MILK PRODUCTION

Waipa Post, Volume 32, Issue 1785, 22 July 1926, Page 7

MILK PRODUCTION

.'Several interesting problems of the dairy world were ably dealt with in an address entitled “Some Problems in Milk Production” by Dr. €. W. Edwards, consultant to the British Friesian Society, before a well-attended meeting of the Reading branch of the National Farmers’ Union, Mr W. C. T. iHissey, presiding. There were, said the speaker, many problems associated with milk production and they were difficult ones. The econofic factor was the most important consideration for the dairy* farmer, and what they had to try to do was to produce a quantity of good milk and sell it at a price which would yield them a satisfactory profit. To do this three’things were necesteary—a herd of good cows, good land and the best buildings possible, and good management. The backbone of the proper solution was to breed a good herd, of high average producing cows. They could not buy them—they must build them, being sure that they had thoroughly good foundation cows and good bulls bred from that foundation. The bull was of much more than half the herd, and the success achieved in milk production depended, upon the bull they were going to make use of. The cows should be recorded and tubercular free, for that meant higher milk prices and immunity from troubles which they might otherwise get. Good buildings were essential, and it was highly important that the cows should be given plenty of fresh air and! sunlight, for they were nature’s remedy for disealse germs of every kind. Another point to be remembered was that they should always have plenty of water in front of their cows. It was not expensive, and, it meant a difference of 10 per cent, to 15 per cent, in the amount of milk they got out of the herd.

They must also see to it that the cows were contented, for contented cows filled cans.’ Cows should be fed economically, and it should be borne in mind that it cost no more to keep alive a 1300 gallon cow than it did a 300 gallon animal. As to the yield, 800 gallon's was the very minimum to give any return at all, and if they could get a herd giving 1000 gallons it was possible for them, to make a sufficient profit. Of course, the only way to get high-producing cows was to breed them, and it was a mistake, he thought, for the farmer who wanted, to make a living out of dairying to breed a dualpurpose animal.

As regards the market, the N.F.U. Publicity Council might help the industry a little more than they had done. They told the public to drink more milk, butt they should also impress upon them tile importance of drinking more quality milk, and tell them, too, that dried milk had not the virtuefe claimed for it. More should be done to enlighten the public on the value of graded milk as an article of food, ancl also the nourishing quality of cheese.