The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-09-30

my best cow is actually the poorest,
which shows that impression of the 1
relative profitableness of the different I
COWS in the herd if formed without /
actual records may be exactly contrary /
to the truth IN order to be able to (
decide intelligently which cows produce
milk and butter economically and (
which do not it is necessary to know /
three things about the individual cows /
III the herd: First How much milk do
they give, and this must be known for /
year because the cow has to be fed
for 800 days; I'd, How much butter fat
Is there in each cow S milk, for upon
this depends the market value of the
milk; Sd, In order to form correct
idea as TO the economical utilization
OF the feed. it is necessary to know
the amount of feed consumed by the
COW.
Methods of operation: The COW test
er arrives at the home of the farmer IN
the afternoon and remains there for
"a hours, when he is carried by the
farmer to the farm of the next mem
Der of the association. On has arrival
/ at the stable, the tester enters IN
book which he carries for the purpose
the name and number of each cow in
the herd, whether she gives milk or
not. As it is the purpose of the work
! to ascertain the actual status OF the
! whole herd as well as the individual,
every cow in the stable should be en-
tered ON this list. 1t is obvious that
! if only cows with large yield were
I entered into the list at the end Of the
year the herd would show a higher
| average than the truth would warrant.
/ For this reason, and in hope of obtain
ing commercial advantages from such
records, some dairymen have preferred
not to have the whole herd tested; but
| it IS a rule of the cow testing aSsocla-
tion to obtain the record of every
animal in the herd which. has had one
calf and no records are made where
such is not the ease. The COW tester
takes part in feeding the cows and
while so doing he weighs the amount
of roughage and grain each COW re
ceives, and records this data in a book
which he carries with him at all times.
The milk yielded by each COW is
weighed and samples OF it are obtained
for testing records of the feed and
yield for each individual are again
obtained and recorded next morning
: and the fat determination is made
; During the forenoon calculations ~aro
made and entered in the record book
which at all times remains in the
possession of the farmer. the milking
is done at the usual milking time tC
: avoid error. If the cow is in heat oil
t temporarily out of condition on test
ing day, no sample Of her milk is takeI
; as there is usually an abnormal tluctu
4 alton IN the fat contents at such times
and the calculations based upon test
& taken then may be several pounds to,
d high or too low. the fact of such tenn
5 porary abnormal condition i recorde,
in the herd book. and the average o
y the preceding and following months
n test is used in the calculation. N
: cow in abnormal condition shall b.
e tested The cow is considered as bein'
> dry when She is not MIXED every day
" In order to support a cow test as
f sociation it is necessary that Their
e. should be % herds conveniently locate
5. and a sufficient number of COWS 6Jeo
r so that the tester can get reasonabl
f good salary. Will cost about So @
It $50 month for the man. Herds o
l. 10 or less would necessarily have t
,e paw SO and herds of more than 81
a. 81 per cow. In order to support tn
a association, as there are only 20 WORK
q ING DAYS IN the month the man ca
le then spend one day III each herd.
it addition to the + per COW the farme
Il paws q membership fee of SO yearl.
s. This is used to pay incidental expense
a postage. cost of sulphnric acid, ct
s The associations hold monthly meeting
le for the discussion of the topics {
dairving, the program committee s