HERD-TESTING NEEDS

Taranaki Daily News, 11 September 1940, Page 2

HERD-TESTING NEEDS

SHORTAGE OF EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION'S REYIEW "Owing to war conditions a great deal

ot dimcuity was experiencea in ooiammg equipment for the new groups this season. Replacements of equipment and stocks for the coming season had been attended to, but the purchase of sufficient equipment for four extra groups presented many difficulties. There is a serious shortage of tin and steel and although testing buckets had been ordered three moriths ahead we still have only secured part of our order," said the secretary, Mr. L. W. Lovell, in reporting to a meeting of the Taranaki Herd Improvement Association at Stratford. The chairman, Mr. G. H. Bell, presided over almost a full attendance of directors. It was necessary this season to purchase six cars for testing officers and these were paid for, insured in the association's name, and deductions had aiready , been made from the wages of testing officers to repay the amount. Deductions would be made from testing officers of a sufficient amount each month to pay for all cars by the end of the season. ,

Tralning of Testing Officers. J There are 20 testing officers employed l this season, induding one woman tester, j Miss F. McCluggage. Sufficient testing ' officer3 had been trained to replace those | who left the association at the end of 1 last 'season, but to supply four additional j testing officers With no warning present- J ed many difficulties. Testing Officer Lin- j nell had enlisted and was due to go into j camp early in September. An applica- 1 tion was made to the manpower, com- ; mittee and his services were retained for ! the whole of this season. Good progress was made with the j completion of testing sheets in the office and already some 200 herds were sent j out. With the records of all herds tested I

last season in tne ornce mucn oeuer progress was made with the first month's testing sheets than during last season. The completion of the first month's testing sheets entailed a great deal of extra work in recording of cows' names, ages, etc., but good progress was already made with the work. "We have a reserve of two trained i women testing officers, and one partly trained man, and it is very necessary that some reserve should be held in case j of illness," said Mr. Lovell. "Miss N. Parker, who took the Massey College course for women testers last season, is | now employed in the secretary's office i on testing work. In the event of an emergency she could probably be sent out to test for a short period." Details of Activities. Herds signed up for testing for the 1940-41 season totalled 496, an increase of 101 over the previous season's total, 395, concluded Mr. Lovell. The approximate | number of cows under test would be j 28,182, compared with 20,986 cows in the j previous season. Cows branded totalled 2573, being the stock of 31 herds, reported the consulting officer, Mr. F. L. Knowles. The best branding total for. one day was 253 cows of three herds. Mr. Knowles strongly advocated the branding system. The association's part in the calf-saving campaign was not highly successful, owing to the scheme being put into operation too late, while the formation of bobby calf pools at the same time also cifected the efficacy of the scheme, said Mr. Knowles. * A nutrition survey had been instituted with 40 herds spread "throughout Tara- j naki. The " survey . would give valuable data regarding production and sterility. Mr. Knowles appealed to all farmers taking part in the survey to record required data on the shed sheets. It was pointed out that in view of the shortage of tail tags it would be imperative that cows be branded with the chemical system as outlined by Mr. Knowles. The most suitable period for the branding was the autumn.