644 SUCCESSFUL FARMING 



Breed Differences. — Within daiiy cattle are several definite strains 

 of a special type. These definite strains are called breeds. Some breeds 

 have been developed for the large amount of milk they give, other breeds 

 for the large percentage of fat which the milk contains. The size of the 

 different breeds also varies a great deal. These breeds are quite largely 

 the result of conditions that exist in different countries. Great as is the 

 difference in the quantit}^ and the quality of the milk and size of the breeds, 

 the individual variations within a breed are nearly as great. 



The following table, from Bulletin No. 114 of the Pennsylvania Experi- 

 ment Station, shows the difference in percentage of fat of breeds: 



Per cent. 



All Jerseys or Guernseys of high-grade 5.0 



Mixed herd with some Jersey or Guernsey animals 4.5 



Common mixed herd 4.0 



Mixed herd with some Holstein animals 3.5 



All Holsteins 3.0 



A Standard of Production Necessary. — In order to select and improve 

 animals for the dairy herd, it is necessary to have a standard of production. 

 The standard is, of course, the lowest limit for profitable production. Since 

 production of milk varies with the age of the animal, it is necessary to have 

 a standard for the first few lactation periods. A heifer with first calf 

 usually gives about 70 per cent of her future production as a mature cow. 

 A cow makes her maximum production at about seven years of age. The 

 standard of production varies with each community, but in a very general 

 way, where up-to-date dairying is followed, a cow should produce between 

 6000 and 8000 pounds of milk and 250 to 300 pounds of fat to stay in 

 the herd. 



Individual Selection. — If it is necessary to have a standard of produc- 

 tion for each cow, it is equally necessary to have some way of selecting 

 animals that should come up to this standard. This will be discussed in 

 the paragraphs on Records which follow. In order to improve a herd 

 properly, one must keep more than records of production. The individuals 

 must be selected for size, vigor and trueness to type. This selection must 

 begin with the calf. Only calves of the right type and vigor should be 

 raised. Size in the animal is important, but vigor is even more essential. 

 Vigor and lung capacity are essential to enable the cow to resist all the 

 diseases to which the dairy cow is heir. It is desirable to raise farm 

 animals that have shown prolificness, as this quality is reproduced to a 

 marked degree in dairy animals. Having decided to raise a particular 

 breed, it is necessary to know the characteristics of that breed better than 

 any other. 



In starting a new herd, the females should be selected for uniformity 

 of type, and should be typical of the breed they represent. In selecting 

 a bull, some breeders prefer one that is strong, where the females in the 

 herd are weak. If possible, this is a good practice. The bull should always 



