Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1910-09-06
Breeding Dairy Cattle.

Breeding Dairy Cattle.
The question of breeding up the dairy
herd is perhaps the most vital one in
dsirying to-day. The milk yield of q
cow depends chiefly on her inherent ca
pacity. The milk yielding capacity of a
herd can be largely increased by careful
selection and breeding. In herds where
large milk yield is desired, special at
tention must be paid to breeding only
those heifers that come from the best
cows. The heifers from poor mixers
and badly formed cows should on no &C
count be retained, as they inherit the
qualities of their dams. When it is
considered that many of our dairy cows
yield only 100 pounds of commercial
butter, while others yield up to 400
pounds, the need for grading up will be
readily apparent. In this matter, one
should be guided by local and climatic
conditions, and by the nature OF the
pastures. He should consider well be-
fore making selection, and especially
In new districts, for how often do we
find a man breeding in certain line
for years and then discovering that he
has made a bad choice, with the result
that the years have been wasted and he
has to make fresh start!
Having decided on the kind of cattle
he wishes to breed, the breeder should
have iudelibly imprinted on his mind
the true type of dairy cow-the par
ticular goal to aim at. BY selecting
heifers from deep-milking cows and
this process for a sufficient
length of time, the average milk yield
will be considerably increased. L be-
iieve that one of the greatest mistakes
made by the average farmer is in stint
ing the feed. II the best results to be
attained are desired, the cow must be
we'll fed The original COW was not an
ideal dairy animal. She has been made
one by selecting and feeding. Ii We
neglect these two things we cannot hope
to improve our herds.
Breeding from good mixers whose
parentage is known, will invariably pro-
duce calves that, later on, will give a
large milk yield. Breeding from ami
mails whose parentage is unknown, and
which are crosS-bred, must, at the best,
be only guesswork-uncertain and un-
in its results. we may
possess cows that are heavy mixers,
vet their calves may not possess tue
same desirable qualities. As a rule,
however, good milking cows produce
equally good milking heifers, provided
they have been bred from suitable
bull. This is due to the fact that deep
mixers generally come from good milk
ing families, and their milk yielding is
an inherited quality, and not accidental,
for it is not possible to feed COW be-
yond her maximum ability to produce
butter-fat. That is to say, il cows
maximum quantity is II pounds OF put
ter a week, il is not possible by feedlng
with the richest aud most concentrated
foods to compel her for any length OF
time to produce, say, IA pounds OF out
ter week. Breed plays more i'm
portant part than the feed.
Ernest attention should be paid to
the class of sire used in the dairy herd.
IL possible, he should be pure-bred, and
a descendant from deep milking strain
This point is of great Importance, but
is often entirely neglected. Many pay
little attention 10 this matter and use
any kind of an animal. II is mistake,
however, to suppose that every pure
bred bull is good dairy animal. Every
bull that heads the herd should be there
because he is known to be from the best
strains available. The sire influences
the milking qualities of all the heifers in
the herd Unless, therefore, the breed.
ing of the bull is attended TO, little and
progress can be made IN the
of the milking capacities
of the heifers Only If both parents are
descended from great milking strains
can il be expected that the progeny VIII
be good dairy cattle.
Many farmers act unwisely IN dis
posing of their great-aged bulls just at
the time when the owners are able to
form an accurate opinion of their value
as sires. 1t is an old and wise saying,
Judge bull by the heifers he pro-
duces" If the progeny are up to the
expectations or beyond them, why dis
pose of such a sire? The answer is in-
variably that his hefers are coming in.
Is this not mistake? 1t would pay
foursold to keep this proved sire for the
old cows, and purchase or use young
bull for the heifers. The best plan
when dairyiug is to purchase the tried
sires and judge them through their
II. Underwood IN