficulties in the field. The whole of the investigational work of the Department was intended to transfer the actual problem of the dairy farmer, as it existed under to-day’s conditions, to the laboratories ’ for solution. No other- organisation had the facilities nor the staff to carry out such a work without undue cost to the industry as a whole. In regard to mastitis, it was proposed to carry out a limited but detailed investigation next season. SIRE SURVEY WORK.

This all-important work, said Mr Hume, was steadily expanding and the figures already obtained emphasise in no uncertain way the necessity for more work being done in this direction; for instance, the figures for the past season showed clearly that in 430 surveys only one bull in four was capable of definitely improving on the qualities of the dams to which he was mated, and, roughly, 40 per cent, of those surveyed had lowered production. The two fundamental lessons to be learnt from sire survey work were:— 1. The necessity for keeping a bull until he is of an age to be proved and then determining whether he is an asset or a liability to the herd. 2. The exercise of much greater care by the dairy farmer in the selection of his next herd sire.

It had been definitely proved that sires could, on the average, be kept in use much longer than they were being kept at the present time.