CARE AND FEEDING OF DAIRY CATTLE. 



11 



white markings. In yield of milk this breed ranks a little above the Jersey. The 

 per cent, of fat is slightly less on the average. The yellow colour of the milk and 

 butter and the size of the fat-globules are more pronounced even than in the case 

 of the Jersey. 



DUAL-PURPOSE BREEDS- DAIRY SHORTHORN AND RED POLL. 



These two breeds have been developed as a result of the demand for a cow 

 giving a medium quantity of milk, but with better beefing qualities than the dairy 

 breeds. In England the majority of the cattle are dairy or dual-purpose Shorthorns, 

 but the Shorthorn as found generally on this side the water is the beef type, and 

 has usually no claim to be styled dual-purpose. For this reason genuine dual- 

 purpose Shorthorns are difficult and expensive to procure in British Columbia. 

 Shorthorns are often called Durhams. 



Red Polls as a breed in America are fairly good milkers, and possess better 

 beefing qualities than any of the dairy breeds. 



Dual-purpose cattle find their place where facilities and fodder are available 

 for raising the male calves as steers rather than disposing of them when young for 

 veal, as is the practice with those keeping the strictly dairy breeds. 



Dual-purpose type stands midway between the dairy and beef types. Hence 

 neither the largest milk yields of the special-purpose dairy breeds nor the ideal 

 beefing qualities of the beef breeds can be expected from dual-purpose cattle. 



CHOICE OF BREED. 



The Holstein and Ayrshire breeds are well adapted for supplying market-milk. 

 The yield is large and the fat and other milk solids are well balanced for human 

 food. The per cent, of fat is nearer the legal standard of 3*4 per cent, and the 

 milk is not apt to churn during transportation. 



Jerseys and Guernseys are specially suited for cream or butter production or as 

 family cows. 



COLOUR AND FAT IN MILK. 



While the yellow colour of the milk of the Channnel Island breeds is very 

 attractive, it has nothing to do with the richness of the milk. This is shown by 

 the fact that milk of exceptional Holstein cows analysing 5 per cent, of butter-fat 

 still has the natural white colour of Holstein milk. Goats' milk is richer in fat 

 than Jersey milk, but both the milk and butter are perfectly white. 



Holstein and Ayrshire milk is better for feeding infants than the milk of the 

 Channel Island breeds, due to the small size of the fat-globules and their consequent 

 easier digestibility. 



COMPARISON OF BREED RECORDS. 



The following table given by Eckles is an average record of the pure-bred cows 

 of different dairy breeds kept at United States experiment stations. It cannot be 

 taken as a complete breed record, but may serve as a guide. 



