BAY OF PLENTY DAIRY FARMERS ARE RAPIDLY REALISING THE VALUE OF HERD TESTING: FIGURES PROVE THIS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 74, 26 July 1950, Page 5

BAY OF PLENTY DAIRY FARMERS ARE RAPIDLY REALISING THE VALUE OF HERD TESTING: FIGURES PROVE THIS

(By W. H. Mandeno, Consulting Officer N.Z. Dairy Board, Whakatane) Dairy herd improvement in Denmark is sometimes used as an example of the application of Herd Testing. Figures for the Bay of Plenty show that local dairy farmers are rapidly realising the value of this service. For the main factories the percentages of cows tested by the co-operative Group Herd Testing movement is around 30-35 per cent with no less than 40 per cent in the case of the Rangitaiki Plains Company. There are, of course, also a few cows tested by factories themselves and the Government systems.- * About 50 per cent of Danish cows are tested so it can fairly be claimed that in the Bay of Plenty our farmers are alive to the possibilities of increased production through testing. Next year the local association will be testing 1020 per cent more cows than last year.

Whereas in earlier days the whole •of the interest in testing was centred on total lactation production it is now common to find farmers just a's interested in monthly sheets. They certainly have great value as a check on milking efficiency and

I nowadays are wasted on some grade farmers. This in no way deters the Herd Recording Department from offering to the dairy industry as a whole services of a standard fit for the most discriminating stud breeder. It is of interest to see that other organisations realise the value of these services—to the extent that many are being copied such as the useful shed sheets offered by a tractor company.

health of stock After a few months

it is possible to forecast comparas' tive levels for mature cows, but not till the finish of the season can a farmer be sure of the persistency of a heifer. This important factor (which seems to be largely inherited) is one that often turns a mediocre spring producer into one of the leaders. However, the New Zealand practice of giving all cows access to the same feed rules out the low producer as ah economic member of the herd. When there is plenty of / grass about it might seem obvious .to hold on to all cows no matter how low their production. This, however, is a very debatable point ,and can be justified only as a very short term policy. The basis of all

successful dairying, is the provision of adequate feed reserves and a poor cow is making less value from her feed than if the grass were ensiled and fed later to good cows. T f the feed can be held as grass the „ comparison is weighted further towards culling the low producer. Monthly Records After the normal monthly records •giving evening and morning mi l sc, test, and cumulative totals of fa + days and milk factor etc. the new final sheets present a clear position of the years production. The calf tattooing service is fundamental to all herd improvement and - tewer farmers these days are interested in keeping calves year :after year without a record of their

parentage. Thus in the folder for «ach year is the detailed record of production, any causes 'for abnormal lactation, and details of culling ' made. Then there should be posted an the back of the folder the Allocation Sheets recording the official serial tat*too numbers with parentage for all calves kept. It would be surprising if such a comprehensive service did not cost something. Indeed the actual cost j has been rising along with all other ■costs, but it is to the credit of the farmer co-operative organisation that the relative cost compared +j | butterfat payout has remained stable. This is largely due to the fact that Group Herd Testing is a

:self-supporting organisation. There . is indeed a benefit accrueing from standardisation throughout thacountry from licensing by the N.Z. Dairy Board, but basically the system is one that has grown through co-operation by the farmers. Many people consider that the grants to Herd Improvement Asso ciations by the Dairy Board Herd

Recording Department act in the j Way of subsidies. Apart from the i •small amount paid to help the testing of small herds there is no subsidy. The Herd Recording Department requires a very considerable amount of data for production o£ statistical analyses on behalf of the industry and this is paid for by “clerical grants.” The organisation of this Herd Recording Department has been set up tp . help the industry generally There are- then many services ir connection with the Herd Testing - movement. The official identification of calves has now reached the stage when practically all testing farmers. aVail themselves of the service. Sire Surveying k Sire surveying is largely based on this* calf identification as well as the official! identification by '-.he various pedigree breed societies. All sires with enough officially tattooed stock are then automatically I under survey with the Group H.T. system. Assistance with breeding, feeding and managemental problems is available from the Consulting Officers who are attached to the various Herd Improvement Association areas. Another typical example of service is the designing of the new final sheets for testing farmers—who are well acquainted with the ■ - Shed Sheets issued. These will make for very easy reference to ail useful details—even in herds where . lactations are very greatly varied. It may be that services offered j