Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-03-26
, AMONG FARMERS 4
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dairy herd, C. l.. Smith, agriculturist
of the o. w. R. & N. company, says
"The average yield of butter fat per
COW for all the cows being MIXED in
the Pacific northwest is under 200
pounds. The poorest cows, therefore,
yield much less than this, as there are
great many cows producing two and
three times this amount. | recently
went very carefully over the record
of one good dairy herd of 80 cows,
eight of them being heifers under
three years of age, and yet the record
as verified by the creamery checks
showed the average annual product of
butter fat for the herd was 534
pounds per cow, total of 16,020
pounds for the 30 cows.
"These cows were not accidents.
They were the result of selection,
care, feeding and breeding through
many generations. They were the
product of a certain combination of
important factors that had so affected
the natural character of the animals
as to develop and intensity the origi-
nal mother functions into valuable
factor of production, that could be
utilized by an intelligent man to his
profit and advantage. Their produc-
tive capacity had been built up; but
as these valuable characteristics or
functions were not so firmly establish
ed in the beginning as not to be al
tered by conditions, so in the built up
COW, the absence of any or part of the
factors that had built up would tend
toward a reversion to the original nat
ural condition.
"There is an old adage that "A
chain is no stronger than its weakest
link This is especially true of
dairying. Successful dairying is the
logical result of a claim of factors,
the weakness or absence of any link
weakening or destroying the strength
of the chain, to the extent that the f.
nal profit is always measured by the
strength of the weakest link. Ger
tainly one of the important links is
the COW. Her capacity to manufac-
ture food into milk limits and con-
trolls the effectiveness of all the other
factors.
The profitable dairy COW is an indiv-
idual, not a breed. There is just as
wide a variation between individuals
of the same breed as between the var
ious breeds. In the selection of indi-
viduals it is, however, true that those
breeds that have been fed, handled
and bred for any specific purpose will
show a reader, more general adapta-
ton to that specific purpose than in
dividuals from families fed and bred
for other purposes.
The building up of dairy herd be-
gins of course, with the selection of
individuals for the foundation. The
order runs something like this:
First-Selection.
Second-Care, which includes feed,
shelter, water and method of treat
ment.
Third-Testing, sorting and weed
ing out.
Fourth-Breeding.
Fifth-Feeding, handling, and de-
veloping of calves and heifers.
Carelessness, negligence or ignor-
ance on the part of the dairyman in
regard to any Of the factors will elm
mate or seriously impair the measure
of profit.
Before making any investment in
cows the dairyman should thoroughly |
and intelligently consider the line of
dairying to be followed and the breed
that in his judgment is best adapted
for his purpose. Having determined
a line, then follow it persistently. One
of the serious obstacles to general i'm
is found in the tendency of
so many men to change breeds, cross
breeds and use grade sires. By these
freouent changes they reap only con-