DAIRY SEASON NOW DRAWING TO ITS CLOSE WILL PROBABLY BREAK ALL PRODUCTION RECORDS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 84, 9 May 1949, Page 5

DAIRY SEASON NOW DRAWING TO ITS CLOSE WILL PROBABLY BREAK ALL PRODUCTION RECORDS

Good Farming Year

(By W. H. Mandeno, Consulting Officer, N.Z. Dairy Board, Bay of Plenty.

Now that the 48/49 season is drawing to its close many farmers will be wondering how to maintain the high production ex. perienced this year. Although many fai’mers have had better seasons, this will probably be a record for New Zealand and the Bay of Plenty. High production is very desirable since it is the basis of the dairyman’s income.

With penicillin reducing losses through mastitis there are only exceptional cases where the normal supply of heifers is not more than sufficient to balance • the wastage which has occurred during the year through diseases of various kinds. It is therefore that culling at the end of this season will depend more than usual on the farmer’s estimate of each cow’s worth. It is .perhaps fortunate that cows know little of their futures. How many good producers will be sent to the works this year dug, to their unprepossessing appearance! Farmers starting to test are sometimes asked to grade their herds according to production of butterfat. The frequency of really glaring errors in judgment makes it obvious that many good cows are actually culled from untested herds. The loss occasioned by this inaccurate culling would alone pay for testing fees, but much more is possible with the individual details provided for each cow.

Tested for 1 year alone 2501bs fat. It may be noted that the year 46/47 is taken. It is not surprising that in the previous year—a drought season—the differences were far greater. Some farmers do not test because of the cost. They are unable to see that for the outlay of 4-5 pounds of fat per cow the average per cow production tends to rise by 10-401bs. Further they fail to see that in the midst of rocketting prices the fees for herd testing have been maintained throughout the country at a level which still represents the same amount of fat as it did prior to the war.

“30 Day Fat” Especially where the owner does not milk, the monthly returns can be used for an analysis of the response to milking technique employed in the shed as well as to changes in feeding. It is important that the various details presented should be examined. Evening and morning milk weights and test, all require scrutinising as well as the end result —the “30 day fat.” The comparison of monthly herd average with that of ,preceeding months and with that of the corresponding month in previous yealrs is a valuable guide to the utilisation of feed and necessity for provision of adequate supplements. Although comparison with other herds is not of any particular value unless full details are known, a farmer can derive benefit from a knowledge of' how his herd stands- in relation to the , district average. This will give a guide as to whether improvement is necessary in feeding A striking .point to note is the way in which cows that are persistent willy overhaul their mates in the autumn returns. Persistency*’ is a valuable attribute of a cow and should be carefully watched. A season provides ample evidence of the way. in which a good cow will maintain economic production until she is able to pick up when the rains come. There are of course many indirect advantages from'testing and a good summary of these is contained in the report of the Royal Commission on Dairying in 1934. “Herd Testing” is recognised as one of the most progressive movements for increasing the efficiency of dairy herds, and of dairyfarra management. It creates an intelli■gent interest, shared by the farmer, his family, and employees, in each animal in the herd: raises butterfat production per cow, and per acre, thereby reducing costs of production: and provides a check at monthly intervals on the efficiency of milkers, cows', feeding, season and farm and herd management. It is the basis of constructive cow selection and herd replacement, and disclosures to finance institutions and other/ lenders the comparative efficiency ’of individual production units on the : dairy farm. It is, therefore, a movement which is worthy of the greatest commendation. Benefits of Testing

Since the Group movement became associated with the Herd Recording Department of the Dairy Board the records of individual cows have assumed a greater significance because of the information they can supply in determining the breeding quality of various sires used in the herd. By testing the first crop of daughters of a bull, farmers are able through Sire Survey to anticipate the variation in quality of their herds. With a good proven bull it can be expected that for the next eight years or so the herd will gradually rise in production. Fortunately for New Zealand the demand for testing is increasing. When Denmark with nearly half her dairymen testing their cows each year can outstrip ffhe average production of New Zealand cows with only one-fifth being tested—■ by over 501bs per cow—it would seem that a national effort should be made to increase the number of herds tested. It is to its credit that the Group Herd Testing movement has grown as a self-supporting and independant organisation. It is particularly a tribute to farmer members who realise that what is good for them will also react to the benefit of New Zealand as a whole. Rules .Are Important

It should be stressed that the mere fact of testing one’s herd does not necessarily result in increased production. The benefits of testing are only for those who are interested enough to take note of the figures provided. This applies particularly to members who- continuously test their herds. Whereas leading farmers stress the importance of lifetime records in their building up of high producing herds it is too often suggested that • testing once in a while is sufficient.

The difference in average production of herds in the Bay of Plenty-East Coast Herd Improvement Association area which have been tested in 1946/47 season production has been averaged for those completing ten or more years of continuous testing, completing between five and nine years continuous testing, and those who tested neither in 45/46 or 47/48. Tested for 10 or more years 292 lbs fat.

Tested for 5-9 years 26 libs fat

Having decided to test and retest one’s cows it is important to know the rules which enable uniform conditions of testing to operate throughout the country. Those are contained in a booklet available from the Herd Improvement Association. It will be seen that proper identification is one of the important prerequisites to testing and it is advised that early application be made to have this done before the cows go dry. Whether to test under the Group System or under the direction of the Department of Agriculture is the concern only of the pedigree breeder. It should, however, be pointed out that to comply with the desires of the Breed Societies a “Special Pedigree Group Herd Test” service is available to pedigree breeders requiring such a test. It does not greatly matter whether the herd is tested by a Government official or by an employee of a farmer-controlled organisation. What is important is that every member of the herd should be tested every year and that the information thus obtained should be put to practical use in tackling the problems associated with better breeding, feeding, and management of the dairy herd. .