188 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION 



his county, and have a tester do the testing. Where the 

 testing is done by the dairymen, it does not necessarily 

 require much time. A milk scales should be procured 

 which are so arranged that when the pail of milk is hung 

 upon the scales it will record the net weight of the milk 

 in pounds and tenths of pounds. A lead pencil and milk 

 sheet should be placed at a convenient place and the 

 pounds and tenth pounds recorded on the scales placed on 

 the milk sheet. After the weight of the milk has been 

 recorded on the milk sheet, the milk in the pail is thor- 

 oughly stirred and a small sample taken to be tested. The 

 milk should be weighed and a sample taken of each milk- 

 ing for the two milkings in one day. The pounds of milk 

 and butter fat produced by each cow should be multiplied 

 by the number of days in that particular month. 



The milk must be weighed one day in each month and 

 at the end of the year you have an approximate record of 

 the production of each cow in the herd. Each cow in the 

 herd should have a name or number. The testing can be 

 done by any ordinary dairyman provided he has a Bab- 

 cock tester, or usually his buttermaker or creameryman will 

 do the testing for him. Wherever it can be done, it is bet- 

 ter to join a cow test association and have the testing done 

 by a tester who runs the association. 



If you are a member of a cow-test association, you will 

 not only have the average milk and butter fat production 

 of each cow but you will also have the amount of feed 

 consumed by each cow in a year as well as the returns 

 above feed cost. These records will show whether a cow 

 is making a profit or losing money for you. 



It is not only essential to have good cows to make a 

 profit, but it is just as necessary to feed the good cow the 

 right kind of feed and all she will consume at a profit. 



About fifty or sixty per cent of the feed the cow eats 

 goes for body maintenance and energy used in milk pro- 

 duction. Whatever a cow consumes over this amount goes 

 for milk production. If she is fed only enough to furnish 

 what is required for maintenance and energy, she can pro- 

 duce very little milk. 



