Types and Market Classes of Live Stock 191 



Farm, in 6 years produced 75,920 pounds of milk and 4,353 pounds of 

 fat, and in 10 years her production of butter-fat totaled 6,958 pounds. 

 Lily of Willowmoor, an Ayrshire owned in the state of Washington, 

 produced 84,991 pounds of milk and 3,362 pounds of fat in 5 years. 

 The Holstein cow Tilly Alcartra, owned in California, produced in 6 

 years a total of 156,776 pounds of milk and 4,910 pounds of fat, and in 

 8 years her total butter-fat production amounted to 6,250 pounds. 

 Vive La France, a Jersey owned in Oregon, recently completed her 

 sixth official test with 14,441 pounds of milk and 917 pounds of fat. 

 Her six yearly records total 78,461 pounds of milk and 5,332 pounds 

 of fat, the highest record to date in butter-fat production during 6 

 consecutive lactation periods. 



Cause of wide variation in production — C. H. Eckles, formerly of 

 the Missouri Station, ^ determined why dairy cows vary so widely in 

 production and profit. Two cows in the station herd showing striking 

 difference in ability were selected for the investigation. They were 

 registered Jerseys, sired by the same bull, from dams distantly related, 

 and they had been raised under practically the same conditions. The 

 following table gives the facts regarding these two cows during the 

 first two milking periods prior to the investigation: 



Name Pedro's Ramaposa Pedro's Elf 



Date of birth Sept. 4, 1902 May 11, 1903 



Age at first calving 29 mo. 18 mo. 



Pounds milk, first lactation period 4,552 878 



Pounds fat, first lactation period 238.8 44.1 



Number of days in milk 337 131 



Pounds milk, second lactation period 7,174 3,189 



Pounds fat, second lactation period 377 114.8 



Number of days in milk 365 232 



During these two lactation periods, Pedro's Ramaposa produced 

 2.8 pounds of milk and 3.9 pounds of fat for each pound produced by 

 Pedro's Elf. While the second milking period was in progress, an 

 investigation was planned to determine the cause of this difference in 

 efficiency as dairy cows. The cows were therefore bred so that the 

 calves might be born as near the same time as possible; Pedro's Elf 

 calved October 4, 1907, and Pedro's Ramaposa calved October 7. 



Complete records were kept of the amount and composition of the 

 feeds consumed. Each cow was fed a ration of the same composition 

 at all times, but the amount was varied to suit the individual. As 

 there was a possibility of the inferior cow using part of her feed for 

 depositing fat on her body — a characteristic of inferior dairy cows- 

 each cow was fed such an amount as would keep her at a uniform body 

 weight. Thus the feed consumed could be studied in relation to dairy 

 qualities only. They were fed all they would consume, unless they be- 



iMo. Res. Bui. 2. 



