Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1922-07-13

department of agriculture will fur
nish record blanks on application, or
these may be ruled off without any
great trouble at home.
A dairy record sheet should be
large enough to have the names writ
ten across the top, with room under
each for writing the pounds of milk.
Down the right hand side Of the sheet
the dates should be written, and there
should be two lines for each date, so
that the morning and evening milkings
can be recorded. A small spring bal
ance scale can be used for weighing
the milk. The regular dairy scale has
two hands so that one may be set to
rest at zero when the bucket is on the
hook. Then when the milk is weighed
there is no s~ubtracting the weight of
the pail. The record sheet should be
tackled up in the barn, near the scales,
where it will be handy to put down at
each milking just what each cow has
given. 1t can then be told in a short
time which ones it would pay to feed
heavier, and also, perhaps, what
what ones it would pay TO sell to=the
/ butcher.
However, the keeping of the amount
of milk each day is only a part of
the record. At least once a month
there should be samples Of each cows
milk tested. All the diaries and cream
stations are equipped with testers and
will be glad to do this for their pat
rons. The proper way to take a test
of milk is to take a composite sample. 4
That is, for two or three days at each
milking the milk in the pail should be
carefully stirred and a small amount
taken out and put into a pint jar.
which has the cows name on it. In
cool weather this could be done at each
milking for three or four days, and
then this jar sent to the cream sta
tion or to some of the high schools
where they have testers and tested.
The percent of butter fat, together
with the yield of milk is the real test
of the COW. A butter fat test alone
very little because in a herd
where a large number Of COWS are be-
ing MIXED, one COW gave milk aver
aging 40 per cent of butter fat, and
produced 425 pounds of butter fat
in a year. Another cow in the same
herd gave milk averaging 5.8 per cent
butter fat but produced only 167
pounds of butter fat in a year. 1t will
be seen that the cow with the
high per cent of butter fat was far
being as profitable as the COW
the lower per cent. In fact, the
giving the high per cent of butter
after she is charged up with the
amount of feed she consumed during I:
he year, left her owner in debt $11 /:
While the other COW produced a profit /:
# nearly $50. 1t will be seen that :
he only way of knowing which of
.hese cows was giving the most profit
vas to have the daily record of their
milk yield, and also a test of the
of butter fat there was in
heir milk.
The cost of producing the milk must
llso be considered as well as the
quantity. In a test made of a herd for
weeks where all the cows were
,iven the same kind of feed, the cost
or feed, for producing 100 pounds of
milk varied with the cow, from 81
o rs cents and the cost of producing
pound of butter fat from seven to
5 cents. AS a rule the heavy feeder
n the herd is the most profitable.
hat is, it takes the same amount of
eed to keep the cows body alive
ghether she gives rs pounds of butter
at in a year or 400 pounds, and moth /
ny is received for this part Of the
eed. If the COW eats just a little more !
han is required to keep her alive, her |
ield will be small and the cost high, |
lille if she eats a large quantity |
bove what is required for the main |
snance of her body, she will give re-
rms fro ma large proportion of her I
ed. II is much easier and cheaper |
!, ARE for and milk one COW giving
90 pounds Of butter fat in a year |
it is to care for three cows Civ |
IL 100 pounds of butter fat each
EAR. /
The dairyman who wants to OBJ |
in the highest yields of butter fat !
ust feed right, take proper care of
5 cows, test and weed out the poor
les and keep only those that produce I
d Yields of butter fat at low cost.
lese will be the cows that consume
rye amounts of feed and turn it into
ilk.
Business readers bring results.