The Bulletin. 61 



In the fall a representative of the State and Federal Departments of Agri- 

 culture, Mr. J. A. Conover, visited my place, assisted me in building a barn 

 and silo, and tried to persuade me to keep a record of my cows. In fact, made 

 a test or two of tbe herd, but like many men I wanted to wait until more cows 

 were fresh or giving milk, so as to make a bigger show at the start, thinking 

 this was the way to begin 



After several visits from Mr. Conover and a lot of talk on his part. I began 

 keeping records February 1, 1907, weighing the milk twice a day and keeping 

 a record of tbe feed. After weighing the milk for two months and seeing the 

 tests made, I found that one cow ran me in debt ninety cents, while the nine 

 cows giving milk made an average profit of only fifty-four cents above the 

 cost of feed. This set me to thinking, and I decided that someone that didn't 

 believe in records should have all my cows except three. The one I thought 

 best in the herd before keeping records I afterwards decided to give away,- if 

 I couldn't sell her. 



The money that came from these six cows and their calves was put into 

 six pure-bred Jersey cows, whose owner had been keeping records for a num- 

 ber of years. This trade left me in debt, but I had the satisfaction of know- 

 ing just what to expect from my new cows. Since making the change and 

 keeping records for one year, I find that my best cow made a net profit of 

 $53.61, while the poorest made a net profit of $27.21. The best cow produced 

 butter fat at a cost of 16.4 cents per pound. The poorest one produced butter 

 fat at a cost of 21.5 cents per pound. The nine cows finishing the year's record 

 made an average of 257 1 /2 pounds of butter fat at an average cost for feed of 

 $46.74. Figuring the butter at twenty-five and thirty cents per pound and 

 skim milk at twenty cents per hundred for feed, the average profit per cow is 

 $30.40. The actual total money received for products sold for nine months of 

 1906, before keeping record of "my herd, was $273.09, an average of $30.35 per 

 month, or $364.08 for twelve months. For the year 1907, after keeping 

 records, I received for products sold $759.95, and for six months of 1908 I 

 have received $617.42. If the average continues the same until the end of 

 1908 the amount received during this year will be $1,234.84, so you see I have 

 about doubled the receipts each year since I began keeping records: 1906, 

 $364.08; 1907, $759.95; 1908 (if the average continues), $1,234.84, and I think 

 it will be more. If I had not begun the work I would have been, most likely, 

 milking tbe same old herd of 1906. Of course the record shows more profit 

 than actual money received, because it does not allow for the butter, cream 

 or milk used in the home, or whole milk fed calves, but there is not a great 

 difference. 



I have sold several male calves from my herd at a good price, being able to 

 show the purchasers their mothers' exact records. That's where the record 

 pays again. There will be no trouble selling bull calves from a cow with a 

 good record, which I consider a great item in the business. They will not 

 do for beef and ought to go to help some man improve his herd, as the bull 

 is half the herd, but. if you do not have a record you are sending out a calf 

 which will perhaps be an injustice to yourself and the purchaser. 



Another thing, you can keep track of your milkers ; if they are not milking 

 clean or mistreating your cow, she will show it in the weight of milk, and 

 the milkers take more interest trying to make their cows give most or beat 

 someone else's, but it is not always the milker's fault if the weight runs 

 down. If the cow is not feeling well or, through carelessness, is turned out 

 in the cold rain or snow, not sufficiently watered, given ice water, dry pasture 

 and numerous other careless things, she will be short in milk and test low. 

 If you do not keep a record you cannot detect these things so quickly. 

 If the weight of the milk runs down much you begin to investigate. These 

 may seem small at the time, but at the end of the year the record shows 

 them up to look like mountains. 



Of course the feeding must also be governed by the record. You can look 

 at it and see what the cow is giving. You know a cow ought to be fed in re- 

 turn for what she has given you. Without the feed record how could we get 

 the profit or even learn what to feed and how much? We would run from 

 year to year and never know which cow cost us most. 



