Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1895-12-12
The Economical Cow.

Ab hA4 buCCobSAuA UIOSueED ISdllLe, In0
time is past when we can wholly rely
upon the pedigree as guide in select
ing the animals whose characteristics
we wish to perpetuate in our fiocks or
herds. Not that the law Of heredity Is
any less true than formerly, but be-
cause we are coming to appreciate that
an animal parent is more likely to
transmit It's own characteristics rath-
er than those of some ancestors. So,
instead Of studying the pedigree and
the pedigree only, the breeder OF today
will study in its connection the individ-
uality, the type and general conforma-
ton Of the animal with special refer
ence to their economy of production,
appreciating the fact that more and
more will the cost Of production" be
the standpoint from which all animals
kept for production be judged. Apply
ing this principle to dairy cattle, the
question is raised, What sort Of cow
Is the most economical and therefore
the best COW? That COW is the most
profitable which will produce pound Of
butter fat the most economically, and
although 1t is conceded that there Is
more difference in the individuals or
the same breeds than there is in the diff
ferent breeds, that breed which con-
tains the greatest proportion Of most
economical cows is the best breed.
In order for COW to produce pound
of butter fat economically (Which
should be the standard by which all
dairy cows should be Judged, she must
be able to consume large amount OF
coarse fodder, which, Of necessity, will
always be grown in large guam
titles by every farmer and dairy
man. All of these coarse foods
contain the same ingredients found in
the grains and concentrated by-prod-
ucts, but not in the same proportion,
and for this reason COW Is obliged to
eat go pounds of corn stalks to get the
amount Of nutriment which she would
obtain from few pounds Of corn meal
and bran for example. Hence 1t fol-
lows that IL an animal can consume
enough roughage, whose intrinsic val
ue Is a very few cents, and get from 1t
the same amount of digestive nutrients
that would be obtained in eight pounds
Of highly concentrated food which is
intrinsically worth that many cents or
more, she will be, by far, more prOtita-
BILE than one whose limited capacity
will allow her to take but few pounds
of roughage and the main part of whose
ration must be highly concentrated and
expensive.
Considering the general type Of the
HOlstein breed, is it too much to say
that as breed it contains a greater
proportion of cows capable, on ac-
count of their large storage capacities,
Of making butter cheaper than any 9TH
er breed? l was very much interested
In looking over the results obtaiHHd at
the Minnesota Experiment Station from
herd Of % cows composed Of nearly
all breeds and their grades, to find that
in years trial the COW that produced
the most butter was a high-grade Hol-
stein and that the next greatest amount
was produced by registered Holstein
the two making 494 and 453 pounds re-
spectively, at an average cost per
pound of sos cents and 9.O6 cents. OF
course 1t is unfair to draw any cOnclu-
sions from so few figures, but they GER
tainly serve to indicate that the large,
roomy Holstein, properly handled, has
before her a future as a large and
economical butter producer-H. Hay
ward in Journal Of Agriculture.