Channel Island Blood for Improving Dairy Stock.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 228, 12 November 1887, Page 9

Channel Island Blood for Improving Dairy Stock.

We have referied on previous occasions to the immense improvement to be effected in the quality of our dairy stock by a judicious grading up by using; pure bred bulls of the Channel Island breeds upon the best of our milking cows. Both Jersey and Guernsey blood is used for this purpose by stock owners in the old country and America. Although the latter have never achieved the sensational butter records with which Jersey cows have been credited 5 they fall little if anything short of Jerseys as dairy animals. Guernseys have larger frames, andarenot so iinely fashioned as Jerseys, but they have the advantage of greater hardiness of constitution, and a greater tendency to put on flesh when their milking period is over. However, when, crossed with a large and vigorous breed, such as the Shorthorn, the Jersey delicacy of constit-iifcion--'\\hich,by-the bye, many breeders deny — would be quite overcome. The Hon. Lewis F. Allen, a well-known Shorthorn breeder in the State of New York, has been making experiments ot late years in crossing that breed with the Guernseys to establish a dairy herd on his property known as Grand Island farm. The experiment is stated to have proved entirely successful, and, encouraged by Mr Allens success, others have tried the same cross, and always with exceedingly satisfactory results. To obtain the best results, it need hardly be remarked that it is necessary to select Shorthorns of a milking stiain for the cross, and not animals whose ancestors have been bred for generations for the production of beef alone. We have a very good strain of Jersey cattle already in this colony. A notice of Mr Wrights herd appeared in our last issue, and we should strongly recommend dairy farmers to procure some Channel Island blood for tiie improvement of their dairy herds, either by the purchase of the service of a Jersey bull when possible, or by buying a young bull right out from one or other of our local breeders.