THE DUAL PURPOSE COW.

Shannon News, 7 December 1923, Page 3

THE DUAL PURPOSE COW.

NOT SUITED TO NEW. ZEALAND

Some reasons Avhy the. dual purpose cow is not a success were’ given by Mr C. E. Robertson, in the course of his demonstration of the points to be looked for in a Jersey dairy cow, under the. auspices of the. Levin Jersey Breeders’ Club on Saturday. ~ The native cow, such as was found in India, Burma and other countries . was a dual purpose, cow, said Mr Robertson. A similar animal was occasionally seen in New Zealand because, despite the skill of the breeder, Nature made all animals revert to type sometimes. The native cow was an animal very much cut down behind, with a poor udder and ill placed teats. She merely suckled ia calf and when, it was weaned immediately began to put on flesh to prepare for the Avinter and feed the calf she would soon ,be carrying. She was the. dual purpose' cow, which was. not much lise in New Zealand as modern conditions made, specialisation absolutely necessary. In beef, cattle one had to breed the type, which would come early to the block with meat in the right places from which the most expensive cuts came. For milking t/he dual purpose cow was*, a short-season-ed one because, the milk fell off as soon as she Avas free from the calf. In beef cattle the flesh was wanted , about the. top line within about 9 inches of which all the high-priced cuts came. In the dairy cow it was just the contrary, development being required in the under line, and flesh meant milk profits lost. Again the beef man wanted a level underline parallel with the top-line while the dairyman wanted a wedgy shape. The dual purpose cow was all right m England owing to the different conditions under which she fetched al most'as much at the. end of her lactation period as she originally cost, but-she''would not do for New Zealand. They all knew how little they got in this country for a cow which had gone wrong.