144 DAIRY CATTLE AND MILK PRODUCTION 



In examining records of dairy cows, care should be observed 

 to distinguish between butter fat and butter records. 



Form of Keeping Record. In keeping records of the pro- 

 duction of individual animals one of the first essentials is to 

 arrange a system to be followed. In many cases those who 

 have undertaken to keep records of milk and fat production 

 have not carried out their intentions long, for the reason that 

 they started without any carefully prepared plan and with no 

 convenient way to keep their records. Figure 32 shows a 

 convenient form of arrangement for recording the daily milk 

 yield for a month. As a rule, only the totals by months are 

 used for references later. A permanent book should be pro- 

 vided for preserving these totals in a convenient form. Figure 

 34 illustrates a satisfactory plan used by the University of 

 Missouri since 1892. 



This form of record is especially valuable when the herd 

 consists of pure-bred animals. A book is ruled or purchased, 

 having the two pages, as illustrated in Fig. 34, opposite each 

 other. On the left page are recorded the pedigree of the animal 

 and the record of calves. On the right-hand page are recorded 

 the yield of milk by months, the per cent of fat, and the total 

 fat yield. It will be noted that the months of the year are 

 arranged in order, 24 months being found in each column. 

 In entering a year's record of a cow, the first month's record 

 is entered opposite that month the first time it appears, 

 beginning at the top of the column. It leaves room in every 

 case for at least 13 months' record. 



At the end of the milking period the record is added and 

 the total inserted. In finding the average per cent of fat, 

 the total fat yield should be divided by the total milk to give 

 the true average per cent of fat. An average found by add- 



