The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-09-10

biueH III eeacotinS udlfy cOW.
They are the production, breeding
and type Of the cow. and the question
rs to whether the cow is free from
disease.
The production question is of vital
Importance to anyone intending to
make a financial success of dairying.
Today successful dairymen keep pro-
duction records of all their COWS by
the use of the Babcock tester and
scales. Never keep or buy a cow with
low production record attached to
her, no matter how good her breeding
may be. As long as she is in the
herd she will lose money for the own
or, and no matter how good bull
she is mated to, her offspring will re-
semble her in the matter Of produc-
tion. A COW must produce three hun
dred pounds of butterfa in one year
to bring in profit above the cost of
her feed and care. If such a COW be
Of good breeding and is mated to a
bull of good ancestry and type, at
least seventy-five per cent of her off
spring should be in or above the three
hundred pound production class
1t is very important to know the
production records Of the parents and
grandparents of the COW, because of
the fact that the tendency of cows to
produce milk is to large extent
hereditary. 1t is of special Importance
to have this knowledge in regard to
heifers, which, of course, have no
records of their own. In itself, pedi-
gree of a pure-bred animal is of no
more importance than the pedigree of
. scrub. 1t is what the pedigree tells
about the ancestors that is of impor-
tance. For a COW to have a good
pedigree, her ancestors on both her
dam g and sire s side, FOR two or three
generations back should be good pro
ducers.
General Appearance.
In general COW should have
lean, angular appearance. Her chest
should be deep and her barrel large
and roomy. This indicates strong
constitution, good dairy temperament
and a large capacity for feed which
will be converted into milk rather
than into body fat. A soft, pliable
hide indicates good internal secretion
and good digestion. A large, well
placed udder, with numerous and
prominent milk veins, extending well
forward on the abdomen, provide large
space and room for the manufacture
Of milk. A good producing COW will
answer favorably to this general de
scription of the ideal dairy type. In
building up herd it is impossible to
give too much attention to type.
tuberculosis and contagious abortion
are the main diseases common in dairy
herds. After the breeding, production
record and type of the cow have re-
ceived our attention, it is important
for US to know whether or not the COW
is free from these diseases. Before any
COW is purchased she should be tested
for tuberculosis by reliable veterin
arian If she reacts 70 the test, show
ing that she has the disease germs in
her system, she should be rejected. A
dairy herd should be tested once every
year for tuberculosis, in order that
the disease may not get good start
in the herd before it is discovered.
1t is more difficult to guard against
contagious abortion. 1t is not enough
that the owner says the cow does not
have the disease, for it is regretable
fact that all dairymen are not abso
lutely honest. The best test is to find
out when the COW last calved. If she
has living calf born within the past
year, and if other COWS in the herd
from which she is selected have living
calves born within the past few
months, it is safe to conclude that
the COW is free from this disease.
From the production standpoint,
proper selection Of the individual COW
is the chief element Of success IN
dairying. There is greater variation
in the production Of individual cows
Of the same breed, than there is
among the average production Of the
different dairy breeds themselves Any.