VALUE OF TESTING.

Shannon News, 23 August 1921, Page 4

VALUE OF TESTING.

LOCAL AVERAGES FOR SEASON

At the annual meeting of the Levin Dairy Company on. Wednesday, the chairman of directors (Mr S. A. belt) referred to herd testingi and produced soue figures from the Levin Cow-testing Association to give point to his remarks. He said that the test* ing for the season had shown in a veiy conclusive way the value of dairy farmers knowing what their herds were doing, and which were the profitable sows and which were not. In this district 21 herds were tested. The best herd had averaged 302.011 b of fat per cow for the season, whilst the low.est was 118.591 b per cow. The highest individual cow had the excellent record of 486.011 b fat, as against 35.961 b fat from the lowest. These figures spoke for themselves, and showed how necessary it was to keep the best. The value of testing was becoming more and more recognised, and he believed additional dairymen were joining up with the Testing Association during the coming season. Mr H. J. Lancaster, of Fairfield, is the owner of the best individual cow in the Association, and his herd secured the best average for the season, a record that speaks well for the excellence of the Jersey breed. The number of cows tested was 297, their total production being' 4429.851 b butterfat, giving a herd average of 210.951 b for an average milking period of 212 days. The average yield per cow In New Zealand is about 1701 b butterfat, so that the herds testing in this district are well above the general level.

HERD AVERAGES.

INDIVIDUAL YIELD FOR SEASON Highest Lowest.

NOTABLE AVERAGES.

TESTING AT KUKU. SOME INTERESTING RETURNS. The figures for the past season of the Kuku ./Testing Association have just become available, and they emphasise in no uncertain way the unevenness in production of a good many of the herds. Good cows and bad are found rubbing shoulders -in the same herd, but until testing was resorted to, the dairyman did *«rt know which was which, but when the figures go .up it is a simple matter to pick out the weak spots. The report shows that 14 herds were tested, the highest average herd being that of Mr J. D. Brown, with 312.901 b fat, whilst the highest individual record was put up by a purebred Jersey belonging to Mr C. I. Harkness, her return being 482.981 b fat. The following are the details:—' j

HERD AVERAGES.

INDIVIDUAL YIELD FOR SEASON Highest. Lowest.

NOTABLE AVERAGES.

Herd Nos. Days. Fat. lbs No. 1, 36 cows 248 240.05 No. 3, 17 cows 250 280.44 No. 3, 20 cows 206 208.71 No. 4, 26 cows 274 292.04 No. 5, 15 cows 216 181.87 No. 6, 18 cows 278 239.88 No. 7, 27 COWS 275 302.01 No. 8, 13 cows 203 230.40 No. 9, 23 cows 228 194.14 No. 10, 14 cows 249 258.07 No. 11', 2 cows 289 301.92No. 12, 10 cows 151 191.67 No. 13, 30 cows ’ 254 232.75 No. 14, 6 cows 147 * 157.78 No. 16, 6 cows 146 138.03 No. 17, 5 cows 114 . 118.58 No. 18, 8 cows 245 247.37 No. 19, 5 cows 131 157.78 No. 20, 11 cows 201 157.89 No. 21, 4 cows 148 173.42 No. 23, 1 cow 202 125.05

Herd No. Days Fat lb. Days Fat lb No. 1, 36 cows 297 379.48 157 149.93 No. 2, 17 cows 249 385.03 210 267.37 No. 3, 20 cows 248 342.62 160 120.06 No. 4, 26 cows 304 371.64 126 93.57 No. 5, 15 cows 293 232.58 128 94.16 No. 6, 18 cows 312 310.43 245 183.00 No. 7,’ 27 cows 414 486.01 179 165.50 No. 8113 cows 181 288.34 201 156.58 No. 9, 23 cows 266 323.60 122 35.96 No. 10,14 cows 276 403.36 165 153.93 No. 11, &cows 287 346.24 290 257.69 No. 12, 10 cows 158 238.87 115 132.75 No. 13, 30 cows 270 313.84 186 148.96 No. 14, 6 cows 182 196.66 105 138.68 No. 16, 6 cows 149 172.22 141 106.60 No. 17, 5* cows ' 121 156.81 121 101.98 No. 18, 8 cows 252 307.11 254 202.79 No. 19, 5 cows 117 197.80 157 92.14 No. 20, 11 cows 271 245.00 125 90.52 No. 21, 4 cows 176 205.85 126 133.55 No. 22, 1 cow 202 125.05 202 125.0

Association average (herd) 312 210.95 Association average (cow) 233 231.13 Herd average (highest) 275 302.01 Herd average (lowest') 114 118.58 Highest individual cow 414 486.01 Lowest individual cow 122 35.96 Average daily production per cow, lbs fat .9926

Herd Nos. Days. Fat lbs. No. 1, 31 cows 290 SJ86.41 No. 2, 20 cows . 244 263.89 No. 3, 29 cows 255 256.63 No. 4, 44 cows 236 221.00 No 5, 14 cows 266 312.90 No. 6, 15 cows 197 207.49 No.. 7, 22 cows 244 232.79 No. 8, 40 cows 256 154.91 No. 9, 38 cows 147 152.98 No. 10, 19 cows 247 291.95 No. 12, 22 cows 294 288.71 No. 13, 18 cows 199 202.61 No, 14, 7 cows 192 220.14 No. 15, 15 cows 207 228.80

Herd No. Days Fat lb. Days Fat lb No. 1, 31 cows 339 482.98 139 133.78 No. 2, 20 cows 213 332.67 262 169.07 No. 3, 29 cows ■ 287 412.35 171 129.84 No. 4, 44 cows 273 368.02 166 107:66 No. 5,14 cows 333 396.59 229 229.59 No 6, 15 cows 207 262.09 157 128.62 No. 7, 22 cows .273 371.91 169 83. S6 No. 8, 40 cows 277 212.25 251 103.88 No. 9, 38 cows 187 241.26 101 66.29 No. 10, 19 cows 251 390.17 226 161.03 No. 12, 22 cows 315 386.71 228 125.12 No. 13, 18 cows 248 296.34 162 151.01 No. 14, 7 cows 203 278.39 213 172.91 No. 15, 15 cows 220 282.08 137 126.04

Association average (herd) 234 237.23 Association average, (cow) 236 228.94 Herd average (highest) 266 312.90 Herd average (lowest) 147 152.98 Highest individual cow 339 482i98 Lowest individual cow 101 65.29 Average daily production of butterfat per cow ....... .9715