190 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION 



tain as little as one per cent of fat, while the last drawn 

 may run from five to ten per cent. 



Under ordinary conditions, the usual practice of milk- 

 ing twice daily is sufficient. The intervals should be as 

 nearly equal as possible. By milking cows that are heavy 

 producers three times a day the yield can be materially 

 increased, depending upon the amount of milk they pro- 

 duce. Three times milking will increase the production 

 about ten per cent for cows giving from forty to fifty 

 pounds of milk, while those giving sixty pounds, the in- 

 crease is about twenty per cent. Ordinarily the increase 

 in production of the average cow by milking three times 

 does not pay for the extra time and labor required to do 

 the extra milking. 



Building Up an Efficient Dairy Herd 



One of the essentials to economical milk production 

 and profits in the dairy business is good cows, that can 

 convert the feed we grow on our farms into milk and but- 

 ter fat at a profit. Naturally the question arises, where 

 can we get good cows? 



There are two ways to get good cows. One way is 

 to go out and buy them from dairymen and breeders who 

 have been in the breeding game for a long time and the 

 other way is to raise them. While the first method is the 

 quickest way to get an efficient herd of dairy cows, it is 

 not the cheapest way. It is also true that when you de- 

 pend on buying your cows, there is more danger of getting 

 contagious abortion and tuberculosis into your herd. It is 

 also true that most good dairymen and breeders know 

 which are their best cows and it is usually the rule that 

 they sell the poorest cows in the herd. While it is true 

 that some of the best cows in a herd can be bought, you 

 will be required to pay a premium to get them. Then, if 

 every one would want to buy good cows, there would not 

 be enough to go around. 



The best way to get an eft'icient herd is to raise your 

 cows. Keep a record of the production of each cow and 

 then raise the heifer calves from the best cows. After 



