SEMI-OFFICIAL TESTING.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume V, Issue 1, 15 July 1912, Page 39

SEMI-OFFICIAL TESTING.

D. Cuddie.

One of the most gratifying developments of the dairy industry of late years has been the importation and breeding of purebred cattle. Large sums of money have been spent in bringing to this country typical specimens of the well-known dairy breeds, including males and females of Jersey, Holstein,- and Ayrshire stock. These importations are still going on, and many first-class animals have, reached the Dominion to maintain and improve the already fair standard of our stock, some of which were bred from animals previously imported by enterprising breeders in the days when dairying was a business of insignificant dimensions. -':/" •. ' ; . ?

With the advancement’ of yield-testing of crossbred cows and a keener desire on the part of . dairy-farmers to obtain ’ higher returns an improved demand has been created for purebred sires whose dams are of high milking-capacity. In fact, many dairy-farmers all over New Zealand now realize the importance of using no other bulls than those of a purebred strain. '

There are now many deep-milking cows amongst the popular breeds ; and some of the owners of these animals have complete records of the milk and butter-fat production of their stock. But notwithstanding the fact that these records may be quite accurate and dependable, both buyers and sellers of pedigree animals are prepared to acknowledge that it would be mutually beneficial to them to have the production of their best stock checked by some independent authority. All breeders recognize that pedigree does not always mean performance, and the compilation of duly authenticated milk-records will therefore tend to popularize the particular breeds concerned, ’ safeguard the . dairyfarmer against the purchase of the wrong class of animals, facilitate the sale of stock between the breeders themselves, and probably pave the way for a remunerative export trade in purebred dairy cattle.

This matter was recently brought under the. notice of many ‘ owners of purebred dairy cattle of the various breeds, most of whom agreed that semi-official records of performance would prove beneficial to all concerned. . '

Mr. W. M. Singleton, Assistant Director of the Dairy-produce Division, drew up a basis on which the work might ■be undertaken, for the consideration of the associations of registered purebred dairy cattle, and this was placed . before the Ayrshire, and Holstein-Friesian Associations at their annual meetings . held in Palmerston North during the course of the recent National Dairy Show. The subject was fully

discussed by the writer with those in attendance, and the Holstein breeders agreed to adopt the system as set out.

The following rules, which have been drawn up to govern the semiofficial testing of purebred dairy cows, ’ will give an indication of the lines on which it is proposed to carry, out the work: —

Rules for the Semi-official Testing of Purebred Dairy Cows.

1. The Department will assist in the semi-official testing of only such cows as are properly, and duly registered in the New Zealand Herd-book of the breed to which they belong. 2. When a breeder desires to have a cow tested for a semi-official record he must intimate his desire to the secretary of his Breeders’ Association. ; 3. It will be the duty of the secretary of the Breeders’ Association to see that such cow or cows is [are] duly registered, and to notify the Department of the owner’s wish a fortnight prior to the date of calving of the particular cow or cows, and to state that such cow or cows is [are] eligible. , 4. Every cow, in order to qualify for a semi-official record, must drop a calf within fifteen months of the commencement of her test; and no four-year-old or mature cow can be accepted for test unless she has dropped a calf within fifteen months of the commencement of the test. -

. 5. The owner will agree to weigh or cause to be weighed each and every milking of the cow during her lactation period. Record blanks for this purpose will be supplied by the Department. Within a week after the end of the month, the owner shall forward an ink copy, of this record to the Director of Dairy-produce, Wellington. 6. If a weighing of milk be inadvertently or otherwise missed this space shall not be filled in by the owner, but must be left blank and an explanation forwarded, so that the . particular space may be filled in by the Department, when the cow will be credited with what is considered to be the correct figures. 7. The inspecting officer of the Department is to have the right at any time to visit the. farm on which a cow is under test. He shall take the weights and samples of four consecutive milkings as nearly ,as possible every, month. This sample shall be kept under lock and key or sealed between. milkings. The sample of milk will be tested for butter-fat: by a departmental officer, and the monthly fat-production of the cow will be estimated by taking the total weight of milk for the month from the owner’s sheet and the butter-fat test of the composite sample of the four milkings. .. . 8. The owner shall at the end of the lactation period or test forward a report of the yearly: production of milk taken from the monthly records on a form supplied by the Department, and shall make affidavit before a Justice, of the Peace that this is true and correct. ? ■ ■■

' 9. The annual production will be obtained by totalling the production of pounds milk - and butter-fat for each month during one lactation period, and not exceeding twelve months. .. , ' . . 10. During the period of the departmental officer’s visit to the farm for checking and sampling purposes, not more than one cow under inspection shall be milked at one time. •. / 11. The names of heifers and cows which produce up to the minimum pounds of milk and pounds butter-fat required by their class will be given a semi-official record. ■ ~ k. .-... * Classes. - x.. * Cows under three years old shall be . classed as two-year-olds; cows from three to four years old shall be classed as three-year-olds; cows from four to five years old shall be classed as four-year-olds; cows five years old and over shall be classed as mature. .y-'/ . ■ •• /../• Yield of Butter-fat required for Semi-official Record. For Holsteins. Lb. Fat. If two years old at the commencement of the test, 240’5 ‘ . If three „ „ 277’0 If four „ „ 313’5 ■ If mature . 1 „ „ 350’0 A heifer starting a test on the day when she is two years old, or before that date, shall give the amount of butter-fat required for a two-year-old. Tor every day she is over two years old she shall give o’llb. of fat more. This increase will be required until when as a cow five years old she shall give the requirement for a mature cow.