THE WORLD’S CHAMPION COW.

Otaki Mail, 2 March 1923, Page 4

THE WORLD’S CHAMPION COW.

—— I f INTERESTING DETAILS OF ' MELBA XV. Tiie Darbalara stud of the Scottish Australian Investment Co., at Gundagai. New South Wales, in which the world’s record butterfat cow, Melba XV., was bred, is one of the most notable examples of line breeding in the history of cattle breeding. The stud was founded in 1899 upon stock purchased or bred by Mr J. T. Cole, and since then no new blood has been introduced. The skill of Mr Cole as a breeder is evidenced in the fact that there has not been any loss of the size or constitution of the stock, while his judgment in selection and mating has resulted in a steady increase in productivity. Melba XV. has the same lines of blood on both sides of her ancestry. Both her sire and dam were by the same bull (Emblem of Darbalara), and her grandsire and great granddam were full brother and sister, Her dam, Melba VIE, and a six!year old, in her time held the Australian milk and butter record with i?,3641b milk, and butter in 265 days. Forty-four cows of the Bunker line, covering five generations, tested over 273 days, have an average butterfat yield of 4701 b. In addition to these records of her forbears, Melba XV. has those of the following daughters, showing she not only inherits producer , tion, but Is passing it on to her imme- ~ . diate offspring: First, daughter, Melba * XXV., 10,168J1b milk, 416.81 b fat, at 3 years 7 months; second daughter, , Melba XXX., a three-year-old, now on ' test, commencing January 17, when she gave 561 b milk, yielding 2.3121 b j butterfat in 24 hours. | In appearance, size and quality | Melba XV. is just a s outstanding as ■ she is in production. Site has the .1 loose, soft skin of the dual purpose ' Shorthorn, and the good doer, and i her constitution is extremely robust. •’ Her heart and chest room is magnificent, as are her udder formation, I milk vein and escutcheon. She has , the broad, flat thigh of the heavy | producer, and the length and width of hindquarters that goes with a capacious udder. Her head is in keeping with her massive frame. It is medium in length, with good width between the eyes, a perfect aquiline face, terminating with a broad, square muzzle 1 and large open nostrils, j To himself. Mr Cole takes little cre- { dit for the achievement of this great i cow. He bestows it almost all upon 1 the cow, and lie also expresses his I indebtedness to tlie skilful attention ! and constant care of Mr E. \V. Costello, the young herdsman who had charge of Melba XV., and fed and milked her with unfailing regularity , three times daily—at -4 a.m., 12 noon j and 8 p.m., except during the 1922 j Sydney Royal Show. I Melba XV. was seven years four i months old when the test commenced. At that time she held the Australian butter record —11501 bin 365 days. This was beaten by a South Australian Friesian, Woodcrest Maid, with 11881 b butter in 365 days. The Australasian record was held by the New Zealand Friesian, Alcartra Clothilde J Pietje, with 11451 b butterfat, equal to • 1379 Mb butter. The United States record is held by the Friesian cow, Se- > 1 gis Pietertje Prospect, with 1158.951 b butterfat. This latter cow produced ! 37,38141 b milk in 365 days, which is the , world’s record lor milk. i Just after calving Melba XV. went ’ down with milk fever, and was un- i conscious for ten hours. This affected i her yield in early stages of lactation | period and prevented the test from : • commencing until some weeks alter | j she had calved. She calved on .Januj ary 4, 1922, a well developed bull calf, and was eligible for testing on Junu- , ary 8, but on account of her sickness the first test was only made on February 17. In the spring she had an i attack of bloat or lioven. and that put ! her yield back. She carried a calf for the last four months of her lactation period. FEEDING AND COST. I To produce such results generous feeding, of course, was necessary. During the period of the test Melba XV. was fed as follows: ; February and March.—ljlb linseed, 2ilb pollard, 31b cracked maize, 51b bran, three times a day. Grazed one hour per day on lucerne, and received a quantity of green maize. April.—Same as previous month, with the exception that chaff was substituted for lucerne. i May.—Same as previous month, excepting green maize, which was discontinued. i June and July.—9lb maize meal, 91b pollard, 151 b bran, 61b oaten chaff, 61b linseed meal, bundle of cornstalks (dry) per day. and grazed on lucerne a few hours dally. i August, September and October.— Same as in previous month, also grazed on prairie grass. November.—Blb maize meal, 61b pollard, 61b bran. 3l"b linseed meal per day, divided into three feeds (4 a.m., noon and 8 p.m.), made into a very , soft mash; also received small bundle of oaten hay at noon, in addition to feeding off pastures. December and January.—Sib boiled maize, 61b pollard, 61b bran, 31b linseed meal, prepared into soft mash, divided into three feeds, and fed at 4 a.in., noon and 8 p.m. A small quantity of oaten bay at noon. The total quantities and value of concentrated food consumed by Melba XV. during the twelve months of her lactation were as follows.-

This works out at a fraction less • hail IOJd per lb on the quantity of butter produced.

31261b maize . . £ s.d. j • 9 15 4 ! 48181b bran . 27 2 0 28661b pollard .. . 16 2 6 17721b linseed meal 9541b oaten chaff .. .2 2 6 ! Total cost . £69 6 10