THE DAIRY HERD 



115 



dams. Such a bull should be given a herd as long as he will breed. 

 Through the bull associations, it is often possible to bring into a community 

 a bull of better breeding than any single member of the community could 

 finance alone. It is not the cost of the bull that determines its value, but 

 rather the producing ability of his daughters. 



The bull association, to be of value, needs records, and the cow- 

 testing association assures the records. They work well together. 



Advanced Registry Records. Any daughter or son of a registered 

 dam and sire can be registered in the herd-books of that breed association. 

 Unfortunately, many registered animals are no better producers than 

 scrubs. In order to improve the animals within a breed, the different 

 breed associations have started Advanced Registry Requirements. These 



A GOOD DAIRY HERD. 1 

 Exercise is beneficial to the health of the cows. 



requirements are based upon performance, and hence only worthy animals 

 find their names on its lists. The different breeders have different names 

 for the books in which such animals are listed, but all serve the same 

 purpose. Representatives from the different experiment stations vouch 

 for the production of the animals after personal visits. Such records 

 have done much toward developing the modern, wonderful milking cow. 

 Pure-bred sires should have some near relatives whose names appear in 

 the advanced registry of the particular breed. All breeders of pure-bred 

 stock should be encouraged to make advanced registry tests so as to improve 

 the sale of bull calves from their herds. 



The Bull is Half the Herd. It is one of the sayings of breeders that 

 "the bull is half the herd." Where in-breeding is practiced, he is even 



1 Courtesy of the Department of Dairy Husbandry, Pennsylvania State College. 



