THE FARMERS' MONTHLY, SEPTEMBER, 1928 



One Cow Vs. Dozen 



No. 



Why milk twelve poor cows when one 

 good cow will do the work of the twelve? 



Analyses of more than 100,000 yearly 

 individual records from cows on test in 

 dairy herd improvement associations, in- 

 dicate that, on the average, 



Cows that produced 100 lbs. butterfat 

 a year returned $14 each over feed cost. 



Cows that produced 200 lbs. butterfat 

 a year returned $.54 each over feed cost. 



Cows that produced 300 lbs. butterfat 

 a year returned $96 each over feed costs. 



Cows that produced 400 lbs. butterfat 

 a year returned $138 each over feed cost. 



Cows that produced .500 lbs. butterfat 

 a year returned $178 each over feed cost. 



In other words one 500 lb. producer will 

 return $10 more over feed cost than will 

 the entire twelve 100 lb. producers. This 

 ■does not take into account, either, the 

 added labor of milking and caring for the 

 larger herd, or the much greater expense 

 of providing stable I'oom for a herd in- 

 stead of for a single animal. 



The average production in the Hamp- 

 shire County Cow Test Association for 

 1927 was 348 lbs. of butterfat. This gave 

 a good return over feed cost but the signi- 

 ficant point of the chart is that with ad- 

 ditional production there is additional 

 profit. 



The list of high individuals in butterfat 

 production follows with A. G. Goodfield of 

 Gilbcrtville leading with the twice a day 

 milkers. 



High herds in butterfat production fol- 

 low: 



F. D. Steele 



G. H. Timmins 

 T. C. Mara 

 Pelissier Bros. 

 A. G. Goodfield 

 S. R. Parker 

 C. G. Loud 



H. H. Bi.ssell 

 W. A. Parsons 

 L. L. Titus 



Feeding Sprouted Oats 



Corrects Non-Breeding 



Continued from page 1. column 3 

 the other at the sixth. The latter cow 

 required a feeding period of 132 days to 

 overcome her inability to conceive. 



Herd records showed that all heifers in 

 the herd required an average of four ser- 

 vices for initial conception. It was de- 

 cided to determine whether sprouted oats 

 would be effective in reducing the num- 

 ber of services required by virgin heifers 

 for the first calf, and six were placed on 

 the oat ration. Four of the six conceived 

 at the first service after receiving the oats 

 from 10 to 19 days. 



Much of the breeding difficulty in dairy 

 herds is due to functional disorders, says 

 Mr. Graves, rather than to disease. In 

 such cases, the feeding of sprouted oats 

 has been found to be of great value. The 

 dairy cattle industry is suffering a great 

 loss of valuable breeding animals, as well 

 as a loss of time between calving, because 

 ! of the failure of many cows and heifers 

 j to breed regularly. Failure to conceive, 

 or delayed conception, interferes serious- 

 I ly with herd management and consequent- 

 ly with the profitableness of the herd. 



Corrects Ration Deficiencies 



The possible value of sprouted oats in 

 overcoming infertility in dairy cows was 

 suggested to Mr. Graves by a study of the 

 work done with small animals by Dr. 



I Evans at the University of California. In 

 tests with rats Dr. Evans discovered a 

 fifth vitamin which he found had a bear- 

 ing on the reproductive powers of these 

 animals. He also found that this vita- 

 min which he called E was contained in 



j such feeds as the green leaves of lettuce 

 and alfalfa. By feeding a ration heavy 

 with vitamin E, he was able to overcome 

 abortive tendencies in white rats and 

 bring about normal birth. 



He also demonstrated the effect of the 

 vitamin on the number of spermatozoa 

 in the semen of male rats. Litter broth- 

 ers having an equal number of sperm cells 

 in their semen were fed a vitamin-E diet 

 and a vitamin-free diet respectively. 

 Where the vitamin E was lacking in the 

 ration, the number of spermatozoa in the 

 semen was greatly reduced. 



While the work of Dr. Evans suggested 

 Continued on pagre 8. column 1 



Culling Is Essential 



In order to maintain egg production at 

 a profitable level it is necessary to cull 

 the flock at regular intervals. Getting 

 rid of the real culls, hens no longer profit- 

 able, is but part of the job. Judicious 

 selection of the best ones to keep, especial- 

 ly for use as breeders, is of greater im- 

 portance. It requires expert judgement. 



In fact culling is really judging. Skill- 

 ful poultrymcn are good judges of 

 chickens. Looking at birds, they recog- 

 nize individuality as reflected in size, type, 

 health, vigor, nei-vous energy and such 

 characteristics as distinguish between one 

 bird and another, particularly from a 

 productive point of view. 



The county agent has a supply of a 

 bulletin giving the methods to pursue in 

 culling a flock. A copy of the bulletin 

 will be sent to anyone requesting it. 



Fred D. Steele of Cummington and P. 

 L. Wheelock of Amherst lead in the 

 state contest in the small flock class. 



The county and state summaries follow: 



Leaders in Egg Production for 9 

 months' period ending July 31, 1928. 



County List 



Hampshire 



No. No. Prod. 

 Pullets Pullets Per 

 Nov. 1 July 31 Pullet 



F. D. Steele, Cum'ton, 347 *202 182.2 



P. L. Wheelock, Am'st, 315 114 177.2 



S. A. Clark, Wills'burg, 45 13 138.6 

 Smith Agri. School, 



Northampton, 206 75 138.4 



S. G. Waite, So. 'ton, 120 40 134.1 



* All Females. 



State Lists 

 Large Flocks with 1,000 Pullets or more 



Homer Rowell, Es.sex, 1101 *1637 146.6 



Elm Tree P. F., Ply'th, 2504 1482 145.8 



C. C. Rayner, Mid'sex, 1005 912 142.3 



W. P. Foster, Essex, 1728 879 136.4 



Monroe &Nepper, Ply., 1709 1468 132.3 



Hass P. F., Bristol, 3000 *1344 128.5 



E. H. Small, B'.stable, 1614 *946 127.4 



Large Flocks with 500 to 999 Pullets 



Arrowhead F., B'stable, 519 249 158.1 



A. S. Pendleton, Essex, 611 520 149.2 



CM. Williams, B'.stable, 525 248 149.1 



C. M. Ward, Bristol, 501 397 145.2 



L. E. French, Ply'th, 680 363 141.9 



F. F. Barnes, Ply'th, 850 *410 131.6 

 F. Porebski, Ply'th, 525 200 131.3 



Small Flocks 90 to 499 Pullets 



F. D. Steele, H'shire, 347 *202 182.2 



P. L. Wheelock, H'shire, 296 114 177.2 



R. E. Wheeler, Wor'ter, 350 336 159.6 



R. L. Keizer, Mid'sex, 137 49 157.0 



J. P. Anderson, Mid'sex, 400 294 156.8 



L. A. Sohier, Mid'sex, 245 80 152.3 



R. A. Beley, Wor'ter, 225 226 151.9 

 * All females. 



