Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-06-08
Cow Testing Associations Increase.

Cow Testing Associations Increase.
One hundred and sixty-three co-opera.
tive cow-testing associations were in
operation last year in the United States.
The first association in this country was
organized in Fremont, Michigan, in
1905, and as late as 1908 only six asso-
Citations had been formed. There are al
the present time between 2500 and 5000
such associations, the first having been
started in Denmark in 1895.
Experiments continually show that 1t
is impossible for any man, however ex-
perienced he may be, to estimate With
any accuracy the yearly production Of
milk from any COW. Some animals
start with a very good production and
then drop to an ordinary flow, while 9th
ers give q much more regular yield. The
latter may at the end of the year have
given the farmer much more milk, but
he will probably consider the former to
be the profitable ones. As a matter OF
fact, man cannot guess within q quart
how much milk there is in pail, and If
be is selling the product of his herd on
butterfat basis he knows even less of the
yield from each individual animal.
The main purpose of the cow-testing
association is to enable its members TO
hire a tester to keep the records which
in practice it is almost impossible Tor
the farmer TO keep for himself. The
tester should arrive at the farm in time
for the afternoon milking, weigh the
milk given by each COW in the herd, and
take a sample of it to test for butterfat.
At feeding time he weighs the feed Civ
en- each COW and estimates as well the
amount of roughage. He also keeps
record of feed given to dry cows as well
as those in milk, for it is obvious that
the total cost of feed for the year must
be taken into consideration. The fol-
lowing morning the individual produc-
ton of the herd is weighed again, and II
the ration is changed, the feed also is
weighed. Later in the day the Baocock
test is used TO determine the percentage
of butterfat in each cows milk. From
these figures it is possible to estimate
the amount of milk and butter given IN
a month by COW, and set against IL tue
amount of feed consumed. This meth
cd, of course, does not produce scien-
tific accuracy, but careful tests have
shown that the results are within 2 per-
cent of the cows actual production.
Another feature of the testers work is
to watch the prices of various feedings
and then to work out for the farmer the
most economical ration. This, together
with the weighing and testing of the
milk, will occupy him until it is time
for him to leave in order to arrive at the
next farm TO test the afternoon milking.
Thus the tester devotes one day month
10 each member in the association, and
this limits the number of members to 20
or 26, the number of working days in
month, and defines within somewhat
narrow limits the expense of conducting
the association. This has been found to |
De about $3.50 year, including the sal
ary of the tester, the cost of the acid for
the Babcock test, and miscellaneous ex-
penses.
That cow-testing association actual |
ly does pay has been proved beyond all
doubt. Since the first organization OF
this kind was formed, in 1905, rs for one
reason or another have been discontin- |
ued. On the other hand, the records OF
those in operation show excellent imam |
cial results. There are seven herds that
have remained continuously in the
Michigan association ever since IL was
formed, in 1905. In 1906 they included
80 cows, and in 1913 80 cows. In 1906
the average yield for each cow was $3.50
pounds of milk and 23l.1 pounds OF but |
terfat; in 1918 il was 6l23 4 of milk and
2S4 7 pounds of fat. In the meantime,
prices of both feed and dairy products
had risen. The profit, however, to the
dairymen in the association rose as well.
For each COW it was, in 1906, S22 %, and
in 1918 il was S5l.0S, or an increase OF
SIS. .S5. II certainly paid these dairy
men, therefore, to employ tester, even
il it cost them 81 so year for each COW.
Not only do these records show which
cows make or lose money for their own
ers, but they show to what extent each
is profitable, the amount Of feed given to
each COW, and what kinds Of feed at pre-
vailing prices produce the most satisfac-
tory financial results.