Herd Improvement Through Breeding: Lecture To Thornton Young Farmers

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 2, 28 November 1947, Page 5

Herd Improvement Through Breeding: Lecture To Thornton Young Farmers

Mr H. Gilmore of the Bay of Plenty and East Coast Herd Improvement Association gave a very interesting lantern lecture by a series of slides collectively entitled “Herd Improvement Through Breeding”, to this month’s meeting of the Thornton Young Farmers’ Club. He explained that factory returns indicate that the average production is 2451bs of butterfat per cow. This figure did not mean very much as some cows may be producing as much as 400 or 5001bs while others may be producing only 2001bs or less. This information could only be obtained by testing. By having the cows tested, a farmer was eliminating guesswork by being supplied with figures indicating the , exact ability of his individual cows, determining- the merit of his sires, etc. and was able to increase the proportion of high producing cows in his herd. At this part in the lecture, Mr Gilmore said that it was possible for two V.H.C, cows, producing the same amount of milk, to have a difference in their butterfat production of over lOOOlbs.

That breeding did influence production was illustrated by experiments with identical twins at Ruakura, Mr Gilmore said. Furthermore it was just as important to look for good production qualities in the bull as it was to breed from a good cow. Points to aim at were sound butterfat producing qualities, fertility, resistance to disease and length of working life. Facts indicated that a cow’s production may not be an indication of its breeding ability, also that the average bull did not improve production the sire is 20 times as important as the cow in breeding, as'during his lifetime 10 to 50 heifer calves are reared compared with 2 or 3 heifer calves from the average cow.

The sire determined the herd average in ten years time, as it took five years to determine whether he would improve the herd or otherwise. He should be mated as a yearling to 25 heifers or small cows to be reasonably sure of 10 to 12 heifer calves whose quality will determine the breeding ability. In selecting a bull it must be remembered that there was no relationship between outward appearance and breeding ability. His ancestors and relations must be carefully considered. This factor was so important, that in Denmark when judging a bull, it was done in the absence of the bull himself. Instead, a certain number of his daughters were judged.

A further slide showed that according to the Sire Survey a total of 31 per cent of bulls improved production, 29 per cent maintained, and 40 per cent lowered it, for all ranges of butterfat production groups. In other words, on an average of all butterfat producing ranges an average of 40 per cent of the bulls actually lowered production. Another point stressed was the importance of individual' calf identification. A sire could be surveyed only if his progeny had been individually identified. Finally, Mr Gilmore gave this advice to bull buyers: To improve the chances of securing a herd improver select a bull from a breeder whose herd average is higher than your own. Select from a family possessing qualities you desire. If you can’t get a good proven sire get a son of a good proven bull from a line of proved female producers. The female line should contained L.M.R. and I.M.R. cows.