DAIRYING IN THAMES VALLEY.

Shannon News, 31 August 1923, Page 3

DAIRYING IN THAMES VALLEY.

■ , HERD OF 499 COWS MILKED.

The largest and one of the bestmanaged dairy farms in the Thames Valley is that of Mr F. W. Walters, of Waitoa, says, the Herald. Mr Walters has 197 acres, on which he milked last season. 499 cows. These were divided into, five herds, with a sharemilker ,-in charge of each. The five herds gave a grand total of 144,6071 b butterfat for the season, or an average of 291.21 b per cow. This yield, at 1/6 per lb bujtterfat, would give- a gro-ss return of £10,845 10s. For the 1921-22 season, when 483 cows were milked, the yield totalled 127,753 lb butterfat, or an -average of 262.41 b per cow.

The particulars of the performances of the- respective herds for last season are as follows, the details for the 1921-22 season being shown in parentllGsGs) « No. { herd (P. G. Denton’s)—93 cows (93); herd yield, 28,8071 b (25,511 lb): average yield per cow*. 309.71 b (273.221 b). ' : No. 2 herd (H. Robinson’s).—l26 cows (120 cows); herd yield, 38,6871 b (31,4041 b); . average yield per cow, 307.51 b (358.81 b). No. 3 herd (H. Hayward’s).—lo6 cows (100 cows); herd yield, 30,2101 b (28,3461b)'; average yield per cow, -285 lb (283.461 b). No. 4 herd (F. Earle’s).—B4 cows (80 cows); herd yield, 23,2851 b (21,566 lb); average yield per cow, 277.171 b (269.461 b). No. 5 herd (W. Ryan’s).—9o cows (90 cows); herd yield, 23,6181 b (21,290 lb); average yield per cow, 262.381 b (236.51 b). In the 1921-22 season this herd was not milked until August Ist, 1921.

Commenting on the last two seasons’ operations, Mr Walters said he suffered considerable loss during the 1921-22 season, owing to the fact that be dehorned several bulls just prior to mating time. The result was that many cows failed to hold, and it was late in the season' before they came to profit. Pedigree bulls were more severely -affected than grade bulls. He believed in dehorning, and had experienced its beneficial results, but he was strongly of opinion that bulls should be dehorned at least six months prior to the mating season. Prior to last season, Mr Walters said he had depended entirely on grass pastures, but- Hast season he grew soft turnips as supplementary. fodder and found that when- judiciously fed they were of great value ;in maintaining the milk yield and they did not taint the milk. This year he was growing another lot of turnips, and was putting three wet paddocks on his farm down in paspalum. Mr Walters said he proposed topdressing his pastures in. 'the autumn with 2scwt. of superphosphates to the acre. He' had always top-dressed with superphosphates in the autumn, and had proved the value of the practice. So prolific had the grass grown that, at the beginning of last season, he had 39 large stacks of hay Qn his farm.