Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1926-06-24
DETERMINE VALUE
OF DAIRY SIRES

Prepared By the United States Department
i OF Agriculturs-l
Perhaps the best way 10 determine
he true value OF the dairy bull. says
he United States Department Of Agri-
culture. Is through the. production rec
Drds Of his daughters II dairy bull
has many daughters, and all Of these
keel medium to low-producing dams.
he sire has q certain value; If all the
daughters excel medium TO high-pro-
ducing dams, the true value OF the
bull Ia comparatively high; but IL all
he daughters excel high-producing
dams. the true value of that bull is
very high.
For the tlrst time in the history Of
this country figures are now becoming
available, through the cow-testing as
sociations, by which the true value Of
thousands Of dairy bulls Of each dairy
9reed may be determined through the
production records Of their unsolicited
daughters
Department Circular 1858, just issued
Dy the bureau of dairyIng, United
States Department OF Agriculture,
shows how the true value of dairy
quill may be measured by comparing
he yearly production records Of his
daughters with the records OF their
dams.
IN a study that compared the
yearly production records OF 2lS2
daughters with the records OF their
dams, II was found that the daughters
sxceIIed the dams by 377 pounds Of
milk and 10 pounds OF butterfat
These gains are not considered phe-
nomenal, but with the high-average
production Of the dams (s,6S5 pounds
Of nailk and S42 pounds Of butterfat)
they are very satisfactory. The gains
would have been excellent had It not |
oeen for a few inferior slres whose
daughters kept the average produc-
lion Of all the daughters down. This
Is the kind Of sire that should be
eliminated from the dairy herds OF |
the country.
In general, the study showed that
most pure-bred sires will increase the
production of the daughters above
hat OF low-produelng dams However,
as the production Of dams increases,
Better and still better sires must be
ased or the daughters will not excel
the production records of the dams. A
small increase Of the daughters over
dams may be a great
er credit TO the sire than a much
,arger Increase over low-producing
1ams.
A study Of IS pure-bred bulls In
associations, each having
ave or more tested daughters, showed
hat In some cases all the daughters ex-
relied the dams; in other cases some
of the daughters excelled and others
aid not and In still other cases every
laughter produced less than her dam.
This shows the necessity OF using
great care In the selection Of o dairy
dire.
The fact that the daughters OF any
lire excel their dams in production OF
is a very important factor,
but 1t is not the only factor to be
considered. II makes big difference
whether the production Of the dam Is
high or low. Some sires increased the
-ecords OF the daughters over fairly
dams more than 40
yer cent; other sires lowered the pro
luction Of the daughters almost as
much below that Of similar dams. That
Ioes not mean, however. that all sires
ghose daughters failed to produce as
much as their dams should be sent TO
he butcher; but It does mean that, II
ept at all, they should be used to
improve lower-producing dairy herds
A copy Of the circular may be OBJ
aimed as long as the supply lasts by
rritIng to the United States Depart.
rent Of Agriculture, Washington
}. q.