Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1919-02-26
RFTTER DAIRYING BY BULL
ASSOCIATIONS; JOINT Use
OF GOOD SIRES IMPROVES
HERDS

From the current issue Of the Or-
leans County Farm Bureau News.
Dairymen who would like TO use
pure-bred bulls TO improve their
herds but who can not afford TO pur-
chase such animals should investigate
the advantages Of cooperative
bull association.
These organizations are formed by
farmers for the joint ownership,
use. and exchange of purebred bulls.
The purchase price and cost OF MAIN
tenance are distributed according TO
the number of cows owned by each
member, thereby giving the dairy
man an opportunity 10 build up his
herd at a minimum expense. Inc
organization also helps its members
TO market dairy stock and dairy
products. 10 fight contagious dis
eases Of cattle intelligently, and IN
other ways to assist in improving
the dairy industry. Farmers Bull
/ ietin 993, recently issued by the
United States Department Of Agri-
culture. gives directions for the or
ganization and operation of bull or
CARNATIONS. together with cOnstitu-
ton and bylaws necessary for such
an organization.
Type Recommended.
/ The typical cooperative bull asso-
citation, as recommended by the dairy
specialists of the department, IS
/ composed of from Is TO 80 farmers
who Jointly own FIVE bulls. The
territory in which these farmers live
lis divided into FIVE breeding
/ blocks" one bull being assigned to
each block As many as so or 90
cows may belong TO the farmers IN
each block. and the bull in the block
should be kept on a conveniently 10
/ Gated farm. To prevent inbreed-
4 ing. each bull Is moved to the next
/ block every two years. If all the
: bulls live. and if all are kept until
( each has made one complete circuit,
no new bulls need TO be purchased
/ for 10 years. In this way each
member of the association has the
use of good pure-bred bulls for many
years, at a cost of only a small part
! of the purchase price of one good
bull-usually less than is invested in
a more inferior bull owned by indi-
! vidual dairymen.
In a survey conducted by the de-
partment on 1919 farms in eight
districts in Iowa, Minnesota and Mas
sachusetts, in which there were no
associations, it was found that there
were ST bulls, having an average
value of SIC. Had the owners of
these cheap bulls been properly or
ganized the same investment would
! have purchased the necessary bulls
of an average value of 1888. In
one association having more than
7 100 members the original cost of
good pure-bred bulls to each member
was only S23. When questioned re-
garding the value of cooperative bull
/ associations, $50 farmers in Mary
land, Michigan and Minnesota esti-
mated that the use of the bulls be-
! longing to the organization increased
/ the value of the offspring in the
1 first generation from so TO 80 per
( cent, with an average of 65 per cent.
Success Demands Care.
The selection of the bulls for an
4 association Is one of the most i'm
/ pOrtant considerations. a good pure
bred bull VIII make rapid and mark
ed Improvement in the herds. and
/ the association interest increases in
( proportion TO the improvement OBJ
tanned. If a poor dairy bull is
3 used the milk production of the
members herds Is sometimes re-
duced, the interest is lessened. and
these conditions may lead to the
( breaking up of the association.
Success in the operation of an as
+ ISOLATION depends a great deal on
the care that Is used in its organiza-
ton. The Farmers Bulletin previ-
ously mentioned will be found of
great value along this line, partie-
ularly the suggestions which are
/ given in connection with the con-
stltution and bylaws.
The Farm Bureau in this county is
ready TO assist the farmers of any
community to join such an organiza-
ton. Why not make use of your
Farm Bureau?