THE COW-TESTING ASSOCIATIONS.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume II, Issue 2, 15 February 1911, Page 88

THE COW-TESTING ASSOCIATIONS.

PROGRESS NOTES.

[By

W. M. Singleton,

Assistant Director, Dairy-produce Division.]

The four cow-testing associations established under the auspices of the Department have been running smoothly since the beginning of the dairying season. In all, the records of some 3,745 cows are being compiled. The members get a return which shows what each cow in his herd produces in a thirty-day period, and the return further shows what each cow has to her credit from the date of calving to the end of the period covered by the return.

The season has furnished, during the period under review, an abundance of feed in most of the districts where cow-testing work is being carried on, and good cows have produced well. Although some dairy farms are carrying rather much stock to enable the good cows to do their best work, a number of farmers, on the other hand, have found themselves with insufficient stock to keep the pastures in the best condition for producing milk. Grass has gone to seed, has become dry and fibrous, and when such is the case it is not sufficiently succulent to prove as palatable as it should be for dairy cows. Under such conditions cows must be of special-purpose dairy tendency to prevent their putting fat on their frame instead of milk in the bucket.

The range of variation in production is large, and not only does this .apply to individual cows, but it applies to herd-averages for each period as well. For four periods totalling 120 days, the production of the best herd of these four associations is 4,645 lb. milk and 180-64 lb. fat. The average production of the poorest herd for the corresponding period is 2,621 lb. milk and 96-65 lb. fat. This is a wide variation, and indicates that poor cows are being kept, for even in the poor herds there are some fair cows which help the average, and would produce exceedingly well with better feed and care. The average cow of all four associations for 120 days produced 3,643 lb. milk and 132-38 lb. fat. In the first test, —

At Dalefield, 22 cows of best herd produced as much as 38 of worst herd. At Stratford, 20 „ 41 „ i At Cambridge, 25 „ 42 „ , At Kaupokonui, 21 , „ .45 ~

Each successive test has confirmed such variations as these. It shows that in the poorest herds, speaking approximately, two cows are being fed and milked for the total butter-fat produced by one cow in the best herds. 'The gross return of the poorer cows is only one-half, but the net return will

be much less, as the total charges for two cows must be deducted from the gross returns in one case, whereas those of only one cow are to be deducted in the other case.

It will be admitted that the yields of the herds vary considerably, and there is, of course, some grounds for expecting certain variations in this respect. Some of this variation is due to the variable percentage of heifers in the herd. Some of it is also due to the pasturage. However, the condition of the pastures as well as the quality of the cows reflects to a great extent on the farmer who has been in' charge of them for some time. A good man may get possession of a farm which requires much improvement, and for a time results, as determined by the production of the cows, may not be a true criterion of his ability as a dairy-farmer. However, some farmers under such circumstances have, by devoting their attention to getting a portion of the farm in good condition, been able to make solid progress and do good work from an early date. Some of our best records for the average cow of the herd have come from such farms.

The real difference between individual cows is not so well disclosed in herd-averages, where at times many circumstances must be taken into consideration, as it is when comparing the production of cows of approximately the same age in the same herd which are getting the same kind of feed and attention. A few figures will illustrate what variations occur even in a portion of the season. These will evidence wider variation at the end of the lactation period.

Figures such as these must appeal to dairymen. In the first herd it will be noted that the owner milked one cow 204 days for milk of a money value of only £5 18s. 3d., whereas another cow in the same herd was milked only 143 days for milk valued at £9 10s. 3d. —sixty-one days, or 122 milkings, less, and still more money to the extent of £3 12s. Further, the better cow has been milking only about one-half her total, period. She will have much more to her credit at the end of the season. Both cows are at an age when they should be at their best, and both are in the same herd. ’

All these figures disclose wide variations, and many farmers have already culled out some of their cows which have proved themselves failures. Members using the information relative to their herds can easily ascertain which cows should be culled out, and which should be the mothers of the heifers reared for the replenishing of the herds. The culling is easily accomplished by.-any. vice, who can understand figures ; but the replenishing of . the herd in such a way as to increase the average production each year is work which, requires greater capacity, on the part of the dairyman. The herds of dairy cows -at present producing milk might be made to do better work under present conditions. ' Pure-bred sires from good milk-ing-strains are no doubt a necessity in raising the productive capacity of a herd to the highest level, but much can be done by good feeding and kindness, and regular milking-hours. The herds with the highest average are those in which the'individual cows are quiet, having nothing to fear. We have not been-among a herd of dairy cows with an average production amongst the highest of the associations in which the cows are not quiet, and without fear of those who milked or handled them. If the average dairyfarmer could be persuaded to feed his cows well and handle them quietly much better results would be obtained, and the dairyman would gain financially. When dairymen generally come to realize this, one of the fundamental points which underlie herd improvement will have been gained. Without it even the best-bred dairy cows will not be the success which may be expected. ‘

Herd Ho. Age. Days in Milk. Milk. Pat. Value at lid. per Pound. Pounds Pat per Day. 1 Years. 7 204 lb. 3,339 lb. 128-99 £ 5 s. 18 d. 3 0-632 1 7 143 4,846 207-57 9 10 3 1-45 2 11 115 4,255 169-66 7 15 6 1-48 11 107 2,764 96-78 4 8 8 0-90 Q 10 143 6,361 216-93 9 18 10 1-52 O 11 147 3,634 141-00 6 9 3 0-96 A 10 140 5,730 230-67 10 11 5 1-65 ~k 8 146 4,307 145-78 6 13 7 1-00 8 147 4,297 235-99 10 16 3 1 61 D 9 148 3,202 120-39 5 10 4 0-81 A 4 142 4,463 158-03 7 4 10 111 0 4 143 3,280 119-24 5 9 3 083