FOOD AND THE MILK YIELD.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1297, 28 November 1911, Page 10

FOOD AND THE MILK YIELD.

A,V INTERESTING LECTURE. t .4 lecture by Mr. Cunningham, at Syd- j ney, oil "the influence of ibod upon the i milk -yield- vf. says the "The lield, very ,- much to the point on questions of higJi t importance" in the management of, dairy - herds. Much' depends upon the ieodtng ' of the animals, but neither the-quantity , nor -tlio Quality of t.lic raiion has tho s power' toinHupnco tho yield of milk c that is eoiuraoniy supposed. A cow may j have, her .milking properties disturbed by & imperfect or scanty (ceding through iii- J jury'to'her. health aud physical comfort, 6 but it cannot be too clearly recognised 0 tbatdeep.milking and the giving of rich i niilk are qualities inherent in tho. animal, and that if the cow does not possess UieiO properties naturally it is impossible to propagate them by feeding. The good milkers arc bred, and it is only through selection in breeding th.it niilk 7 iug capabilities can'lie cultivated as.at : fects both the quantity and quality of £ the yinld. There are"'farmrrs who hold that'the" ration directly affects the'retiirn of milk, but it .is remarkable that this vie«- hiiji not'been supported by any of the. uumeroHS experiments bearing upon tho point. Whatever offect feeding has uDon the .milk is indirect, and -is revealed through (ho health arid comfort of tho o cow. An improper understanding of the , relationship" of feeding and inherent properties often leads to loss-and waste. Up to .-t certain point a well-bred cow will - giro a profitable return for tho food consiimed;' trpyond that level she may be induced to so by ■ indulgence, but after tho natural limit of tho" animal has been reached flic return will be insufficient to recoup the cost at which it is obtained, i The investigations at tho Wyo and Armstronp' Colleges have "proved that (ho boimds-pf profitable feeding'are often exceeded,- and that the owners would bo better rewarded with the quantity of milk that is obtained without undue forcing.' The reMiß.is to-prove that the keeping of-milk records and tho building up of a herd on actual results are fundamental t principles in prp6t.-i.ble, dairy'farming. n