TESTING DISCLOSES LOSSES.

Shannon News, 29 August 1924, Page 4

TESTING DISCLOSES LOSSES.

SOME INTERESTING FIGURES Further Interesting figures have been obtained from the results of the herd-testing conducted by the Cheltenham Herd Testing Association, through an officer of the Dairy Division of the Department of Agriculture for the past season, and it is made abundantly clear that the efforts 'Of the Dairy Division of the Department to improve the dairy herds throughout New Zealand are meeting with success The actual testing discloses the robber cow and clearly establishes to the dairy farmer what a bar such, cows are to efficient farming. It further establishes the fact that no dairy farming proposition can be efficiently carried out unless attention is paid to breeding, and it is in this connection that the Department of Agriculture is \ using every endeavour to impress on dairy farmers the advantages of using purebred bulls of a special purpose dairy breed. Many farmers have realised this important point and special efforts are being made to impress on the others the desirability pi following suit. It is specially desirable that bulls from C. O. R. dams should be procured and the records of both sire and dam closely studied before a purchase is made. The Cheltenham Herd-testing Association commenced operations at the commencement of the "1920 season!and the following figures show the pror i gress made up to the close of th e last season. Season 1920-21: Number of cows tested, 222, representing 15 herds; average fat per cow per day, 0.91111 b. Season 1921-22:. Number of cows tested 658, representing 36 herds; average fat per cow per day 0.97571 b. Season 1922-23: Number of cows tested 1127, representing 67 herds; average fat per cow per day, 1.10831 b. Season 1923-24: Number of cows tested, 2616, representing 142 herds; average fatper cow per day, 0.93961 b. The reduction in the average fat for the past season is due to the large increase in the number of new cows tested. The figures given above and those' which follow are the results of tests carried out over 100 days—i.e. cows.in milk for that period or over.

I The season"s figures sure as follows: jj, —142 herds representing 2616 cows tested. Average Association cow in for 236 days, total butter fat 221.431b5. „„ Five cows highest herd, in for 267 M days, total -butter fat 379.291b5. * Seventeen cows lowest herd, in for ill days, total butter fat 63i151b5., Highest cow, in, for 262 days, total butter fat 532.691b5. Lowest cow, in for 108 days, total butter fat 45.781b5. The following figures are' compiled from the official records and show the performances of the highest cows from different herds for the season:- — Th e highest cow came from a herd of 15, and was in milk for 262 days and produced 532.691b5" butter fat. The next was from a herd of 35, and was in milk 295 days, yielding 515.141b5. ' butter fat. The next was from a herd of 11 ,and" was in milk for 310 days, and gave 512.831b5. The next highest came from a "herd of 31, and produced 482,401b5, for 269 days. For 292 days, a cow from a herd of 12, produced 479.041b5, and from a herd of 19, a • caw returned 472.431bs for 296 days. The average production for these six I cows was 497.421bs of butter fat in ' 287 days. v ... : , For the purpose of comparison the lowest records are given hereunder: —The lowest cow, came from a herd of 49, and was in milk for 108 days and returned only 45,781bs butter fat. The next highest came from a herd of 5 cows, and for 10 5 days, only produced 46.773'1b5. From a herd of seven one cow for 107 days gave 50.891b5, and the next highest was 54.041b5, produced from a cow in milk for 124 days from a herd of 30 cows. For 117 days, a cow from a herd of six pro - v duced 56,531b5, and a cow from a herd of 78 in-milk for 106 days, yielded 57.611b5. Th e average production for these six cows was 51.931bs in 111 I days

It will be seen from the foregoing figures that the lowest; average ■■ cows are a heavy drain on the efficiency of dairy farming, and it is the result of these disclosures to the, farmer that herds are being improved. Even doubling th e period and the butterfat production of any of the lowest cows does not improve the position, when com.pared with the highest cows of the herds. The cost of testing to the dairy farmer is practically nil but acting on the information obtained thereby dairy farmers can improve their position very considerably. The benefits of using a sire of wellknown producing blood and butterfat following on the testing, ■ are illustrated by the following: One farmer who tested and used such a sire obtained from his herd during the I month of February 3542.41bs butterfat, whilst his neighbour who had a herd of equal number of any breed and did hot test, only obtained 2247.91b5. butterfat. Needless to add, this farmer is now testing and improving his herd on the proper lines. During the forthcoming season the Cheltenham Herd Testing Association will conduct its own testing, without the aid of the Department of Agriculture's officer. The Department has done great work in getting the scheme going and the Association will now carry on. In dealing with the tests conducted at the Dairy. Factory and those of the officer of the Dairy Division, it is interesting to note that the butterfat figures for on e herd of 75 oows, were compared for a period of eight months, and th e difference was 1041bs—a very small margin indeed. |