THE DAIRY HERD 



113 



be from as long a line of high producing animals as is possible to secure. 

 In starting a herd, do not allow passing fads to have undue weight. To 

 illustrate, the Jersey cattle have been greatly hurt by the solid color fad 

 that went over the country. The breed was not solid colored at its founda- 

 tion, and whatever fad comes into a herd after it has been founded reduces 

 the number of animals to select from for production and hence weakens the 

 herd instead of strengthening it. The Guernsey fad of light-colored noses 

 and the white color of the Holstein-Friesian and Ayrshires are illustrations 



16 



A TYPICAL Cow, MARKED TO SHOW POINTS IN JUDGING. 1 



1 Head. 2 Muzzle. 3 Nostril. 4 Face. 5 Eye. 6 Forehead. 7 Horn. 

 8 Ear. 9 Cheek. 10 Throat. 11 Neck. 12 Withers. 13 Back. 14 Loins. 

 15 Hip Bone. 16 Pelvic Arch. 17 Rump. 18 Tail. 19 Switch. 20 Chest. 

 21 Brisket. * 22 Dewlap. 23 Shoulder. 24 Elbow. 25 Forearm. 26 Knee. 

 27 Ankle. 28 Hoof. 29 Heart Girth. 30 Side or Barrel. 31 Belly. 32 Flank. 

 33 Milk Vein. 34 Fore Udder. 35 Hind Udder. 36 Teats. 37 Upper Thigh. 

 38 Stifle. 39 Twist. 40 Leg or Gaskin. 41 Hock. 42 Shank. 43 Dew Claw. 



of this fad. In order to select animals wisely, one should be a good judge 

 of the breed in which he is interested. 



Records. While a breeder can select cows by the eye for many good 

 and desirable points, the only real test of a dairy cow is the record of her 

 milk and butter-fat yield. This should be kept for every year that a cow 

 stays in the herd. If the farmer has the time, he should keep other records, 

 such as list of offspring, feed records and the like. The greatest improve- 

 ment is possible only when complete records have been kept. 



In order to ascertain the production of a cow, a pair of scales, a Bab- 

 cock testing outfit and milk sheets are necessary. The most popular 

 scale today is the Chatillon Improved Spring Balance, which can be hung 



i Courtesy of U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. B. A. 1. 15th Report. 



