Government Official Herd-Testing of Purebred Dairy Cows

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 60, Issue 2, 15 February 1940, Page 114

Government Official Herd-Testing of Purebred Dairy Cows

Summary of the 1938-39 Season's Work

Contributed by the DAIRY DIVISION.

r T" I HE unseasonable spring of 1938, I following the severe winter of that year, caused a decrease in Certi-ficate-of-Record entries for last season, and entries for Government Official Herd-Testing, which is an adjunct of the C.O.R. system, were therefore lower. ' All things considered, however, the position may be regarded as very satisfactory, inasmuch as cows tested under the Government O.H.T. system for the year ended September 30, 1939, totalled 2,111, a decrease, of only 73 cows over the previous year’s total of 2,184. Since the system was introduced

12 years ago, 23,098 statements of seasonal production have been issued, which represents a yearly average of 1,924 cows. During the season under review cows were tested by 178 breeders, as compared with 203 breeders for the year ended September 30, 1938. It is therefore obvious that there has been an increase in the average number. of cows entered by each testing breeder, although a somewhat marked falling off in the number of breeders who supported the system. During the peak month of the season 237 breeders were testing cows under the Certificate-of-Record test, indicat-

ing that 75 per cent, of our testing breeders made entries in the Government Official Herd-Test. The 23,098 statements issued represent 15,790 different cows, 7,308 of which have been tested more than once, while several have been tested nine times or more. The production tables appearing in this survey are based on all cows on test for 180 days (six months) or more, the Government Official Herd-Test. being a 305-day (10 months) test. In addition to the registered purebreds, 29 grade cows were tested by special arrangement, compared with 37 during the previous season. These, and 174

purebreds on test for less than 180 days, are not included in the table. To enable comparison, the following figures relating to average butterfat production for the various cow-testing systems in operation in the Dominion are given: The average of cows on group and association herd-test for the 1938-39 season, based on all cows in milk 100 days or more, was 232.001 b. fat in 240 days. On the same basis, the Government Official Herd-Test average was 296.681 b. fat in 266 days, the Certificate-of-Record 305-day Test average was 454.981 b. fat in 299 days, and the Certificate-of-Record 365-day Test average 504.701 b. fat in 340 days.

Standard Specification for Pollard

THE New Zealand standard specification for pollard, published by the Standards Institute and developed by a representative committee with the concurrence of all affected parties, is designed to meet the wishes of users and the desires of the millers by providing , a medium for determining the quality of pollard. The specification stipulates a maximum crude fibre content and a degree of fineness, with methods for mechanical and chemical analyses to verify these factors. To the user it is an instrument for specifying purchases of pollard to a desired quality. To the miller or supplier it is an instrument whereby he can satisfy himself that a given order will meet the requirements of the purchaser. Copies of the specification (N.Z.S.S. 274) can be obtained from the New Zealand Standards Institute, Hamilton Chambers, 201 Lambton Quay, Wellington, Cl. Price 2/- nett, post free 2/3d.

* Not represented. t Totals do not agree, as one breeder tested more than one breed.

* Not represented. t Totals do hot agree as two breeders tested more than one breed.

Breed. Number of Breeders. Number of Cows. Average Yied for Season: Days. Milk. Butterfat. - ?. ' ’ . ■ Number of Breeders. Number of , Cows. Average Yie d for Season: Days. . Milk. Butterfat. Season 1937-38, lb. lb. Jersey : . . . . 176 1,527 280 6,117.9 331.93 . Friesian . . 20 362 276 9,050.2 . 323.86 Milking Shorthorn . 6 : 58 271 6,489.9 273.88 Ayrshire . . . 2 <■ 39 282 7,649.4 350.45 Red Poll . . k * , * * Guernsey ... Shorthorn .. 176 20 6 2 * 1,527 362 58 39 280 276 271 282 lb. 6.117.9 9,050.2 6.489.9 7,649.4 * lb. 331.93 323.86 273.88 350.45 * * . . * ’ -k Totals & averages 2031 1,986 279 6,693.3 329.13

Season 1938-39 Jersey .. 149 1,457 273 5,611,5 303.47 Friesian . . 21 . ' 360 269 8,497.5 307.19 Milking Shorthorn . 7 44 245 6,066.1 257.28 Ayrshire . . . 3 47 . 275 7,434.7 322.39 Red Poll * * * * * Guernsey . . * * * * . * Shorthorn 149 21 7 3 * * 1,457 360 44 47 * 273 269 245 275 * * 5.611.5 8.497.5 6,066.1 7,434.7 * 303.47 307.19 257.28 322.39 .■ * * * '. * ’ Totals & average. 1 178f 1,908 272 6,211.5 303.57

Table 1-.Official Herd-Testing in Past Two Seasons on Basis of all Cows on Test for 180 Days or More.

Season 1937-38. Season 1938-39. Class. . CQ <D © bio ■ © bn t r CQ o © £ CJO © CD © cjO rQ O cS c<3 03 Q O £ « SO 5 rM Ss So © gO © © > £ > 0 go © > pl ■ ■So ■ CM Zo CM CM Jersey— lb. lb. lb. ib. lb. Two-year-old and under 585 280 5,475.6 297.79 579 271 • 4,882.8 263.81 Three years 331 278 6,149.0 334.89 279 273 5,762.3 312.32 Four years . . . 229 285 6,597.2 360.30 198 278 6,365.5 349.92 Mature . . 382 280 6,787.2 364.65 401 274 6,186.6 331.65 Friesian — Two-year-old and under 78 281 7,289.4 270.22 104 269 6,952.9 259,31 Three years 75 275 8,841.2 314.32 53 276 8,543.5 315.12 Four years . . 64 272 9,205.8 323.75 56 273 8,991.9 322.66 Mature . . . 145 276 10,036.8 357.70 ■ 147 265 9,385.4 332.32 Milking-Shorthorn - Two-year-old and under 22 279 5,514.1 232.59 9 255 4,928.5 210.17. Three years 11 275 6,447.7 264.52 12 231 5,516.3 238.96 Four years . . 8 267 7,231.7 305.37 12 240 6,041.8 258.90 Mature . . ’ . 17 260 7,431.0 318.56 11 257 7,623.1 313.12 Ayrshire— Two-year-old and under 10 ' 271 5,885.0 271.58 13 274 6,772.4 285.05 Three years . . . . 6 293 7,423.1 330.79 6 266 7,190.3 298.69 Four years 4 301 9,266.5 430.81 4 288 7,983.0 367.73 Mature ' 19 281 8,309.0 381.24 24 276 7,763.1 340.98

Table 2.—Average Production in Classes and Breeds for all Official Herd-Test Cows.