647 



BREEDING DAIRY CATTLE FOR 

 MILK PRODUCTION. 



J. Mackintosh, O.B.E.. NUXA., N.D.B., 



Research Institute in Dairying, University College, 

 Reading. 



During recent years attention has been repeatedly directed 

 to the importance of increasing the yield of milk from the dairy 

 herds of this country. The Committee on the Production and 

 Distribution of Milk, in their Final Report.* draw attention to 

 the steps which can be taken to reduce the cost of production 

 and increase the profit to the farmer, and the Agricultural Sub-* 

 Committee, in dealing with the subject of the improvement of 

 home breeds,! laid special stress on the possibility of obtaining 

 better yields by improved breeding methods. 



In order that a farmer may discover and dispose of his 

 poorest and unprofitable milkers, it is essential that the practice 

 of milk recording should be adopted, while a careful study of 

 methods of feeding may result in a better yield from the same 

 expenditure on food, but to maintain a herd at a high average 

 yield it is necessary to ensure that the heifers reared to replenish 

 the herd shall milk as well as. or better than, their dams. To 

 attain this result, the utmost care must be given to the selection 

 of the sire and to the choice of cows which are likely to produce 

 heifers of the desired type and qualities. 



The owner who wishes to improve his herd by breeding 

 must first decide upon the type of animal he wishes to breed. 

 Where the herd consists of cows of purely dairy type, such as 

 Jerseys. Guernseys, or Ayrshires. the decision should not be 

 difficult, but attention will need to be given to differences in 

 type and size. Thus.- in Jerseys the rent -paying farmer may well 

 consider whether he should adhere to the Island type or try 

 to develop a larger, hardier type, it may be less refined, but 

 possessing equal or greater powers of milk production. 



With cows of the dual-purpose type, the need for a clearly 

 defined aim is even more necessary. As the objects for which 

 the dual-purpose cow is kept are to give a good yield of milk 

 annually (say 7,000 lb. to 10.000 lb), to lay on flesh readily 

 on the best parts of the carcass when fattening, and to produce 



* Final Report of the Committee on the Production and Distribution of Milk. 

 (Cmd. 42S\ p. 13. par. 51 (2) ; p. 14. par. 59. 

 t Ibid, p. 29. par. 3. 



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