Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-09-18
Breeders Daughter Dam Test.
10 TEST THE TRANSMITTING QUALITIES
OF HERD BULLS.

During the past years the Maine
Agricultural Experiment Station ba,
carried on cooperative breeding expert
ments with about 200 Of Names LEADING
oairymen. These experiments have
given the Station mass Of data that ID
fuil OF important facts. These will be
analyzed ~ soon az possible and the
more important conclusions published,
Meanwhile the station wishes to call
the attention to plan for anew coopera.
tive project which it will take mp with
the breeders Of Maine provided they are
Interested In the matter.
The most important thing which q
breeder of dairy cattle desires to know
is whether his animals are transmitting
productive qualities. In particular this
information is desired in regard to
the herd bull, which constitutes one
half of the herd. II by chance he 10
exercising deleterious effect on the
productive qualities of the herd he may
In few years. time do . great deal OF
harm. Il would appear, to tbe, beyond
doubt or question for practical purposes,
that, II bulls daughters are on the
average poorer mixers, or poorer In the
quality Of their milk, than the dams
from which they came, then the bull
which produced them is exercising Q
harmful effect upon the herd. On the
other hand, II the bulls daughters are
on the average measurably better than
the dams from which they came In pro-
ductive qualities, then that bull Is
exercising beneficial effect upon the
herd. What the breeder wants to know
at the earliest possible moment 10 which
of these two categories his herd bull
falls into. The Station Biologist has
worked out plan whereby It is believed
that 1t will be possible to furnish this
sort of Information to the breeders of
the State more quickly and in much
more definite and precise form than they
have ever been able to acquire 1t hither-
to.
The herder shall have in bis herd at
the same time both the dam and her
daughter to be tested. Or failing the
actual possession Of the animals at the
time be must be able to furnish salts
factory records of the milk production
of the missing animal, either dam or
together with the other neces-
sary information for making the test.
The breeder undertaking such q CO.
operative test under the directions
furnished by the Station must agree to
keep q careful and accurate record OF
the milk OF the animals on test over
period of time mutually agreed upon
q day; IA day; 80 day; 90 day; or one
year,. =.
Samples of milk of the animals on test
shall be regularly taken, according to
which will be furnished.
These samples will be tested for fat 10
one of the following ways. The samples
may be sent to the Maine Agricultural
Station for analysis; the
may be tested by the tester OF
an approved COW test association; and
lastly, the sample may be tested by an
advanced registry supervisor II the
farmer ls having advanced registry
work done. The records for the milk
and butter fat will then be sent to the
Station for the necessary calculations
for making proper age corrections Tor
the animal concerned. An Official re-
port will then be rendered to the breed
or az to whether in the particular case
involved the sire produced q daughter
which was better or poorer producer
than her dam when both are compared
on an equal basis.
Anyone desiring to take up such test
should write to the Director OF the
Maine Agricultural Experiment Station
asking for an application blank form.
The only expense to the breeder IN,
volved in having such . test carried
through 10 the expressage on the
samples of milk to Orono, and post
age on reports. This cooperative
daug hter-dam testing project will De
open TO owners of grade cattle % well as
owners of pure e-breds.-CHAs. D. WOODS
Director.