Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 246, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 October 1916 — MAKING the FARMPAY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

MAKING the FARMPAY

By C. I. BRAY

BUILDING UP A DAIRY HERD Generally speaking, there is no best breed of dairy cow, although some are better for certain purposes than others. There are first-class cows in every breed, and also many unprofitable ones. Success depends more upon the selection of profitable individuals than upon the breed. The Jersey, Holstein, Guernsey and Ayrshire.breeds are considered the standard special-purpose breeds, and the Red Polled, Shorthorn and the Brown Stflss the most common dual-purpose breeds, being used to some extent for beef production. The Jerseys and Guernseys are considered most economical for production of butterfat, and the Holsteins and Ayrshires are considered more profitable for milk production. The Holsteins should be kept on good pasture and on hetfvy rations. Profitable animals must be selected on basis of performance (shown by milk and butter records) and developed by care and good feeding. The beginner should consider his market carefully, select the breed he likes best from those most suited to local conditions and then stick with that breed, building up his herd by selection. The dairyman, to be successful, must keep only such cows that pay a good annual profit. Many cows do not pay for their feed, while others may pay from $5 to SSO per year over expenses. The unprofitable cOw is worth only what she will bring on the butcher’s block (about S3O). The cow that produces SSO profit over all expenses is worth ten cows that produce no profit, both as a breeder and producer, and should at least be valued at SIOO to $l5O. '..—t?

Breeding Better Than Buying. Some dairymen buy fresh cows, breeding to a common sire and selling the young stock and old cows to the butcher. Others breed their own stock, use good sires, keep milk records mid develop heifers from their best stock. The first method has only one advantage, that of allowing the dairyman to use all his pastures and buildings for cows that are milking. Recognizing the value of a good cow, the dairyman should always he prepared to buy one that is better than what he has, but it is much safer to depend on breeding up his own herd. The man who depends on buying gets cull stcck, usually, unless he pays much more than it would cost to breed it himself. He also runs a big risk of buying diseased cattle with tuberculosis or contagious abortion. The man who breeds up his nwn stock can develop his heifers to good, advantage so that they will be quiet and gentle and also healthy. He will usually be able to build up a good herd more surely and quickly. Sire Is Half the Herd. The sire Is half the herd, hut if he Is a good one he is pretty near all of it. Grade cows may range in value from $25 to $250. and the sire that can produce the latter kind is worth many times more than the one that produces the $25 kind. If a heifer can be produced that, when mature, will give 50 to 100 pounds more butter or 1,000 pounds more milß-per year than her dam, the annual profit from such a heifer will accordingly be from $lO to $25 more than from the foundation cow. If ten such heifers were raised every year, the increased profit will be SIOO to $250 more per year; if 29 heifers are raised, S2OO to SSOO will be gained each year by using a good bull. Consequently It is hard to understand how a progressive dairyman can afford to let a. difference of SIOO or so in the original cost bfa- herd ball stand between him and nn additional annual Income of SSOO. Yet dairymen will-buy $25 scrub bulls that are worse than useless as Improvers of their herds, while purebred males costing SSO to $l5O more would pay for themselves many times mrer In the Increased value of the young stock produced. The sire that cannot increase the value of the herd is dear at any price* While the owner of a grade herd may be justified in buying as high-priced a sire as the breeder of pure breeds, a good animal will always be cheapest In the end. Selection of Dairy Sire. Only u purebred sire should be used, from ancestors of known merit, and of good breed type, masculinity and ecnstitution. Select, if possible, the son of a first-class dairy cow as the characteristics of the dam are most likely to be reproduced In the heifers of the generation. The best indication

of the value of a bull is the character of his offspring, and this is the safest and surest guide. Many aged bulls with good records and splendid offspring are sold at bargain prices to avoid Inbreeding, and afford an excellent opportunity to the man who wishes a good bull at moderate cost. Strength and virility must go with good ancestry to muke a good sire. The grade sire should have no plac* in the dairy herd. Select Cows on Their Records. Cows may be selected according to type and apparently by men who are good judges, but the only safe and sure basis for selection is the annual milk record. The keeping of milk records In all parts of the country and in all classes and kinds of herds has shown; 1. That some herds make large annual profits while others make none. 2. That in the best herds there are usually some unprofitable cows, and very many such in the poorer herds. 3. That without records the owners ..of the herds cculd not tell with any degree of accuracy which cows were paying profitably and which were not. 4. That many dairymen would have made a greater yearly profit had they sent their herd to the butcher at the beginning cf the year, thus saving half their feed and labor expenses and "feetting all the profit from their best cows. A fact worth noting is that several world’s record cews of different breeds, now worth thousands of dollars each,

wore sold to their present owners for small sums by men who had not taken the trouble to find out what kind of cows they were keeping. Essential to Keep Records. . It is'difficult, therefore, to see how a dairyman can afford to run the risk'of keeping unprofitable cows by refusing to keep records. A merchant who could not take time to keep books would soon go bankrupt; and business methods must be the rule on the dairy farm it a profitable business is to bo built up. Even if It should take one week’s work in a year to keep a good system of records, the time will be well spent if the work of the year were to result In an annual profit of $1,715, or a loss of $539 as a consequence of keeping records or not keeping them. The flme required is really very small. The milk r-cord Is the dairyman’s barometer; by means of it he can keep >.iq milkers and on his system of fceding. By means of it he will notice any increase or decrease in milk flow, and in the latter case be able to avoid trouble by removing the cause. More interest is taken in feeding the cows carefully when their records are kept. A circular balance scale and a sheet of paper ruled off, together with the Babcock test will do the work. Cow testing associations are doing good \jvork all over the country. From ten to twenty or more farmers may club together and agree to pay a qualified man to test their herds each month, sharing expenses equally. The system is particularly valuable to the men herds, as they can get their gdqjjl animals tested for the advanced register. Record keeping helps the dairyman to get rid of his “robber.” Cull Out Unprofitable Cows. Cows that prove unprofitable should be sold at once. Those paying only a small profit may be kept until better ones are bought cr raised to take their places. Young heifers that do not show up during their first lactation period may sometimes make- a -good showing on a second year’s trial. Good cows can often be purchased that will pay for their feed, care and cost price* iu one year and return a good profit besides,

Man Feels Independent When He Has a Good Herd of Cattle.

Scrub Cow Which Lacked $1,954 of Producing Enough Milk to Pay for Her Feed and Care in One Year.