RED POLLS AND BUTTERFAT PRODUCTION

Waikato Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5155, 12 November 1912, Page 4

RED POLLS AND BUTTERFAT PRODUCTION

Norfolk RedPolls are among the best dual purpose breeds of cattle in the world, though many people no doubt look upon them as inclining too much to the beef aide. There are many fine herds in England, notably that owned by Lord Rothschild at Tring Park, and that of the Marchioness of Graham, at Easton Park, in Suffolk. The latter is a small herd and kept chiefly for the supply of milk and butter for the house, but it has a fine show record in milking competitions. One cow in the herd Retreat, has an exceptionally high milk record and though ten years old she gave last year 10,5451b of milk, and as much as 4171b in one week. Other cows in the herd have given over 80001b of milk. The butterfat records of these cow are not given, but information as to what Red Polls are capable of as butterfat producers is published in the Australasian in connection with the Victorian Government’s herd of Red Polls at Borsdale,’in Gippsland. One cow, Connecticut, gave a test of 4.2 to 4.6 in 1910-11, and in 1911-12 it ranged from 46 to 6.2 per cent. A stud hull has been made available to settlers’ cows on farms in the district. The plan has of selling the bull calves under a year oid at prices based on the preceding season’s butterfat return of the dam. For instance a cow returned 2401b of butter fat, which reckoned at Is per lb equals £l2 —the price realised for her bull calf. This is considered a fair basis for fixing the value of a bull intended for The value of a hull is in his potentiality for getting good milking heifers, and the hereditary influence in this direction possessed by the bull can probably he estimated to the extent of one-half at any rate by the yield ing capacity of tho dam. This basis cf sales seems likely to become popular, as last season’s crops of bull calves have met with ready sale under it. A yearling bull Vuelta’s Bon (Tabacum--Vuelta) has however been reserved from sale, notwithstanding a very tempting offer for him received from a breeder of Red Polls in New Zealand, after reading tho record of tho dam. Vuelta is a remarkable butterfat producer. In the season 1910-11 she gave 556J gallons of milk, returning 4051b of butterfat, value £l7 10s lOd, and in the past season she yielded 4851b of butterfat frara 775 gallons of miik, the money value being £26 5s 9d, butterfat being at a higher market price. Twelve cows this last season produced butterfat ranging in value per cow from £ll 15s 4d to £26 5s 9d, the tota l being £195 16s 2d, or an average of £l6 6s 4d per cow. These results show that Red Polls are profitable dairy cattle.