SMALL FARM PLAN

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 255, 20 June 1932, Page 7

SMALL FARM PLAN

ITS POTENTIALITIES AVOIDING INEFFICIENCY IN MILKING. METHODS. MORE LABOUR NEEDED. (Contributed.) One of the outstanding features of dairying is the accumulated evidence . that the actual milking of cows is not always done as efficientiy as would be profitable and that the commonest cause of inefficiency in this connection is scant labour utilisation. The analysis of data secured chrough herd testing and similar work has tim and again pointed to the conclusion that many of the larger herds eould with profit be split into two milking units. For exaniple, herds of 80 and more cows are being milked on a sfiaremilkers' basis. On the evidence available the owners of such herds would do well to _exploi*e the prcspects of greater profits from the division of such large herds into two equal herds employing two share-milking families in the place of one family under the present arrangement. Because of the extra labour that would become available thereby for such work as the growing of supplemeutary forage crops and the conserving of surplus summer pasture growth it is conceivable that the total number of cows in the two herds could be made greater thar. the number at present in the undivided large hord. It is to be expected that the individual cows in the two herds would be more carefully and thoroughly milked than. if they were ali in a single lerd. Herd Division. Probably some owners of such large herds operated on a milking basis have at times considered the question of dividing their herds in the way just suggested, and while realising the advantages to be obtained have been deterred from taking any action on account of the outlay involved in providing not only the extra milking plant, but also the necessary residence for the second share-milker. In many instances the outlay in this direction would bear more heavily to-day than formerly, and hence it is of particular importance that the Small Farm Plan in suitable circumstances may possibly be employed to remove some of the financial difficulties that tend to rise in the dividing of undesirably large herds into iwo smaller more efficient ones. Hence farmers who are interested are iiivited to consult the Small Farm district organisers of the Department of Agriculture in regard to details which could not satisfactorily be dLcussed now. In support of the view that the suggested division of large share-milking herds would prove profitable, tliere is one fact that an additional 6001b to 7001b of butter-fat from each of two divided would be sufficient at current prices of dairy produce to cover interest and depreciation on the milking plant to provide interest and sinking fund on the share-millcer's house, and still have a small amount on hand. Milking Methods. Another somewhat similar arrangement which would lead to increased efficieney in milking originates in the fact that practically all herds contain some cows which are difficult to milk by machines. It is considered that herd-production would be materially increased by separating from the main herd and hand-milking them as a sparate herd unit. It has been noted that herds of 60 to 70 cows at times contain 12 to 20 animals which are difficult to handle on the machines—. they often not only fail to produce their best ability themselves, but hold up the progress of all the shedworlc. Such animals at times include some really good milkers. Experienced farmers generally believe that the best way of handling such animals is by a separate handmilking arrangement. Yet this way is seldom adopted because of the difficulties of arranging the hand-milking. It is considered that a suitably located occupier of a small farm could at times be usefully employed part of his time to do the hand-milking on a share-milking or wage basis. Milking Efficieney. It would probably be difficu1 overstress the importance of generally improving our milking efficieney. It is not merely a matter of obtaining greater production of butter-fat from these animals which are di^eult to milk out on the machines. That is really a minor matter in comparis with the effect improved would have on the incident of udder troubles. In all important dairying countries udder troubles are a bane to farmers — a bane about which experienced farmers and veterinaries are in acarty agreement in attributing it to a considerable extent to shortcomings in our machine milking methods. For example, a qualified veterinarian operating in one of the most important dairying districts in the Dominion says definitely that much of the mammitis that comes under his notiee would be avoided or remedied were the herds milked more efficientiy in the way that would be facilitated by the introduction of small hand-milk-ing units attached to relatively large herds as already suggested. Hence those many dairy-farmers who rightly dread the ravages of udder disorders should carefully consider the possibility of participating in the Small Farm Scheme as a means of lessening the danger of avoidable losses due to udder troubles. Small Scale Dairying. There is a third important opening for the application of the Small Farm Scheme to milking on farms, the owners of which do not see their wr.y clear to carry a full-sized dairy herd. There are, for instanee, many sheep or mixed farms on which dairy herds of 9 to 15 cows or thereabouts could be introduced with advantage, /vhereas herds of 40 or more in number would be practicable. There seem, in such circumstances, to be excellent openings for suitable small holders settled in the vicinity to handle

these small herds on a share-milking basis and do other available work besides. Scope for Labour. The scope for, utilising the Small Farm Plan as a means of improving the general efficieney of the important work of milking is to some exient indicated by the fact that official statistics indicate there are some thousands of herds in the Dominion ranging over 80 cows in number. It mav be said with confidence that to-day there is avoidable inefficiency in the milking of practically all these herds and that in general more labour is the key to the avoidance of the inefficiency which costs the dairy industry hundreds and thousands of pour.ds sterling annually in lost production. The Small Farm Plan if suitably applied promises to assist materialbearing both directly and indirectly through disease, on the Dominion's butter-fat production; and secondly, to extend dairying in a profitable manner on to relatively large farms devoted dominantly to sheep or mixed farming. The Small Farm Pia:, is expected to act in this way vecause it is an undesirable current feature of our farming.