HERD INFLUENCES

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20463, 1 April 1938, Page 9

HERD INFLUENCES

PRINCIPLES OUTLINED HEREDITY AND GENETICS (Special to Times.) „ PUTARURU, Thursday. The Influence or heredity and genetics in the herd was the subject or an address given by Mr A. H. Ward, technical officer or the herd recording department or the Dairy Board, Wellington, to members of the Putaruru branch or the Farmers’ Union. Low production, mastitis and sterility were responsible lor the replacement every year ol’ one-urth of the farmer's herd In almost equal proportion,” said Mr Ward. ‘‘The incidence ol' disease was greater when a farmer purchased his replacements than ir he bred his animals hlmseir.” In detailing the principles of breeding and genetics, the speaker said that disease was never direatly transmitted to the offspring, only a predisposition or tendency. In mastitis, statistics showed that only 2 6 per cent or daughters or clean dams became infected, while In the case of daughters of Jnrected dams 61 per cent were infected. If a farmer desired to reduce mamitis in Ills herd by 33 1-3 per cent he had to breed from clean dams. Documentary evidence should be demanded of the cleanliness of a dam and Its lifetime production. The progeny or some bulls were clean and some were not, so that pedigree herds should be placed under continual tests to show records.