The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1916-10-06
BUILDING UP A DAIRY HERD

BUILDING UP A DAIRY HERU
Generally speaking, there is no best
breed of dairy cow, although some are
better for certain purposes than 9TH
erS. There are first-class COWS in ev-
cry breed, and also many Improbable
ones. Success depends more upon the
selection of profitable individuals than
upon the breed. The Jersey, Holstein,
Guernsey and Ayrshire breeds are con-
sidered the standard special-purpOse
breeds, and the Red Polled, ShorthOrn
and the Brown Swiss the most COM
mon dual-purpose breeds, being used
to some extent for beef production.
The Jerseys and Guernseys are consid-
cred most economical for production of
butterfat, and the Holsteins and Ayr
shires are considered more profitable
for milk production. The HOlsteins
should be kept on good pasture and on
heavy ratiOns. Profitable animals
must be selected on basis of perform
ance (shown by milk and butter rec
ords) and developed by care and good
er his market carefully, select the
breed he likes best from those most
suited to local conditions and then
stick with that breed, building up his
herd by selection.
The dairyman, to be successful, must
keep only such cows that pay good
annual profit. Many cows do not pay
for their feed, while others may pay
from S. to $50 per year over expenses.
The improbable cow Is worth only
what she will bring on the butchers
block (about $30). The cow that pro-
duces $50 profit over all expenses is
worth ten cows that produce no profit,
both as breeder and producer, and
should at least be valued at 500 to
$3.50.
Breeding Better Than Buying.
Some dairymen buy fresh cows,
breeding to a common sire and selling
the young stock and old cows to the
butcher. Others breed their own stock,
use good sires, keep milk records and
develop heifers from their best stock.
The first method has only one advan-
tage, that of allowing the dairyman to
use all his pastures and buildings for
cows that are milking. Recognizing
the value Of a good COW, the dairyman
should always be prepared to buy one
that is better than what he has, but
it is much safer to depend on breed
ing up his own herd. The man who
depends on buying gets Gull stock, usu-
ally, unless he pays much more than
1t would cost to breed it himself. He
also runs big risk of buying diseased
cattle with tuberculosis or contagious
abortion. The man who breeds up his
own stock can develop his heifers to
good advantage so that they will be
quiet and gentle and also healthy. He
will usually be able to build up good
herd more surely and quickly.
Sire Is Half the Herd. A.,
The sire is half the herd, but If he
is a good one he is pretty near all of
1t. Grade cows may range in value
from sos to $3.50, and the sire that can
produce the latter kind is worth many
times more than the one that pro-
duces the sos kind. If heifer can be
produced that, when mature, will give
so to 100 pounds more butter or 1000
pounds more milk per year than her
dam, the annual profit from such a
heifer will accordingly be from $40 to
SOS more than from the foundation
COW. If ten such heifers were raised
every year, the increased profit will
be 800 to $3.50 more per year; if 20
heifers are raised, 5000 to $500 will be
gained each year by using a good bull.
Consequently it is hard to understand
how progressive dairyman can afford
to let a difference of 500 or so in
the original cost of a herd bull stand
between him and an additional annual
income of $500. Yet dairymen will buy
$25 scrub bulls that are worse than
useless as improvers of their herds,
while purebred males costing $50 to
$3.50 more would pay for themselves
many times over in the increased value
of the young stock produced. The sire
that cannot increase the value Of the
herd is dear at any price. While the
owner of a grade herd may be justified
in buying as high-priced sire as the
breeder Of pure breeds, a good animal
will always be cheapest in the end.
Selection of Dairy Sire.
Only purebred sire should be used,
from ancestors of known merit and Of
good breed type, masculinity and con-
stitution. Select, if possible, the son
of first-class dairy cow as the char
acteristics of the dam are most likely
to be reproduced in the heifers of the
next generation. The best indication