Oxford Democrat., 1915-06-29
Cow Testing a Success.
ASSOCIATIONS INCREASE AS ACCURATE
RECORDS OF MILK AND BUTTER FAT
PROVE THEIR USEFULNESS.

News Letter, U. S. Department of Agriculture
One hundred and sixty-three coopera-
tive cow-testing associations were in
operation last year in the United States.
This is considered to be a rapid growth
when il is remembered that the first as
sociation in this country was organized
in Fremont, Mich, in 1905, and that as
late as 1905 only 6 associations had been
| formed. The next year, however, the
number rose to %, and it has been in-
creasing rapidly ever since. America
is, nevertheless, in this respect still far
behind Europe, where there are at the
present time between $500 and 5000
such associations, the first having been
started in Denmark in 1895.
The principle on which these associa-
tions work is both extremely simple and
vet important. Year after year many
farmers milk cows that do not pay for
the feed they consume. Indeed, the
average annual production Of COW in
this country is approximately 1000
pounds of milk, containing 160 pounds
of butter fat. The best dairymen say
there is no profit in such production,
and of course there are vast numbers OF
cows that fall far below these figures.
To make his herd a success, therefore,
| the farmer must weed out the animals
that are costing him money and keep
those that are bringing it in to him.
This, however, is not so easy as it may
seem. Experiments continually show
that it is impossible for any man, how
ever experienced he may be, to estimate
with any accuracy the yearly produc-
ton of milk from any cow. Some ami
mails start with very good production
and then drop to very ordinary flow,
while others give a much more regular
yield. The latter may at the end OF the
year have given thejfarmer much more
milk, but he will probably consider the
| former to be the profitable ones. As a
matter of fact, a man cannot guess with
| in a quart how much milk there is in a
pail. and if he is selling the product of
his herd on butter fat basis, he knows
even less of the yield from each individ-
usl animal.
The main purpose of the cow-testing
association is to enable it's members to
hire tester to keep the records which
in practice il is almost impossible for
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 butter fat.
At feeding time he weighs the feed
given each COW and estimates as well the
amount of roughage. He also keeps a
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 Babcock
test is used to determine the percentage
Of butter fat in each cows milk. From
these figures il is possible TO estimate
the amount of milk and butter fat given
in a month by a cow and set against 1t
the amount of feed consumed. This
method, of course, does not produce SCI
eutitic 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
aud 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 10 leave in order to arrive at the
next farm 10 test the afternoon milking.
Thus the tester devotes one day month
to each member in the association and
this limits the number of members 10
% or 26, the number of working days in
a month, and defines within somewhat
narrow limits the expense OF conduc'-
ing the association. This has been
found TO be about $500 year, including
the salary of the tester, the cost OF the
acid fer the Babcock test, and miscella-
ueous expenses. All expenses are usual
ly borne by the members in proportion
to the number of cows they own. Where
the herds are large this may be 81 a COW,
but generally it is $3.50 year for each
COW. To many farmers it may seem un-
necessary TO hire a man to do work
which they themselves are perfectly
capable of doing. The answer to this is
that while the farmer unquestionably
could do it, it is likely that during the.
pressure of other work be would slight
his tests. AS matter of fact the num-
| Der of dairymen who actually do keep
records of their work for the whole year
is insignificant; moreover, it is really
cheaper to have it done by the tester
than to do it ones self. Experience has
made the tester rapid aud accurate; he
has at his fingers ends the strength OF
The acid be uses, the amount TO charge
for roughage aud conce ntrates, and the
analyses of all the common feeds. Ii
would take the average farmer a long
time TO become familiar enough with all
these details TO do the work as we'll as
the tester does.
That q cow-testing association actually
does pay has been proved beyond all
doubt. Since the first organization OF
this kind was formed, in 1905, 76 for one
reason or another have been discontin-
ued. On the other hand the records of
those in operation show excellent finan-
cial results. There are seven herds that
have remained continuously in the Mich
ligan association ever since it was form
ed, in 1905. In 1906 they included fifty
lcows, and in 1918, 90 cows. 10 1906 the
leverage yield for each COW was 5,SS5 lbs
of milk and 23l.l lbs. of butter fat; in
ll9l3 il was 6, 123 of milk and 2S4.7 lbs
of fat. In the meantime prices of both
feed and dairy products had risen. The
profit, however, to the dairymen in th'
association rose as we'll. For each COW
It was, in 1906, s22 % and in 1918 it wa
s51 .OS, or an increase of S2S.S5. 1t Ger
tainly paid these dsirymen, therefore, Il
employ tester even il il cost them 81 5'
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 eacl
| is profitable, the amount of feed given 4
each COW, and what kinds Of feed at pre-
vailing prices produce the most satisfac
tory financial results.