SALE OF DAIRY COWS.

Waikato Times, Volume 110, Issue 18406, 13 August 1931, Page 8

SALE OF DAIRY COWS.

BUYING AND SELLING FALLACIES. ADVANTAGES OF HERD-TESTING. “It is most unfortunate that the majority of our dairy farmers do not realise the advantages to be derived through the buying and selling of dairy cows on their group herdtesting figures,” says Mr Dynes Fulton, chairman of the New Zealand Co-operative Herd-Testing Association, in a statement to the Waikato Times. “It frequently happens at clearing sales that good butterfat producing cows which have proved themselves under group herd-testing only realise the same prices as much poorer producers from the same herd, simply because they are not sold on their test figures. ••Apart from the fact that the seller is not obtaining a fair and reasonable price for a good butterfat producer, the buyer is really quite in the dark when offering his bid, as it goes without saying that he cannot possibly distinguish between the ‘culls’ and the good producers on appearance only.

"In view of the low prices obtaining for our dairy produce, and the consequent necessity of increasing butterfat production per cow and per acre, one would naturally assume that farmers attending stock sales with the intention of purchasing dairycows would endeavour on every possible occasion to buy only good producers which are being sold on their testing figures, and It is regrettable to note that such is not the case. Protection Afforded. "My association always impresses on its members who are contemplating selling dairy cows the necessity of selling them with production cards in support of their butterfat production, and in the case of purchasers of dairy stock the desirability of buying the production card for the cow, and having the animal ‘thrown in.' Every protection is afforded the purchaser of a tested cow supported by her production card, as before the association will issue such cards it is necessary for the testing officer to tattoo, in a certain prescribed manner, every cow in the member's herd. The tattoo marks which are inserted in the cow’s left ear consist of a combination of letters and figures allotted by the association as the owner's registered mark, together with the cow’s number, according to the test sheets. The production card issued in respect of each cow sets out, inter alia, the name, breed, age, and calving date of the cow, herd book number if a pedigree cow) and the exact tattoo markings in the ear, together with the butterfat production for the number of days the cow has been in milk. Provision is made on the production card for the recording of any guarantee the owner may desire to supply in connection with the cow. In a Safe Position. "The purchaser of a tested cow is obviously in a very safe position, as. by checking up the actual tattoo markings in the cow's ear with those shown on the production card, he can be sure that the animal purchased is the one which has been sold to him as having produced a certain specified amount of butterfat. "it is to be hoped that dairy farmers will soon realise the advantages accruing through tested cows being sold with their production cards, as the service provided by my association in this respect affords protection to buyers and sellers of dairy cows.”