('AUK AND FEEDING OF DAIRY CATTLE. i:.J 



COMMUNITY BREEDING. 



There are many advantages in choosing a breed favoured by the district round 

 about rather than one not well represented. The locality becomes famous for that 

 particular breed and buyers of surplus stock are attracted. Systematic and more 

 intelligent breeding is possible. The best bulls become known and are retained in 

 the district by trading. 



CROSSING BREEDS. 



Very often the result of the first cross between distinct breeds is good, many 

 animals inheriting the good qualities of both breeds, especially vigour. But as a 

 rule many inferior animals appear in the second generation. 



Crossing distinct breeds defeats the very object for which the breeds have been 

 developed. Pure breeds are kept pure in order that certain characteristics may 

 become fixed so strongly that they will be transmitted regularly. Crossing breaks 

 the chain of inheritance, and no one can tell the outcome. 



It may seem natural in crossing the Holstein and Jersey breeds to expect the 

 cross-bred to yield the quantity of the Holstein with the quality of Jersey milk. 

 But it is just as natural to get the opposite result, because all tendencies, both good 

 and had. are transmitted from parents to offspring. 



STARTING A DAIRY HERD. 



Usually the sale of dairy products is the prime object, and in that case high- 

 class grade cows will serve the purpose better than pure-breds, because they are not 

 so expensive. A few registered females may be bought when funds allow if it is 

 the expectation to sell breeding stock. 



The herd must be kept up mainly by home-bred stock. Purchased stock is very 

 apt to be unprofitable and expensive. Sellers do not readily part with their best 

 animals. There is also the constant risk of bringing in disease, such as tuberculosis 

 and contagious abortion. For these reasons good dairy-farmers raise most of their 

 own cows. 



Hence every dairy herd should own a good registered bull backed by good dairy 

 records. The bull is half the future herd, so no chances should be taken with a 

 grade animal whose breeding is unknown. With a registered animal it is possible 

 to know the ancestry more fully and to get more certain results. He must, however, 

 be a good individual himself. Pedigree breeding, combined with selection, has been 

 the means of improving all our modern breeds of live stock. 



KEEPING MILK RECORDS. 



Breed, weed, and feed is a good maxim. No matter how carefully the breeder 

 may be, some cows will disappoint him and turn out simply " boarders." It will be 

 impossible for him to detect and weed out these undesirables by his own observation. 

 Only by periodically weighing and testing the yield of each cow will he be able to 

 arrive at figures showing him exactly what each cow returns above or below cost 

 of keep. Yearly records are of far more value than short-time tests. The persistent 

 milker is the profit-maker. 



The daily weighing of the milk of each cow and keeping a record of the weights 

 involves surprisingly little extra trouble. This system has many advantages. In 

 fact, intelligent dairying is impossible without it. Without knowing a cow's yield 

 of milk and butter-fat it is impossible to feed her accordingly. A cow giving the 

 same amount of milk as another may be yielding twice the quantity of butter-fat. 

 The milk charts are also an infallible indication of loss of health. A sick cow may 

 often be detected early by the decreasing milk-flow. The effect of a change in 

 milkers will also be shown. Some milkers will obtain 25 per cent, more milk than 

 others from the same cow. 



