HERD TESTING RESULTS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4428, 16 June 1922, Page 3

HERD TESTING RESULTS.

MOTUMAOHO EXPERIENCES. As the result of some lectures on herd-testing given to the farmers af. Motumaoho by Mr. Wj. J. Byrne, of Paeroa, a herd-testing association was formed there last year. -At the annual meeting held recently some valuable information, was imparted to the members. Just on 1000 cows had ; been tested, and after paying for the whole of the necessary plant the association had a credit balance for its first year’s work. SUPERVISOR’S REMARKS. Mi:. W. J. Byrne, honorary supervisor Oif the Association, congratulated the Motumaoho people on their enterprise in inaugurating the herdtesting movement in the district He paid a tribute to the thorough work of the manager (Mr. Graham) and to the enthusiastic efforts of the hon. - secretary (Mr. W. F. Stark), to whom every credit was due for the organising work that had been done. Mr. Bytne said Mr. Graham had submitted a thorough, comprehensive report, but this contained top many details to give an intelligent impression to a meeting of the. Association’s work. The speaker bad gone through the report and had been able to adduce the foilowing striking information concerning the performances of cows being tested by the Association: FIVE WORST COWS'. Value

A SHORTHORN RECORD. Mr. Byrne remarked that he supposed some of the worst of the cows referred to would disgust their owners, who would send them into the MorrJnsville sale, where someone who diid not test would buy them. The cows had produced butter-fat which', based on Is per pound, was valued at from £4 9s to £3O 4s. The top cow, which had produced 604 Tb of butterfat in 290 days, was a Shorthorn, and if milked and tested for the whole period would undoubtedly have put up a magnificent record. Some of the cows had given less than %lb butterfat per day, while others had given 21b. AN INTERESTING ANALYSIS. Mr. Byrne gave the following interesting analysis of the herd-testing figures, showing the number of cows in the various butter-fat producing categories of the Association: Lb Butter-fat No. of Cows From 100 to 150 14 From 150 to 200 76 From 200 to 250 126 From 250 to 300 161 From 300 to 350 145 From 350 to 400 97 From 400 to 450 48 From 450 to 500 12 From 500 to 550 2 From 550 to 600 1 • From 600 to 650 1 TOO MANY “DUFFERS.” Mr. Byrne said he had not worked out what the average production per cow would be, but it was evident that there were too many “duffers” being ihilked. by some members of the Association. On the other hand there ■were some splendid cows being milked. It should be made dear that the details he had given concerned all the cows being tested by the Association and not only those at Motumaoho. One fact was evident. The average was far too low. Each member of the Association could work out the average of his herd for himself from the information supplied by the Association. Mr. Byrne added that he had received advice from Mr. W. M. Singleton, director of the dairy division o’. the Agricultural Department, to the effect that the production for New Zealand this season would take it all its time to average 1611 b of butter-fat per cow. It could be taken, therefore. that the average production was about 1601 b of butter-fat per cow. Mr. Byrne safd the figures supplied that night should make a strong appeal to all dairymen, and should induce those who were not testing to do so. Taking into account present costs, he considered that unless a cow produced 2001 b of butter-fat per annum it was hardly worth keeping. He thought all dairymen should make 200'b their, minimum. The standard of production must be raised to make dairying pay. BREEDS OF PRODUCERS. ' Asked what were the breeds of the various cows that were tested by the Association, Mr. Byrne said the returns gave only the breed of the herds. It could be taken that the breeds named predominated in the cows to which the production was attributed. As he had before stated, the cow which gave 6041 b of. butterfat was a Shorthorn. The cow whicti gave 891 b of butter-fat was described “just cow.” (Laughter.) A Jersey gave 5051 b, a Jersey-Friesian 3961 b, a Shorthorn-Jersey 3751 b, a Shbrt-horn-Friesian 3751 b, a Shorthorn-Jer-sey 4891 b, a Jersey-Shorthorn 3881 b, a Jersey 4'441b, a Jersey-Friesiap 3351 b, and a Shorthorn- Jersey 4671 b. SPECIAL FACTORS. Mr. Byrne said each farmer would have to judge all the circumstances for himself and make his own decistion as to which, cows should be kep,. The Association gave the information on which to base the value of each cow being tested. The speaker quoted from the Journal of Agriculture tor March, in which it was, pointed ou.t that all breeds of dairy cows

we'te capable of putting up fine but-ter-fat records. TYPE?. In answer to a question about the appearances of a milking cow Mr. Byine said that a first-prize winner at one Paeroa show had g ven 1281 b of butter-fat and a thirdrprize winner in the same class had given 5471 b. Appearances could not always be depended upon.

at Is per Butter-fat Days !b t utter-fat 891b 196 £4J 9/- . 931b 265 £4 13/1241b 234 £6 4/- ’ 1431b 203 £7 3/i ' 1511b 218 £7 11/TEN BEST COWS. Value at Is per Butter-fat Days lb butter-fat 6041b 290 £30 4/5541b 335 £27 14/T051b 290 £25 5/4981b 311 £24 18/4'891b 243 £24 9/4871b 298 £24 7/4771b 301 £23 17/4671b 312 £23 7/4511b 307 £22 11/4441b 309 £22 ' 4/-