THE FARMER.

Shannon News, 8 April 1924, Page 1

THE FARMER.

IMPROVED BREEDING. Milk recording provides almost immediate means of improving the milk yield and probably its biggest contribution to the dairy industry lies in its present and potential value as an aid to the breeding of cattle for milk pro. duction. Real improvement of the' herd means that heifers reared to maintain the stock must be better milkers than their dams. • The milk records of a heifer or cow provide the information which, taken in conjunction with type, constitution, and breeding powers will enable an owner to decide which cows should be retained as the foundation cows of a herd, and which sire should *be purchased as likely to raise the standard of the herd. Dairy farmers with record herds are much more anxious than formerly to obtain a bull good cow with a good record, and where there is a chance of grading up the-herd for registration in a herd book a pedigree sire is preferred. TRANSMITTING QUALITIES.

One important point to breeders is that it has been shown by a study of. herd records that a good milking cow is not necessarily a breeder of good dairy stock. The ability of a cow to transmit her productive qualities is distinct from the possession of those qualities. She may pass them or she may not. It is by milk records that we And the cows which are good in themselves and that we find also to what extent their progeny inherit their good qualities. If the average dairy farmer is to get the full benefit of records in breeding he must be prepared to keep good cows, also he must keep his good stock to a greater** age than has been customary. Further in respect to bulls, lie‘must be prepared to follow the* example of some pedigree breeders and retain a registered sire which throws promising heifers, until these heifers come into milk. If they milk well The value of the bull, is increased, in spite of his age; if they milk poorly the breeder’s judgment was at fault. In order to make pro. gress a breeder must be prepared to take some risk.

There is a further effect of recording the yield upon the prices of stock. One of the causes contributing to the rapid growth of breeding is the high prices realised by cows with high certificated records- of production. The period of exceptionally high records may be past, but good recorded caws have undoubtedly shown less depreciation than most other live stock. It may be expected that in the future the differ, ence in price between unrecorded common cows, or recorded cows with inferior records, and good type cows with certified Teoords, will be much greater proportionately than some years ago, and there would always-be a direct financial advantage in recording a good cow. In-addition to its value'for selec. tion, breeding, and the sale of dairy stack, the work of the - societies in this and in other respects exerts a great influence towards better herd and farm management. The attention to detail involved in the keeping of records and the good results which follow, lead to a geater interest fin other points in herd management. Records of calving and service dates are kept, good* cows get a better regulated dry period, and numerous other points which have a bearing on the millc yield-are considered anew and with more careful attention. .LURE. OF -THE EXHIBITION..