FEEDING TEST COWS 417 



ciations. These official records of production, which are carefully 

 supervised by representatives of the state experiment stations or of the 

 breed associations, have furnished breeders a reliable basis for the im- 

 provement of their herds thru the selection of animals of known high- 

 producing capacity. In purchasing foundation pure-bred animals 

 breeders have come more and more to rely upon advanced registry records 

 and less upon show yard successes alone. Consequently the securing of 

 a high official record greatly increases the value not only of the cow her- 

 self, but also of her offspring. Naturally, therefore, breeders are taking 

 a keen interest in official testing work. 



The feeding and management of cows on forced production is fully as 

 much of an art as of a science. Starting with a cow of high productive 

 capacity, which is always necessary, the completion of a notable record 

 depends largely upon the intelligent feeding and painstaking care of an 

 expert herdsman. The rations and methods employed by leading breeders 

 differ quite widely in many details. In fact, nearly every champion cow 

 has received a somewhat different ration from the other record-breaking 

 cows. This indicates that there are no secret formulas or methods of 

 management which are outstanding in their superiority over all others. 



The many details of feeding and caring for cows on official test can not 

 be considered here, but only certain general principles on which breeders 

 are generally agreed. 13 It is hoped that these may be helpful to the 

 beginner. 



674. Fitting cows for official test. The highest production of which a 

 cow is capable, whether in a 7-day test or on a yearly record, can be 

 secured only when she is carefully fitted, or fattened, before she freshens. 

 By having a cow calve in high condition she draws heavily on the store of 

 fat in her body during the fore part of the lactation period, as has been 

 explained in an earlier chapter. (557) Therefore her yield of milk, and 

 especially of fat, is much larger than if she had calved in only fair 

 condition. 



Cows which are to be run on official test are usually allowed a somewhat 

 longer dry period before freshening than normal, so there may be plenty 

 of time for the cow to become rested from the strain of her previous 

 lactation period and to put on the desired amount of flesh. The dry 

 period for test cows will usually range from 6 to 12 weeks, probably not 

 averaging over 8 weeks. Often the cows are allowed to rest for 3 or 4 

 weeks, being fed little or no concentrates, and are then fitted for the 

 following lactation period. 



Some breeders differentiate between * l soft fitting ' ' and ' ' hard fitting, ' '' 

 using the former method for 7-day tests, and "hard fitting" for yearly 

 records. "Soft fitting" means getting cows very fat with soft flesh, 



"For further information on feeding cows on test see: Erf, Jersey Bulletin, 

 41, 1922, pp. 899-900, 955-6, 1,017, 1,054-60; Keeney, N. J. Cir. 127; Larson and 

 Putney, Dairy Cattle Feeding and Management; Roberts, Feeding and Management 

 of Dairy Cattle for Official Production; Savage, Hoist ein-Friesian World, Dec. 3, 

 1921. 



