212 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION 



Production Records 



The principal reason for keeping milk-production rec- 

 ords is to show definitely which cows are profitable and 

 which are not. The inferior cows can then be disposed of 

 and the better ones kept for production and breeding pur- 

 poses. 



Another important reason for keeping daily records is 

 that they furnish information which is used as a basis for 

 feeding. Cows should be fed according to the quantity of 

 milk or butterfat produced, and the daily production must 

 be known. Sickness or other abnormal conditions are gen- 

 erally accompanied and often preceded by a decline in milk 

 production. This decline can easily be noticed if the prac- 

 tice of weighing and recording the milk daily is followed. 



A spring-balance scales is necessary. These scales are 

 equipped with adjustable hands, one of which is set at zero 

 when an empty pail is hung on the scale. The quantity of 

 milk then may be read without subtracting the weight of 

 the bucket. The milk scales should be graduated to tenths 

 of a pound. If milk pails of different sizesi are used by the 

 milkers, it is a good idea to keep a weight pail at the scales 

 to avoid confusion. The scales should be hung in a con- 

 venient place in the barn or milk room. 



A suitable sheet for recording the daily weight should 

 be placed in a clean, protected place near the scales. These 

 sheets may be so arranged that spaces are provided for 

 writing the name or number of the cow and spaces for rec- 

 ording the weights of the milk both morning and evening. 

 Some use sheets with spaces for seven days only, but the 

 more common way is to have spaces for the entire month. 

 Scales and milk sheets can be obtained from dairy supply 

 houses. Many publishers of dairy periodicals also distribute 

 milk sheets for a nominal price. 



At regular intervals samples of milk from individual 

 animals should be tested for butterfat. A common practice 

 is to take a composite sample of milk from each cow for 

 three consecutive days, about the middle of each month, 

 and test this for butterfat. The butterfat percentage thus 



